Telecommunications in Canada: What's the deal!?

Welcome to Canada! So you’ve set your sights on the second largest country in the world, a beautiful multicultural community with a landscape and climate sure to dazzle any traveler. Whether you’re here for business or pleasure, or for a long or short stay, obtaining mobile service is likely to be essential. Though free WiFi is generally easy to find in major city centres, since Canada’s relatively small population is spread over such a large land mass, relying on free means to stay connected will leave you wanting once you leave the boundaries of bigger cities.​​​​

In this blog we will take a look at telecommunications in Canada and hopefully help you become better prepared for what you can expect on your travels.

How do Telecommunications work in Canada?

In Canada, there are 3 major nation-wide telecommunications networks in operation: Rogers, Bell and Telus. There are also minor companies that offer mobile service, many of which run off of the signal towers of the “Big Three” (e.g., Virgin Mobile (Bell), KooDo (Telus), Fido (Rogers), 7-11 or Petro-Canada Convenience Store SIMs (Rogers), or WIND (not a subsidiary). Lastly, one could obtain regional mobile service from companies like SaskTel (Saskatchewan), MTS Mobility (Manitoba), Bragg Communications (Atlantic Canada), or Ice Wireless (Northern Canada).

In Canada, mobile phones run off of two basic technologies: CDMA and GSM (which includes including AWS, UMTS, and HSPA (3G networks), as well as LTE and HSPa+ (4G)). If one is purchasing or renting a phone within North America, this difference will not impact their ability to connect to a Canadian network. For others who are bringing their own mobile phones for use within Canada, they will need to know which of these radio systems, and corresponding frequencies, their device is compatible with:

• US users are an exception: their devices are likely to be compatible with Canadian networks.

• Users from other countries will need:

• A tri-band or quad-band GSM phone (this means 3, or 4 GSM frequencies are supported), or

• A 3G phone that supports the 1900 Mhz frequency.

To obtain information on the compatibility of your device, go to your manufacturer's website (e.g., Apple, Samsung...), and check out the "specifications" page for your device. You will see the details you're looking for under "connectivity".

Lastly, all foreign devices (US included) will need to be unlocked to be able to accept a SIM card from a company other than your current provider.

What to expect upon arrival?

Upon arrival, you should already have in-toe your unlocked and compatible device, or be prepared to purchase or rent a Canadian one. From there, you will want to head to the kiosk of any of the telecommunications companies we mentioned above (a quick Google search will point you in the right direction!). There, you can purchase a prepaid SIM card and/or purchase your device.

Though post-paid monthly plans are the preference of most Canadians due to their better value, these are not available to travelers who lack Canadian ID and a Canadian mailing address (*see the one exception in the next section).

Canadian prepaid plans have gone away from purchasing credit for calls/texts/data and moved towards monthly prepaid plans (Bell, and the 7-11 or Petro-Canada SIM cards are the exception). In short, you would choose a plan that suits your needs for the duration of your trip, and pay the monthly fee. From there you can top up your account with more credit, and/or purchase add-ons. Plans are renewed every 30 days, or canceled at that time. In short, this is how you’ll set up the service:

• Purchase the SIM from the carrier/convenience store of your choice. The cost of these is usually $10-20 CAD.

• You will receive a local phone number

• Decide on the plan that best meets your needs and provide payment.

• Since the service is prepaid, you will never receive a bill. You purchase credit beforehand, and top up when you run out.

For prepaid rates, visit the mobile carriers' web pages at the following links:

Bell

Rogers

Telus

Virgin Mobile

Koodo

Fido

What’s the best travel mobile service deal?

As you can see from the information found at the links above, the prepaid rates offered by the mobile carriers in Canada are fairly similar. Still, one is usually limited to a small allotment of data at best. That is why MyPhone2Go (our company) was established. We seek to offer customers true freedom in Canadian mobility with service on a major Canadian network that is much more comparable to the service locals can get. In short, you rent a SIM card from MyPhone2Go for a flat daily rate ($22), and are granted:

• Unlimited Canada-wide talk

• Unlimited calls to select countries (China/Hong Kong, United Kingdom, France, United States and India)

• Reduced international calls to over 220 countries at an average rate of $0.25/min

• Unlimited international texting

• 750MB of data/DAY

• Optional add-on of US roaming for $8/day

MyPhone2Go also offers high-end device rentals for only $8/day, shipped to any Canadian address (e.g., your hotel). This saves users the hassle of device compatibility, as well as gives them the opportunity to test drive a new phone for the duration of their trip.

For more information on this service visit our page.

Summary and Sign Off

If your device is compatible to Canadian networks and unlocked, you are free to obtain prepaid service in Canada without need for Canadian ID or a mailing address. Though you are limited in the allotment you can obtain from the available prepaid plans, you will be able to stay connected. Alternatively, for premium service, you could rent a SIM with MyPhone2Go.

This completes our Canadian travel series, and also marks the end of this writer’s time on MyPhone2Go’s blog. Join us next week as MyPhone2Go’s owner resumes writing. With new posts every Monday, be sure to return for valuable information on travel technology.

Kaite Fisher Signing Off