Need SIM - Going to Canada

arcturus

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jun 28, 2000
Messages
1,181
Looking for suggestions on a Canadian GSM carrier for a prepaid SIM. I'm heading up there for 3 weeks and figure I'll need no more than 3gb data, less than 100 minutes voice.

Also, how can I execute call forwarding from my existing carrier (Sprint) to the SIM assigned # if I'm already in Canada since I'll be out of service range. I won't know the new # until I'm up there.
 
They are all GSM.

If you go with Big Three, Tell, Rogers, Bell. You have best coverage.

Wind, Moblicity are city carriers but they are on different GSM band so you will not get 3g.

Data is not cheap here, so lube up. :D
 
It's going to very depending on location but I'd recommend rogers in Ontario.

Check with your provider and see if you can login to a website to change the forwarding number.
 
Looking for suggestions on a Canadian GSM carrier for a prepaid SIM. I'm heading up there for 3 weeks and figure I'll need no more than 3gb data, less than 100 minutes voice.

Also, how can I execute call forwarding from my existing carrier (Sprint) to the SIM assigned # if I'm already in Canada since I'll be out of service range. I won't know the new # until I'm up there.

When I had Sprint they were a CDMA network only and the phones (S3) did not have a sim slot in them.

Does your phone have a SIM slot?
 
Just ordered a Fido SIM card off ebay. Think I'll need to provide a Canadian address to activate and once there pick up a voucher to fund it.
 
If you scroll down and see the network providers their is only really 3 players. The big 3 control everything. But yes you are right not all but the ones that provide bulk of service do.

2 of the top 3 are CDMA, not GSM as you stated.
 
You see, that's the thing. It isn't. When you have no options, you're forced to use it because you have no where else to go.

Ahh, that's right it's Canada. Fewer choices, more expensive for just about everything.
 
I went through this when I was on PEI over the summer. I was fortunate enough that a [H] Rogers employee mailed me the three SIM cards I needed. Then, we just stopped by the Rogers store as soon as we crossed the border and did PAYG.

We did a plan got ~100 minutes per phone and 512MB of data. We also took advantage of the great WiFi coverage on PEI to supplement the data needs.

If I had it to do over again, I would have done everything the same except I would have used Bell instead of Rogers since Bell seemed to have better coverage on the island.
 
I have a Fido SIM card on the way, purchased through eBay. My trip is to Vancouver.

Would like to get this all prearranged so once I hit the border I'm ready to go. The problem is Fido (and all the other Canadian carriers) only take Canadian credit cards so there is no way to buy time online from the US.

Ideally if I could find someone in Canada who could purchase a prepaid phone card they could email the code. Then I could then go ahead and register the SIM, then choose whatever plan offered. That way I don't have to wait to get to a retail outlet.
 
I have a Fido SIM card on the way, purchased through eBay. My trip is to Vancouver.

Would like to get this all prearranged so once I hit the border I'm ready to go. The problem is Fido (and all the other Canadian carriers) only take Canadian credit cards so there is no way to buy time online from the US.

Ideally if I could find someone in Canada who could purchase a prepaid phone card they could email the code. Then I could then go ahead and register the SIM, then choose whatever plan offered. That way I don't have to wait to get to a retail outlet.

If you've got the SIM, you're done, really. Just stop into a Fido store as soon as you get there and add time/data to the SIM.

it's going to be a lot more trouble than it's worth in the long run to try to have this done before you get there.
 
If you've got the SIM, you're done, really. Just stop into a Fido store as soon as you get there and add time/data to the SIM.

it's going to be a lot more trouble than it's worth in the long run to try to have this done before you get there.

The account still needs to be established once there but yeah, I'm starting to realize that. Too bad the telco's can't offer some type of North American plan good in both countries to avoid this dance.
 
The account still needs to be established once there but yeah, I'm starting to realize that. Too bad the telco's can't offer some type of North American plan good in both countries to avoid this dance.

Google voice and Free Wifi.
 
Lube up, Canada does not treat customers well when it comes to data.

I'm calling this bull, US rates are higher for less, and you get throttled after your limit, and all your unlimited plans are going away. Getting ready for metered use. And treating a customer well doesn't mean free/cheap/discounted, it's providing reliable service at a price for a for profit company, not a charity.
 
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