ask dr "canadian cellphone" LJ

[rmd]

So, I'm planning to go to worldcon. It's in canada. I have an ATT networked non-jail-broken iPhone with a fairly boring cellphone-plus-iphone-data plan.

What's the most affordable way for me to use my phone in Canada? Should I just turn the thing off at the border to avoid getting hit with huge fees and go cellphoneless? Should I get some kind of Canadian prepaid rental phone (if there is such a thing)?

I'd like to at least have basic cellphone capability, although full-on data would be great to have as well.

thoughts?

Comments

[dfjdejulio.livejournal.com]

If you go to the "Settings" application, and pick "General", and pick "Network", you can turn off "Data Roaming". Then whenever using the wireless network for data would result in roaming charges, it just doesn't even try. If you need to check your email real fast and are willing to pay for it, you can toggle it back on and manually check, and then toggle it back off -- at the very least, it's a way to avoid hidden charges from your phone doing stuff without you knowing (eg. background polling to check email).

[thespian.livejournal.com]

Virgin has prepaid cellphones in Canada, but they're pricey; $40 for the non-contract stuff. There's not a lot else up there. You can sell if after, though.

Since you have an iPhone, have you considered Skype? Then you can make the call from anywhere you can get a local (free) wireless connection.

[coraline]

oo, thanks for the reminder to figure out how to deal with my phone up there :)

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

mine (an at&t palm centro) just worked in montreal, as did some other folks' gphones.

[waysofseeing.livejournal.com]

See above comment re turning off the data plan. The data changes are quite high, something like $20 for 1 MB. But with the data plan turned off, it's perfectly usable for voice (assuming you have a plan that covers Canada).

The international roaming charges for data are a headache in the border towns too, it turns out. On San Juan Island the American phones have a nasty tendency to switch to the cell towers in Victoria. So you can be standing on US soil, playing on Facebook, and run up a multi-thousand dollar bill without realizing it.

AT&T has some additional info here (http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/iphone-travel-tips.jsp).

[mamishka.livejournal.com]

Skype?

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

If you're going to Canada, for $5/month you can sign up with ATT for a Canadian Roaming plan that has reduced rates for voice.

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/affordable-world-packages.jsp#4

For the folks who have an unlocked, GSM phone, you can get a Pay-as-you-go SIM from Rogers or Fido.

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

ping heliopsis who has the same, er, equipment and servicing (...?) as you ;-) and is just getting back from Canada today.

Confusing!

[drwex]

I think it's insanely confusing and bloody expensive. I wish I could just turn mine off, but with parent coordination it's going to be essential.