Community Forums

jlr44 · 06-07-2014, 01:17 PM

Looking for internet service in Canada on the way to Alaska. We will be three weeks in July going to and two weeks in August coming back through Canada. Would like to have phone and internet.

RickO · 06-07-2014, 01:24 PM

You don't mention how you currently get phone and internet service when traveling... but when we spent a month in Canada we called Verizon and temporarily changed our plan to include Canada. This provide good phone and internet service via our USB air card and router.

Good luck

Rick

bdickson · 06-07-2014, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickO

You don't mention how you currently get phone and internet service when traveling... but when we spent a month in Canada we called Verizon and temporarily changed our plan to include Canada. This provide good phone and internet service via our USB air card and router.

Good luck

Rick

Rick, can you give me an idea of what the extra cost was and how much data was included? Thanks!

RickO · 06-07-2014, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdickson

Rick, can you give me an idea of what the extra cost was and how much data was included? Thanks!

Wish I could Bruce, but I'm old and I forget things quickly these days.

It was the summer of 2012 and I do remember thinking that the additional charges were pretty much noise level on our bill.

Rick

Skip426 · 06-07-2014, 09:50 PM

Cell phone coverage , is spotty to say the least on the majority of the Alaska Highway. JMHO: Might not be worth the $$.

jlr44 · 06-08-2014, 05:41 AM

We have a air card and use personal hotspot with verizon. When the air card time is up we will not get another air card just use hotspot on the smart phone for laptops.

danleininger · 06-08-2014, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlr44

Looking for internet service in Canada on the way to Alaska. We will be three weeks in July going to and two weeks in August coming back through Canada. Would like to have phone and internet.

In preparation for our trip to Alaska last year my DW did a massive amount of research, as she is someone that NEVER likes to be out of reach of our two daughters.

Her discovery required knowing a friendly Canadian. The pricing structure varies widely for Canadian residents vs non-residents. Our Canadian friend purchased a Telus SIM card ($12) and added a "NO CONTRACT" 5 gig data plan to her account, for about $40/month. The internet plan could cancel upon the conclusion of our trip. We put the installed Sim Card in my wife's iPad which became our Hotspot for our other devices. So our cost for 3 months of internet cost us $200.

However, the Telus plan ONLY works with a 3 or 4G AT&T iPad or cell phone capable of becoming a hotspot. Also realize that cellular internet coverage only exists in populated areas. There in no coverage of any kind in the wilderness areas.

As we went in and out of Canada we would exchange the SIM card with the original.

Hope you can find a "northern" buddy to, help you out. Good luck!!!

docj · 06-08-2014, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danleininger

Her discovery required knowing a friendly Canadian. The pricing structure varies widely for Canadian residents vs non-residents.

We couldn't even get Telus to sell a non-resident a SIM at any price. They were stymied by the fact that we didn't have a Canadian address and the fact that they couldn't do a Canadian credit check (even though all we wanted was a pre-paid account. Did you find a way around that?

danleininger · 06-08-2014, 07:49 AM

You ran into the same problem we did!

The ONLY way for a non-resident to get their hands on a Telus SIM card is to have a Canadian friend purchase it and add it to THEIR account. We simply reimbursed them for their effort and expenses!

Cypressloser · 06-08-2014, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danleininger

You ran into the same problem we did!

The ONLY way for a non-resident to get their hands on a Telus SIM card is to have a Canadian friend purchase it and add it to THEIR account. We simply reimbursed them for their effort and expenses!

Bell is another popular cell service provider and I find you get better customer service, much more helpful than Telus. Also their cell service coverage is better, at least in rural areas here in the west.

docj · 06-08-2014, 02:39 PM

We did find the Fido folks to be helpful. Fido is a Rogers reseller.

gripper · 06-08-2014, 04:00 PM

I went to Nova Scotia, back in '07 and used my Verizon Air Card equipment to surf the internet, get emails and talk on my cell phone, with very little problems. When I got home, I got a $700+ bill, from Verizon, for "Roaming Charges." Oops! I never gave a thought to those charges, which, in the USA, I didn't have any! I won't make that mistake again!

Cypressloser · 06-08-2014, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gripper

I went to Nova Scotia, back in '07 and used my Verizon Air Card equipment to surf the internet, get emails and talk on my cell phone, with very little problems. When I got home, I got a $700+ bill, from Verizon, for "Roaming Charges." Oops! I never gave a thought to those charges, which, in the USA, I didn't have any! I won't make that mistake again!

Same for us only in the opposite direction. We just pull the simcard out when we cross the border going south into Mt.
A good neighbour had his brother visit from California for two weeks who left the cell phone in the car and got hit with a $2000 bill when he got home.

Skip426 · 06-08-2014, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cypressloser

Same for us only in the opposite direction. We just pull the simcard out when we cross the border going south into Mt.
A good neighbour had his brother visit from California for two weeks who left the cell phone in the car and got hit with a $2000 bill when he got home.

Same with us , as we cross the border, the DW, has both cell phones in hand , turns the US phone on and the Canadian off, on the route south and vice-versa coming home. 2 days of roaming charges on either one would pay for the other for a year. First year of snowbirding took a Telus roaming plan, phone calls were running $1.75 min + long distance. Established a US mailing address and C/Card, now $100 a season.