Wireless service in Canada & Alaska?

[RJEV]

We are planning a trip to Alaska and Canada in Spring, 2009. Currently we have Sprint cellphones and aircard for our laptop. It looks like Sprint has only roaming service in limited areas of Alaska and no service in Canada. We will appreciate any suggestions on the best way to stay in touch via internet and cell service and the best carriers to provide service. Thanks, Robert

[RJEV]

We are planning a trip to Alaska and Canada in Spring, 2009. Currently we have Sprint cellphones and aircard for our laptop. It looks like Sprint has only roaming service in limited areas of Alaska and no service in Canada. We will appreciate any suggestions on the best way to stay in touch via internet and cell service and the best carriers to provide service. Thanks, Robert

[LindaH]

You'll find cell phone service spotty, at best, along the Alaska Highway, unless you're in one of the larger towns. Verizon *used* to have a Canada service which you could add to your "regular" service. I don't know if that's still the case...go to their website and check it out. But, even then, there are vast areas of northern AB, BC, and YT where there will be no cell service, no matter which service you have.

There should be lots of places along the road, however, where you can find Wi-Fi.

[dirko]

Hi Ho: We just returned from 3 weeks in Canada (Alberta and BC). Our Verizon cell phones worked most places where there are people. We just used it like in the U.S. Don't know about Alaska. That trip will now have to wait until next year.

We also found many places where there were "hot spots" for wireless interent.

Dirk

[LindaH]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dirk Ostermiller:
We just returned from 3 weeks in Canada (Alberta and BC). Our Verizon cell phones worked most places where there are people. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
How far north in both provinces were you?

[dirko]

Hi Ho: We went only as far north as Banff and Lake Louise and then Calgary on the way back. We actually went from west to east rather than on further north. I was disappointed with Lake Louise. Nobody there speaks English anymore and the poppies are mostly gone.

[GraciesMom]

RJev - I had Sprint when I went through Canada to Alaska summer of 2007. It was extremely spotty . . . I only got decent coverage in Anchorage. I got some coverage in some areas of Canada. I came up through Montana through Banff, Jasper, on to the Yukon and on into Alaska. But when I arrived in Alaska, it only worked within the major cities . . . Juneau, Haines,the Kenai. I couldn't get any coverage in Seward, Homer, or on the roads traveling between cities. I'd highly advise you to look into Verizon . . . from everything I've heard, they have the best service in Alaska. Same goes for my wifi card . . . very spotty coverage. I spent a lot of time in the laundromat in Soldotna to catch up on email!