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Ask Slashdot: Mobile Data In Canada For a US Citizen?
macwhizkid writes "I'm traveling to Canada for a week in July with youth group, and need a way to post blog updates on the trip and send back photos. I'll be staying on an island accessible only by boat, so a hard-wired connection is out of the question. I have a Verizon voice + data plan, and I've heard all the horror stories of multi-thousand dollar international data roaming charges. What I'd like to do is get 1-2 GB of data (5 GB would be great) to use on a Canadian provider's network for a reasonable fee (say, less than $100 total) as a wireless hotspot set-up. I have both a CDMA iPhone and a GSM iPad, so I really just need a micro-SIM or a way to register the IMIE. It appears that both Rogers and Bell offer 'pay as you go' data plans (Rogers has a particularly attractive iPad option), but there are conflicting reports as to whether a U.S. credit card can be used to buy service. I can't believe I'm the first U.S. citizen to want mobile data in Canada. So, has anyone done this successfully? Is there another option I'm not considering?"
Can't you do the same thing as Canadians can do in the U.S.? That is, in your non-native country, go to a 7-11 and purchase a VISA gift card that is preloaded. Use that card to purchase your data plan.
--jeffk++
ipv6 is my vpn
The lakes and rivers are still frozen here and that causes the absorption of all cellular phone frequencies. Our summer, August 13th is the one day we get Internet
I'm a Canadian living in Cincinnati and drove home to Edmonton, AB for a few weeks. I called my local cellular provider (Cincinnati Bell) and asked them for an international data roaming feature to be added to my account. There were multiple data caps available. I went for the mid-range and paid $30 per month for, I think, about 5 GB. It was turned on over the phone immediately and I turned it off when I got home by calling them up and telling them to turn it off. I also recommend getting international voice roaming if you are going to do that. Otherwise you can get hit with serious roaming charges just for making or receiving a call Internationally. I figured not a bad expense for the convenience. Hopefully your current cellular provider offers something similar.
If they cover the place where you'll be staying, Virgin Mobile offers a very attractive iPad-only data plan. It's prepaid and costs only $25 for the SIM, and then depending on how much data you want, from $25 to $60 a month.
and $30 for 1GB.
I'll be staying on an island accessible only by boat.
For one damn week, kick the habit. Ditch the tech and enjoy your time with these kids.
When I was visiting Canada from the US, I actually called Verizon from my car on the way up. The customer service rep was very informative, and after much questioning we agreed to basically upgrade my account to "international" for exactly the time that I was in Canada. It would be prorated to the higher fee for the 4 days, then revert to its original US plan. It was something like $15US/day extra for both voice and data - nothing horrible. I checked my bill afterwards and it went seamlessly. I recommend at least investigating this option.
By “fairly reasonable,” of course, I still mean too much money, but still less than signing up for an entirely new prepaid plan with a Canadian carrier. Call them up, see how much money they want, and then make your comparisons from there.
Don't forget old porn magazines to trade for beaver pelts.
Canadians are trying to use "Canadian" issued credit cards for purchases in U.S., especially on-line.
I think it also has something to do with Canadian customs, as they are quite serious about requiring you to pay duties on most of the stuff that crosses into Canada, so many on-line merchants decided not to bother figuring out how they can clear their shipment.
Before I joined a Canadian company, I've never heard phrases like "Oh, it should clear Customs Brokers in a day or two"... ;) See, e.g., http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/customs/a/shopshipcanada_2.htm
Paul B.
..Make sure it has cell network coverage first.
As a Canadian, I can tell you that unlike the US, cellphone coverage in Canada isn't universal. There are regions where there is simply no coverage. Make sure, before you invest in one of these plans, that there is coverage where you'll be. Probably the first thing you do is talk to some of the islanders and ask what they use. Maybe someone living there will even let you share their wireless!
If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
Yeah this is pretty much true. You get out of southern ontario, or a few hundred clicks out of any major city in the plains or out east and your cell service is spotty at best. There's just too much of nothing, with no people here. Gotta figure though 70% of our population live within 100mi of the US border which explains where most cell services are.
Om, nomnomnom...
Thanks for that ... honestly ... but as a Canadian I'd like to say you're still willing to come spend what money you have left up here ;-) We're quite grateful for the oil revenues as well.
I'm still waiting for someone down there to notice that our banking system survived the crash, and might be worth imitating instead of bailing out known failures but ymmv.
- Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
Both Wind Mobile and Mobilicity offers $10 unlimited data add-ons. If you don't want any voice plans then their data-only plans would cost $30 and $40 respectively.
No credit card is needed for either of these providers. Cash and carry. So it doesn't matter if you're Canadian, American, or Pastafarian.
Before getting too carried away, keep in mind that your island may have poor or no cel coverage anyhow.
For that matter there are locations on the Vancouver North Shore where my Telus/Moto phone is useless.
OK, I'll admit that as long you're travelling along the bottom half of the country service is pretty reliable, but the three mega corps that own the cellular business in Canada really don't give a damn about service.
PS - Telus and Bell operate on the same network.
Three Squirrels
... call the service provider and ask them is they take a US credit card instead of posting your question on Slashdot. If that fails, I'm sure there are plenty of other more suitable forums for this discussion elsewhere on the web. (A simple google search found plenty of discussions on internet service in Canada... suprise!)
I'm not sure why Slashdot continues to pander to a US-centric audience, and waste space on personal interest stories instead of "news for nerds" and other "stuff that matters".
What's next? A story on how "My Grandmother can't get on facebook and I think it's a problem with this box of flashing lights plugged into the wall, can someone help me?"
~A~
Contact your bank before you go to Canada, a lot of the time when you try to use it up/down there, they flag your card as stolen.
http://www.mobileworldlive.com/maps/network.php?cid=88&cname=Canada
Mostly you want to look at the Roger's GSM map and the Telus/Bell/SaskTel coverage map.
Those maps aren't perfect, but they'll give you a decent idea of what coverage looks likes.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
Go with the flow. Enjoy everything a remote wilderness island in Canada has to offer. Do you think the rest of the world will wilt in despair just because you miss a post or two? Be here (there) now! Enjoy the scenery. Soak in the views! You are in a high latitude during the longest days of the year. How often do you think you will get to have an experience like this? Stop to smell the wild roses. Catch a fish. Cook it in a pan with just butter and maybe some s&p. The "wired" world will still be there when you emerge, but you may never have this experience again. Unplug. Live. Enjoy. Experience. Take some pictures ...or make some sketches (yes, we're talking pencil and paper, maybe even the brown paper your groceries came wrapped in). Upload them when you get back to wherever you currently live. Maybe next year you will go to Africa.
All the best
T1girl
As an American, I can tell you that cellphone coverage in the USA isn't universal. There are regions where there simply isn't coverage.
They don't need us. While we're destroying our economy, being dicks to the rest of the World, treating anyone and everyone coming into the US as criminals, blustering around the World like some big fat, well, American, the Canadians have been creating political and economic ties with the rest of the World and they're doing just fine.
In not too many years, we're going to be to them what Mexico is to us - mark my words.
I need to get in touch with some distant Canadian relatives and see if I can emigrate up there. Ya know, rats - ships ....
Yes. They are. In many ways. But they do "need us," despite the great American antipathy Canadians show, sometimes justifiably. Just as much of America looks down on them, sometimes justifiably. Although many American stereotypes about Canada are wrong, just as many Canadian stereotypes about Americans are wrong.
Even if there were no other reason, and no international interdependence, or economic benefit, to being neighborly, Canada would need the US because they sit on vast resources (large Uranium deposits, for example), they have a very low population density, and their military is not a sufficient deterrent to world powers.
They have the 13th largest military budget, but only the 74th largest military force. They would be respectable, given their alliances, absent the United States, but their alliance partners are thousands of miles away. Having the most powerful military in the world belong to your closest neighbor really discourages anyone from attacking you across long supply lines.
They are good at international action. Their news actually discusses international issues, at least somewhat. They take the UN seriously, which most Americans do not. Their healthcare system is much better than the US at preventative care and comparatively abysmal at care after you are ill. They have had massive immigrant population growth. Their minority rights are insane by American standards. Their government is bloated and often ineffectual beyond belief; Ottawa's population has grown ridiculously because of it, and taxes are high and absurdly specific, more so than in the US. Yes, we're different. But we're neighbors. We don't *need* to know our neighbors--but it can be very helpful if something unexpected comes along and tries to burn down our house.
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!