Can I use a phone from Rogers or Bell with Telus?

Hi, I am wondering if you can buy a Rogers or Bell phone and somehow reprogram it to run on a Telus network? None of the Telus phones are really interesting me at all and I am glued to them through a 3 year contract . So any comments would be great. Thanks!

Hello, and welcome to the forums! I've given your thread a new title to better describe your request, and I'm moving it to our Telus forum where it will be seen by people who can fill you in on the details of your inquiry. From what I can tell, Rogers is a GSM network, while Bell and Telus are both CDMA. In the US, it's very hard (next to impossible) to get one CDMA provider to activate anothers' phone, but I have heard indications the same might not be true in Canada (best to call your provider and ask!).

You will not be able to use a Rogers phone because it uses a different technology, and if I'm not mistaken, Telus operates an iDEN network called Mike alongside its traditional CDMA network. Neither Rogers nor Bell phones can be used on the Mike network, because it is also a different technology. Theoretically, Bell phones are compatible with Telus' CDMA network, but only if it's unlocked, and unlocking a CDMA phone is a whole other long story in itself explained here.

Ok, so I would have to buy a Bell phone, unlock the Bell phone and then get somebody from Telus to reactivate it on their network? Just want to get the basic steps down.

Basically, that's it, but I encourage you to call Telus and make sure they will activate an "unlocked" phone with a Bell ESN (electronic serial number) before you invest any time or money in this venture. I'm not too familiar with Canadian providers, but I'm sure I read somewhere that Telus is very reluctant to activate a non-Telus phone. Good luck, and please let us know the outcome!

Alright thanks a lot. One more question though before I start making calls . Verizon is CDMA so would it be possibly I purchase a Verizon phone, get them to unlock it for me and then get Telus to do their thing?

I don't know anything at all about Verizon in Canada, but here in the USA they absolutely will not help you unlock one of their phones. In fact, any time I've called a US CDMA provider to ask them about this subject, they pretended to not even know what I was talking about and quickly change the subject. American CDMA providers like to pretend CDMA phones are not unlockable, they make it extremely difficult to activate a phone so they have control over where you buy it from, and it helps them maintain exclusive rights to certain models.

Well I just got off the phone with Verizon and the girl kinda laughed at me but then she sort of understood what I was saying I think. She says she doesn't see why Verizon wouldn't provide me with a code to unlock a phone so I could have Telus enable it, she also said that it is just a matter of getting Telus to enable it on their network but she isn't sure if all of the Verizon phones will work with Telus so I have to do some research. I also called Telus and they said if I have a phone for them thats CDMA and is unlocked, they will enable it for me. Bell turned me down right away and told me that they don't do that kind of thing haha. Soo, I like Verizon better anyways haha. I have to go on a trip now to the Telus deal and ask them questions. Thanks for all the help, I will fill you in with what happens next.

I wish it was like that here in the states!

But I'm crossing my fingers for you and wishing for the best!

Bell or Telus will not let you regester a foregn ESN on their network. Its not only because they want you to buy their phones it a network issue. Telus wants their clients phones to work everywhere. If you have a foregn ESN some towers (mostly in the west, some in the east) will regect the phone. There are ways around regestering your phone with telus though. You can easly regester it as an analog phone which is only voice. You will not be able to use any data or SMS. If you like the idea of geting a foregn phone I would go with eather fido or rogers.

With All Due Respect,
Kdholdom

Also somthing I may add. No rogers phones with Telus will not work. Its like trying to listen to an AM radio station on a FM only radio. TOTALY diffrent technologies.

No, Rogers phones won't work on Telus. Rogers is a GSM network, while Telus is a CDMA network (plus iDEN).

hi will Telus Motorola i530 will work with rogers.when i put my sim in this phone it says no service.let me know

While the Motorola "i" series of phones do have a slot for a SIM card, they are not GSM phones, they are on the iDEN Mike network. Sorry, but no, I'm afraid that won't work either.

There is a Motorola or Nextel i930 which u can use both on GSM and iDEN technology and if u can get a unlocked version u should be able to use on either. (I got one from Ebay)

Only problem is.. Telus will not activate Mike Network for any phone other then the ones they sell. So yeah there is a catch..

Cuz i have a Rogers and i wanted to get the Direct Connect feature.. but it seems like they wont program it or something like that.

Next thing is.. u need seperate sims.. Telus is now using Sims for their phones too.. just different network. So if u do use both companies u will have to keep switching sims.

Hope this helps.

so that means that if you can somehow convince telus to activate your unlocked Bell phone, it will work rite?