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  1. #1
    Richard Tobin
    Guest
    I need a mobile phone for occasionial use, and in particular I need to
    take it on a trip to Canada. I was assured by salesmen in several shops
    that a tri-band pay-as-you-go phone would "just work", and was on the
    point of getting a Motorola L6 from Orange:

    http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/show/h.../pay_as_you_go

    But then I came across this:

    http://www2.orange.co.uk/servlet/Sat...28513&x=30&y=7

    (I don't know if that URL will work; it's the page you get from Orange's
    "will my mobile work" for the L6 and Canada)

    and if I understand it correctly it says that Orange PAYG phones won't
    work in Canada at all. For other networks (e.g. Vodaphone) I couldn't
    find an unambiguous answer.

    So is there a PAYG mobile phone that I will be able to use in Canada?

    (It's been suggested that I should instead buy a phone or SIM card
    when I get there, but I'd rather have it sorted out before I leave,
    and be able to give people my phone number in advance.)

    -- Richard




    See More: Using PAYG phone in Canada




  2. #2
    Evan
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    Richard,

    Good question.

    Hardware wise, you need only worry that your phone is TRIBAND or
    QUADBAND. All but the cheapest phones now are at least triband.

    I looked at the page you linked. It does certainly suggest that Orange
    has set up some pretty useless deals with Rogers in Canada, though it's
    not really clear at all. I really did assume that all the big network
    would allow phone use overseas through a partner. Perhaps not.

    Should you get the phone and the provider sorted, I'd suggest you go a
    step further. I have learned from personal and friends' experiences
    that it's worth calling your network before travelling to North America
    to make sure there are no geographical lmitations on using the phone
    abroad. The wife spent half her trip wondering why she couldn't make
    calls. Virgin said it was a setting on her account that prohibited it!

    Evan




  3. #3
    Jon
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    > I need a mobile phone for occasionial use, and in particular I need to
    > take it on a trip to Canada. I was assured by salesmen in several shops
    > that a tri-band pay-as-you-go phone would "just work", and was on the
    > point of getting a Motorola L6 from Orange:
    >
    > http://shop.orange.co.uk/shop/show/h.../pay_as_you_go
    >
    > But then I came across this:
    >
    > http://www2.orange.co.uk/servlet/Sat...28513&x=30&y=7
    >
    > (I don't know if that URL will work; it's the page you get from Orange's
    > "will my mobile work" for the L6 and Canada)
    >
    > and if I understand it correctly it says that Orange PAYG phones won't
    > work in Canada at all.


    That's right. The handset is technically capable of it but there are no
    roaming agreements in place for PAYG with Canadian networks.
    --
    Regards
    Jon



  4. #4
    Jon
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    > Virgin said it was a setting on her account that prohibited it!


    Then Virgin talk bollocks. You can't be restricted a certain part of the
    network It's all or nothing.
    --
    Regards
    Jon



  5. #5
    Evan
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    They gave her £20 in Virgin coupons as comp for the inconvenience of
    not being able to call her family from the mobile she bought expressly
    for that purpose.

    Jon wrote:
    > Then Virgin talk bollocks. You can't be restricted a certain part of the
    > network It's all or nothing.





  6. #6
    Richard Tobin
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    In article <[email protected]>,
    Jon <[email protected]> wrote:

    >> and if I understand it correctly it says that Orange PAYG phones won't
    >> work in Canada at all.


    >That's right. The handset is technically capable of it but there are no
    >roaming agreements in place for PAYG with Canadian networks.


    Do you just mean for Orange, or for all UK networks?

    -- Richard




  7. #7
    Jon
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    > In article <[email protected]>,
    > Jon <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    > >> and if I understand it correctly it says that Orange PAYG phones won't
    > >> work in Canada at all.

    >
    > >That's right. The handset is technically capable of it but there are no
    > >roaming agreements in place for PAYG with Canadian networks.

    >
    > Do you just mean for Orange, or for all UK networks?


    I was referring to Orange, I don't know about the other networks.
    --
    Regards
    Jon



  8. #8
    Richard Tobin
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    In article <[email protected]>,
    Jon <[email protected]> wrote:

    >> >That's right. The handset is technically capable of it but there are no
    >> >roaming agreements in place for PAYG with Canadian networks.


    >I was referring to Orange, I don't know about the other networks.


    In case anyone's interested, it appears from the companies' respective
    web pages that PAYG will work in Canada for O2, T-mobile, and
    Vodaphone, but not for Orange or Virgin.

    -- Richard



  9. #9
    Garry Richards
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    I have just returned from Canada, used a Virgin Mobile payg sim and it
    worked a treat!!!


    "Richard Tobin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > In article <[email protected]>,
    > Jon <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >>> >That's right. The handset is technically capable of it but there are no
    >>> >roaming agreements in place for PAYG with Canadian networks.

    >
    >>I was referring to Orange, I don't know about the other networks.

    >
    > In case anyone's interested, it appears from the companies' respective
    > web pages that PAYG will work in Canada for O2, T-mobile, and
    > Vodaphone, but not for Orange or Virgin.
    >
    > -- Richard






  10. #10
    Richard Tobin
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    In article <[email protected]>,
    Garry Richards <[email protected]> wrote:
    >I have just returned from Canada, used a Virgin Mobile payg sim and it
    >worked a treat!!!


    Evidently Virgin don't know it works:

    http://www.virginmobile.com/mobile/s..._countries.jsp

    -- Richard



  11. #11
    Sat
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada


    Richard Tobin wrote:
    > In article <[email protected]>,
    > Garry Richards <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >I have just returned from Canada, used a Virgin Mobile payg sim and it
    > >worked a treat!!!

    >
    > Evidently Virgin don't know it works:
    >
    > http://www.virginmobile.com/mobile/s..._countries.jsp
    >
    > -- Richard


    On further thing to remember with canada is that GSM is fairly
    restricted to urban areas and suburbs. You will find many smaller
    communities that rely on the old analogue mobile system. See the
    coverage
    maps at www.gsmworld.com. You may be better off waiting and buying a
    pre-paid canadian mobile
    most of these are dual GSM and analogue. See virgin's canadan mobile
    operation for example.

    Sat.




  12. #12
    Soruk
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    On 19 Jul 2006 23:06:56 GMT, Richard Tobin <[email protected]> wrote:
    >In article <[email protected]>,
    >Garry Richards <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>I have just returned from Canada, used a Virgin Mobile payg sim and it
    >>worked a treat!!!

    >
    >Evidently Virgin don't know it works:
    >
    > http://www.virginmobile.com/mobile/s..._countries.jsp


    But, if his phone is on the basic PAYG tariff but paying by direct debit
    then it will work. That's what I have on my Virgin connection, and used
    it quite successfully (for voice and SMS, don't talk about GPRS).

    --
    -- Michael "Soruk" McConnell
    Eridani Star System

    MailStripper - http://www.MailStripper.eu/ - SMTP spam filter
    Mail Me Anywhere - http://www.MailMeAnywhere.com/ - Mobile email



  13. #13
    Richard Tobin
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    Well, it didn't work. While I was in Canada I received several
    automated text messages from Rogers Wireless welcoming me and from
    Vodafone telling how much it would cost me to make calls and what
    prefix I had to dial, but when I tried it I just got a message along
    the lines of "unknown tarrif code area".

    So, if you want a PAYG phone that works in Canada, cross Vodafone off
    the list.

    -- Richard



  14. #14
    EZno
    Guest

    Re: Using PAYG phone in Canada

    Richard Tobin <[email protected]> wrote:

    > Well, it didn't work. While I was in Canada I received several
    > automated text messages from Rogers Wireless welcoming me and from
    > Vodafone telling how much it would cost me to make calls and what
    > prefix I had to dial, but when I tried it I just got a message along
    > the lines of "unknown tarrif code area".
    >
    > So, if you want a PAYG phone that works in Canada, cross Vodafone off
    > the list.
    >
    > -- Richard


    Virgin and orange both work OK, Ontario anyway





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