Hello,
I am a Canadian in Saudi Arabia, possibly going home soon. I think it is a good idea to get a cell phone here to bring back, for 2 reasons: they are much cheaper here, and back in Canada the phone companies all make you sign contracts with the purchase of a phone. You can't just buy an unattached cell phone and then decide which company and plan to get, as you have to buy the phone from a phone company, the companies all supply their own SIM cards. My concern is that I need to get a cell phone that is compatible with the Canadian system. I have heard that around the world there are a few different signal types or SIM cards? Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks.
stromaroma
1
stromaroma
I should say that I have used the Telus system in the past and despite the complaints, I see no reason to go with a different plan.
2
lan
As far as I know Telus uses CDMA in the main; and with CDMA you need the provider to program the handset, as there's no equivalent to a SIM card in a CDMA phone.
If you're happy with Telus, I'm afraid I suspect your best option is to buy a Telus handset when you get back to Canada...
3
stromaroma
Thanks. Do you know what Rogers uses? They don't seem to have this info on their websites.
5
duster
stromaroma, firstly, IMO it's a bit "inefficient" to ask a question on one Forum and then jump to another. I'm hoping you'll return here eventually, as I have no intention of registering on yet another Forum.
If you want to buy a Cell phone before returning to Canada, try and find a quad-band, unlocked GSM Phone. It will be equipped with 900 / 1800 MHz used overseas as well as the 850 / 1900 MHz bands used in North America. When you arrive in Canada, you will be able to buy a PAYG SIM for use in the Phone. You didn't state which style of Phone handset you prefer (flip, candy-bar or slider), but in my experience Motorola has the best selection of quad-band models.
Unfortunately, as mentioned previously you won't be able to use Telus or Bell phones as they are both CDMA networks and not compatible with the rest of the world (I'll ignore they dual-technology CDMA / GSM products they have just started to offer). The two GSM networks Canada are Rogers and Fido (which is owned by Rogers). Obtaining a Rogers PAYG plan will provide the best coverage (I believe Fido customers pay extra to use the Rogers network). In my experience, Rogers has excellent coverage in the more populated areas of Canada, however if you're planning on travelling in more "rural" areas, you will undoubtedly find some gaps in service. Coverage is improving all the time, but of course resources are usually allocated to areas where there will be a better return on investment.
Hope this helps? Cheers!!!
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