wind.ca sim?
Aug 21, 2012 | 9:58 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: CX*G, AF*G; BA, UA
Posts: 90
wind.ca sim?
Having done countless hours of searching for a Canadian prepaid SIM card that will not ruin me when calling and receiving calls on my next trip I think I nailed the best option to be wind.ca
But, they don't appear to have any sales outlets in Nova Scotia (I'll be traveling up and down the province).
Does anyone know of a way to get a wind.ca SIM card mailed either to our first hotel in Halifax or to our home: Europe?
Thanks!
But, they don't appear to have any sales outlets in Nova Scotia (I'll be traveling up and down the province).
Does anyone know of a way to get a wind.ca SIM card mailed either to our first hotel in Halifax or to our home: Europe?
Thanks!
Aug 21, 2012 | 12:00 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Kitchener, ON, Canada
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 1,266
Having done countless hours of searching for a Canadian prepaid SIM card that will not ruin me when calling and receiving calls on my next trip I think I nailed the best option to be wind.ca
But, they don't appear to have any sales outlets in Nova Scotia (I'll be traveling up and down the province).
Does anyone know of a way to get a wind.ca SIM card mailed either to our first hotel in Halifax or to our home: Europe?
Thanks!
But, they don't appear to have any sales outlets in Nova Scotia (I'll be traveling up and down the province).
Does anyone know of a way to get a wind.ca SIM card mailed either to our first hotel in Halifax or to our home: Europe?
Thanks!
Aug 21, 2012 | 12:14 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Earth. Residency:HKG formerly:YYZ
Programs: CX, DL, Nexus/GE, APEC
Posts: 11,078
Wind is a reseller of the major networks. So coverage and signal strength will be less than ideal, especially in rural area.
Also check the fine print regarding rates when you are not in a city or your "homne" region/zone.
The major Canadian networks are Bell/Telus (Bellus) and Rogers (Robbers)
Aug 21, 2012 | 4:27 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: AC E75, SPG Plat, HH peon-by-choice (ex Gold)
Posts: 8,090
Be careful. I believe Wind and Mobilicity operates on 3G frequencies that aren't "normal" with the other carriers in Canada.
I'm not sure what kind of calling you'll be doing but have you looked at Speakout? They are a re-seller of Rogers/Fido so have the same coverage and their SIM cards can be bought in any 7-11 and (maybe) online.
I'm not sure what kind of calling you'll be doing but have you looked at Speakout? They are a re-seller of Rogers/Fido so have the same coverage and their SIM cards can be bought in any 7-11 and (maybe) online.
Aug 21, 2012 | 7:31 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,676
Wind roams on other Canadian providers when you step off their footprint, but they are not an MVNO. They are a real carrier using the AWS1700mhz band. You pay roaming when you are not on Wind.
Two American roaming SIMs have pretty good rates in Canada. Take a look at Pirahna Mobile and Telna. Pirahna's rates are .22 cents a minute outboud to the US; .13 a minute inbound on a US number, 16 cents an SMS (outbound), free inbound SMS, .40 a meg data.
Two American roaming SIMs have pretty good rates in Canada. Take a look at Pirahna Mobile and Telna. Pirahna's rates are .22 cents a minute outboud to the US; .13 a minute inbound on a US number, 16 cents an SMS (outbound), free inbound SMS, .40 a meg data.
Aug 22, 2012 | 5:18 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan 100K
Posts: 222
Check out Petro Canada or 7-11
http://www.theblog.ca/pay-as-you-go
http://www.theblog.ca/pay-as-you-go
Aug 23, 2012 | 1:32 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: CX*G, AF*G; BA, UA
Posts: 90
ohohoh, all this got me even more confused. Why are cell phones in Canada so complex and complicated? 
Or am I just plain stupid? 
Anyway, that would lead us off topic.
Can anyone suggest which prepaid SIM cards in Canada offer free incoming calls all over Nova Scotia? Thanks!
Or am I just plain stupid? Anyway, that would lead us off topic.Can anyone suggest which prepaid SIM cards in Canada offer free incoming calls all over Nova Scotia? Thanks!
Aug 23, 2012 | 8:15 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan 100K
Posts: 222
Free calls in Canada?? You had me laughing!! Sorry no such thing. Only on certain contracts. Real prepaid service is a rarity in Canada. I use 7-11 but consider it an emergency service. The real benefit is the $10 data add-on. Only for browsing as its limited to the port it uses on your phone. Skype and email apps will not work. Webmail. is fine
Aug 23, 2012 | 9:42 am
#9
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,676
FIDO's website is now saying that there is no roaming on their network. They still keep the silly difference between local and long distance calls, but a fast read of it says that there is no distinction between receiving a call in Vancouver or Toronto. That would be a huge change. If that is the case, they have some interesting plans:
http://www.fido.ca/web/page/portal/F...o=linkToCanada
http://www.fido.ca/web/Fido.portal?_...epaidRates#day
http://www.fido.ca/web/page/portal/F...o=linkToCanada
http://www.fido.ca/web/Fido.portal?_...epaidRates#day
Aug 23, 2012 | 9:56 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YVR
Programs: NullPointerException
Posts: 59
I'm in vancouver, and am with Koodo.
Koodo is the budget brand of telus, and telus and bell share the same network - nation wide.
They dont to prepay per se, but everything is month to month without a contract. Also, there is no canada roaming on all their plans - they call it 'Canada wide'. Works well if you travel a lot.
They have plans that are $40 per month and include unlimited incoming calls. The phone situation is pretty poor in Canada.
Koodo is the budget brand of telus, and telus and bell share the same network - nation wide.
They dont to prepay per se, but everything is month to month without a contract. Also, there is no canada roaming on all their plans - they call it 'Canada wide'. Works well if you travel a lot.
They have plans that are $40 per month and include unlimited incoming calls. The phone situation is pretty poor in Canada.
Aug 23, 2012 | 10:03 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,676
I am a Yank and am posting to say that I passed a Telus credit check for their contract iPad SIM. In years past, I also passed a Rogers credit check and was not required to post a deposit on either account. It took a little longer to credit check me and I saw a credit check alert on my US credit monitoring service from Equifax Canada. Translation: A Yank may be able to pass the credit check.
Aug 24, 2012 | 3:18 pm
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 47,143
Stay away!
Poor service, the data is often unusable and the rest of the service is unreliable with multiple empty spots, and restrictive coverage.
Just stick with one of the Fido plans and a data add-on (I do blocks of 60MB for $5, and grab wifi whenever possible). Personally I use the $1/day unlimited incoming and use a combination of google voice and localphone to route calls made to my US cell to my Fido phone, talking for almost nothing. I just get people to call me, instead of the other way around....costs them nothing to do so since they call my GV number.
If I needed to make a lot of outbound calls, I would select the $10 talk/text plan for 10c minutes/texts
Poor service, the data is often unusable and the rest of the service is unreliable with multiple empty spots, and restrictive coverage.
Just stick with one of the Fido plans and a data add-on (I do blocks of 60MB for $5, and grab wifi whenever possible). Personally I use the $1/day unlimited incoming and use a combination of google voice and localphone to route calls made to my US cell to my Fido phone, talking for almost nothing. I just get people to call me, instead of the other way around....costs them nothing to do so since they call my GV number.
If I needed to make a lot of outbound calls, I would select the $10 talk/text plan for 10c minutes/texts