MacInsiders Logo

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Cell phone line Insider First-Year / Prospective Student Questions 6 09-01-2010 04:06 AM
Best Cell Phone Coverage! jwallace80 First-Year / Prospective Student Questions 39 08-15-2010 11:22 PM
Internet, Home phone, tv and cell phone bill **jewel 03** General Discussion 15 10-15-2009 07:29 PM
Cell Phone Plan? Sultan First-Year / Prospective Student Questions 29 08-16-2009 04:45 PM
Cell Phone Help Kevin Computers & Tech 7 08-30-2007 12:29 PM

Cell Phone Plans

 
Old 08-13-2008 at 11:38 PM   #16
Cippi
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 326

Thanked: 71 Times
Liked: 1 Time




Quote:
Originally Posted by Goce View Post
coming from experience, T-Mobile is the best.
Sadly, T-Mobile doesn't exist in Canada. Whereabouts are you coming from?
Old 08-13-2008 at 11:47 PM   #17
samantha__
Elite Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 418

Thanked: 74 Times
Liked: 9 Times




I hate that the only providers in Canada are Bell, TELUS and Rogers.. theres practically no variety amongst them. Even Koodo, Fido and Virgin Mobile are under one of those three.
__________________
Samantha Asare
Honours Economics IV & Minor in Business

Old 08-13-2008 at 11:51 PM   #18
jhan523
Moderator
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,484

Thanked: 1,629 Times
Liked: 604 Times




Ummm, I just have one question. Is McMaster and Downtown Hamilton local? And how about other places university students would normally visit?

I'm looking into Koodo and this is what I have come up for the cheapest plan possible.

I take the second plan, 20$ for 100 anytime minutes, 50 text messages and unlimited 7pm evenings and weekends.
I take unlimited incoming local calls for 10$

So basically the entire plan is 30$ plus tax per month. Not sure if there are service access fees, but I didn't see any in the fine print... please correct if I'm wrong.

So how am I going to go and use my phone you ask?
1. I only call local and only if I need to (100minutes a month is only 3-4 minutes a day)
2. I text message friends to call me, especially if they have a phone registered somewhere other than hamilton XD (we'll both be using local minutes)
3. Incoming calls that I don't pick up are forwarded to my res phone. There it tells the caller to leave a message and/or to text message my phone.
4. I use Xpress call to call my parents in Toronto, it's like 2 cents a minute. (or so my mom says)

So what do you guys think?

I don't need caller ID since I have unlimited incoming local calls. And from what I learned, all incoming calls are local... Don't know how it works, the entire cell phone thing is messed up.
Don't need voicemail, I have one at res. I also have text.

All for 30$ a month.
Old 08-13-2008 at 11:55 PM   #19
Cippi
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 326

Thanked: 71 Times
Liked: 1 Time




Technically, Virgin Mobile is its own company, but they lease use of Bell's network (so they use their towers, and have the same coverage - their phone selection and customer service, etc. is totally separate). Koodo is Telus' rebranding for the younger generation, and Fido used to be the only GSM competitor to Rogers before Rogers just bought them so they no longer would have to compete with them. Gotta love monopolies.

Keep in mind that the Canadian wireless spectrum auction just finished, and within a year we should be seeing 2 or 3 brand new cell phone providers in Canada - i.e., not using the Bell, Rogers, or Telus networks. Then hopefully we'll have some real competition and not have some of the highest cellular rates in the world anymore.....
Old 08-13-2008 at 11:56 PM   #20
jhan523
Moderator
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,484

Thanked: 1,629 Times
Liked: 604 Times




Honestly, the rates in Canada are so expensive... 20c/min, 25c/min even 30c/min. I heard in the US they are paying under 10c/min, even as low at 5c/min. Not sure how true that is though.
Old 08-14-2008 at 12:04 AM   #21
Cippi
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 326

Thanked: 71 Times
Liked: 1 Time




Quote:
Originally Posted by jhan523 View Post
Ummm, I just have one question. Is McMaster and Downtown Hamilton local? And how about other places university students would normally visit?
Yes, all of Hamilton and Burlington will be local if you have a cell phone. What I said earlier only applies to landlines, and only one specific case (just trying to demonstrate how the companies gouge you...).

Quote:
Originally Posted by jhan523 View Post
And from what I learned, all incoming calls are local... Don't know how it works, the entire cell phone thing is messed up.
Not quite. The best explanation I ever read about this comes from a FAQ here: http://www.arcx.com/sites/faq.htm#PayLongDistan ce It's long, but I'll copy and paste the relevant parts:

When Do I Pay Long Distance Charges?
I've often seen messages from people asking under what circumstances they would pay long distance. This is obviously a poorly understood concept, but it's really not that hard to master. The first thing you must realize is that the answer is completely different for incoming calls and outgoing calls.

The easiest of the two to understand is outgoing calls. On all wireless networks in Canada your phone takes on the local dialing pattern of the area it is in. That means that you can dial numbers locally just like anyone living in that area. Similarly, you pay long distance for calling any numbers that a person living in that area would pay.

Incoming calls are a completely different matter, and this is where the confusion sets in. However, once you see your cell phone as having two distinct identities you should find this easy to understand. The first identity is its phone number, which like a landline phone has a fixed location. If you own a cell phone with a Toronto number, then that number is literally fixed in the city of Toronto. This is important to know, since anyone phoning you will be calling this fixed number.

No matter where you are, the caller sees no difference in way in which he or she dials you. If it would be long distance for them to call you while you are at home, then it will continue to be long distance call for them to phone you when you are visiting their house, or when you are half way around the world in Australia. If it would be local for them to contact you, then it will always be local, no matter where you go.

The second identity is the phone itself, which moves around with you. After a caller places a call to you the wireless network must make contact with you. So long as you are within the local calling area of the fixed number, you don't pay long distance to receive the call. If you are far away from home, then you pay long distance for the call to be completed between your fixed number, and your current location.

So as you can see, wireless calls actually consist of two components. The first connects your caller with the fixed number that represents your phone. The callers pay any necessary long distance for this phase of the call only. The second component is between your fixed number and your present location. It is only this phase for which you personally pay long distance charges, if they are applicable.

So now it should be clear to you who pays what. It should also explain why visiting an out-of-town friend would cause you both to pay long distance if that friend were to call you. They would need to place a call to your fixed number back home, which would be a long distance call for them. You would then have to pay long distance charges to have the call routed your current location, even though that might be a few feet from your friend.

Last edited by Cippi : 08-14-2008 at 12:06 AM.

Joey says thanks to Cippi for this post.
Old 08-14-2008 at 12:11 AM   #22
jhan523
Moderator
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,484

Thanked: 1,629 Times
Liked: 604 Times




Yeah, that's what I meant. As long as I'm in Hamilton all incoming calls are local. I wouldn't use my Hamilton phone in Toronto... I already have a prepaid phone in Toronto, so I'll be using that here.

It took me a long time to grab that concept when talking to customer care. Lol I feel sorry for that guy, I kept on saying "pardon?" "I don't quite understand". I could tell he was getting tired after 30 odd minutes of trying to explain it.
Old 08-14-2008 at 08:07 AM   #23
KaylaMarie
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 79

Thanked: 5 Times
Liked: 3 Times




Currently, Roger's has a fave 10 plan for long distance which includes unlimited texting/picturing messaging, 450 weekday long distance minutes, and unlimited evenings and weekends long distance to those 10 people. It's $45 a month...so I think that it'd be beneficial for me (living 2 hours away from home and having my boyfriend at uni in mississauga). I'd be able to talk to them limitlessly during evenings and weekends which is sweet for sure. I'm bound to Roger's for the next 3 years anyway, so why not? Does anyone else think that this is a good deal? I guess I'd use my res phone for any local calls, seeing as I don't think that the long distance plan includes local minutes and such...
Old 08-14-2008 at 08:32 AM   #24
Duarch
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 282

Thanked: 21 Times
Liked: 19 Times




Quote:
Originally Posted by samantha__ View Post
P.S -- I'm in Oakville and calling Hamilton is long distance, even though it's 905. E.g - my number is an Oakville one and my friend, who lives in Oakville with me, has a Hamilton number. Even when we're both in Oakville, it's long distance.

Freakin phone companies ripping everyone off
I find that weird. I got an oakville number, I live in Hamilton off campus during the school year and Toronto during the summer. Calling my number from both Hamilton and Toronto (lol I'm gonna include Mississauga) is local from them (because oakville is apparently right in between hamilton and toronto and so, it's not long distance from either location). Calling hamilton numbers is not long distance to me, of course I get charged long distance if I call toronto (or mississauga) but I just text people with those number to call me or get a calling card.
__________________
Honours Biology and Psychology, Fourth Year.
Old 08-14-2008 at 08:47 AM   #25
ali11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 101

Thanked: 17 Times
Liked: 7 Times




Quote:
Originally Posted by Duarch View Post
I find that weird. I got an oakville number, I live in Hamilton off campus during the school year and Toronto during the summer. Calling my number from both Hamilton and Toronto (lol I'm gonna include Mississauga) is local from them (because oakville is apparently right in between hamilton and toronto and so, it's not long distance from either location). Calling hamilton numbers is not long distance to me, of course I get charged long distance if I call toronto (or mississauga) but I just text people with those number to call me or get a calling card.

exactly what i plan to do this year. i'm lucky cause i got my plan with virgin when they had a promotion (free call display, voicemail, call forwarding...everythi ng pretty much), and it's a my fave 5 plan (i pay 28.33 after taxes every mont, and includes: 100 daytime local minutes + 1000 7pm evenings and weekends + unlimitied talk and text to 5 local numbers). i tested itut teh few times iw ent to mcmaster, and incoming calls were all free from my home (and i didnt get charged any long distance). although i'm thiking of changing my plan to unlimited talk&text for $20 a month, and i can still keep my promotion, which is bomb!

oakville numbers are your safest bet!
Old 08-14-2008 at 08:51 AM   #26
Duarch
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 282

Thanked: 21 Times
Liked: 19 Times




:O I hate you....
lol my bill comes to about 50 with tax and all the crappy little things they like to add for fun. But I'm with Rogers so they like to rip you off. But it's the $25 100 day time minutes, 1000 9pm evenings and weekends, network calling (w00t) plus my special $20 2,500 texts, 1,500 pictures messages, voice mail, call display. XD I like my texting...
__________________
Honours Biology and Psychology, Fourth Year.
Old 08-14-2008 at 09:29 AM   #27
ali11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 101

Thanked: 17 Times
Liked: 7 Times




hahah thats a lot of texting. i have a feeling i'll b texting more in university though, just so i dont gotta waste any minutes, or waste time talkin when i should be in my books lol
Old 08-14-2008 at 10:11 AM   #28
Cippi
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 326

Thanked: 71 Times
Liked: 1 Time




Regarding Oakville to Hamilton being long distance, I find that it actually varies a bit. I live in Hamilton, but when I'm driving on the QEW I usually lose my "local" cell coverage somewhere around Trafalgar Rd. On the other hand, sometimes I've made it as far as Winston Churchill without long distance charges. Cell phone and landline long distance areas are different, and since you connect to individual towers when you're on a cell phone, can actually vary depending on which one your phone decides to connect to.

Almost every provider has a (short) full refund period, so if you get your phone and realize that it doesn't work where you want it to, you can return it if you act fast.

jhan523 says thanks to Cippi for this post.
Old 08-14-2008 at 10:51 AM   #29
dragonfly
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 88

Thanked: 5 Times
Liked: Liked 2 Times




I don't know if anybody has looked at this plan with solo yet. But i think it looks pretty good compared to what i've seen. Especially for people who don't use *that much* calling, and can't afford to pay a lot (like me :p).

The solo unbeatable 25 plan doesn't have any one time connection charge, monthly system access fee or 911 fee. You get 100 local anytime minutes, unlimited local evening (7pm-8am) and unlimited weekend (fri 7pm - mon 8 am), unlimited text, and long distance for .35/ minute.

There's also a 20, and a 15 one which are slightly different.
http://www.solomobile.ca/Plans_Rates...lan/Rates.aspx
__________________
Mandy
Computer Engineering and Society III
Old 08-14-2008 at 11:01 AM   #30
jhan523
Moderator
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,484

Thanked: 1,629 Times
Liked: 604 Times




Hmmm, the solo seems exactly the same as Koodo. Except Koodo has a start-up fee that is waived if you activate your phone online or at the store. I would go with Solo just because they have more variety in their phone. The only thing is that I can't seem to find the option to add unlimited incoming calls. Do you know if it's alright on, or is there just none at Solo. Or maybe I just can't find it?



Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



McMaster University News and Information, Student-run Community, with topics ranging from Student Life, Advice, News, Events, and General Help.
Notice: The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the student(s) who authored the content. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by McMaster University or the MSU (McMaster Students Union). Being a student-run community, all articles and discussion posts on MacInsiders are unofficial and it is therefore always recommended that you visit the official McMaster website for the most accurate up-to-date information.

Copyright © MacInsiders.com All Rights Reserved. No content can be re-used or re-published without permission. MacInsiders is a service of Fullerton Media Inc. | Created by Chad
Originally Powered by vBulletin®, Copyright © 2019 MH Sub I, LLC dba vBulletin. All rights reserved. | Privacy | Terms