<aside> ⚠️

The information here is an AI summary of the advice people in our Discord have shared. Their experiences may not always reflect the accurate process. None of this should be considered financial, immigration, or real estate advice.

</aside>

Which cell carrier should I choose?

Canada has less cell competition than the US, so expect to pay roughly $50 CAD per month more than comparable US plans.

The three big carriers:

• Telus has a large network, with mixed customer service reviews.
• Rogers/Fido has a large network, mixed reviews. Tod and Jocelyn use Fido and are generally happy with the coverage in Nanaimo.
• Bell generally gets poor reviews from members.

Discount carriers that use the big three's towers:

• Fido is owned by Rogers and uses Rogers towers. One member has used it 15+ years with no issues and good data allowances.
• Public Mobile uses Telus towers. A Victoria member uses it with no service issues.
• Freedom has a separate network, less coverage but cheaper.
• Koodo is owned by Telus.
• Chatr is owned by Rogers.
• Mint Mobile is owned by T-Mobile US.

Dead spots on Vancouver Island: South Cowichan has weak coverage across multiple networks. A couple of spots near Duncan are patchy on Rogers and Fido.

Should I keep my US number?

You probably cannot port it over because US and Canadian area codes do not cross borders. Options:

• Dual SIM phones like iPhone 16 Pro let you keep both numbers. One member kept her US number for six months via an AT&T all-North-America plan before finally getting a Telus line.
• Keep a US SIM just for 2FA. Some US bank apps require US-based 2FA and will not accept Google Voice. Porting to Google Voice does not always work for banks.
• Add a Canadian eSIM alongside your US physical SIM.