Best Candian Network Provider for prepaid data simcard

[Callum.G]

so im coming to ltx 2019 and looking to buy a personal hotspot and a prepaid data simcard for it can anyone recommend me any providers?

[Spartan256]

I have been looking around as well. Looks like Amazon have some, 
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Prepaid-SIM-Card-Canada-Mexico/dp/B07JH6DX9B/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=canadian+sim+card&qid=1557950542&s=gateway&sr=8-6

[LienusLateTips]

Your only option is AT&T.

[dizmo]

If you don't want to own it, check out this:

https://www.tepwireless.com/wifi/canada/

26 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

Your only option is AT&T.

No it's not.

[Ross Siggers]

Is Freedom Mobile on the west coast? I've used them in Ontario and NB and they have okay rates, and cross province coverage.

Granted, data in Canada is expensive as fuck, no matter who you go with. I think you'll be paying big bucks if you wanna use portable hotspot. I was in Toronto a few weeks ago, and for a prepaid with 1Gb of data, I paid the same I do monthly in the UK, for unlimited everything  

 

#bigcountryproblems

EDIT:

Yeah Freedom operates in Vancouver, if you plan on doing any travelling around though, you may be out of luck

[LienusLateTips]

2 hours ago, dizmo said:

If you don't want to own it, check out this:

https://www.tepwireless.com/wifi/canada/

No it's not.

At least, one with reasonable rates....

 

6 minutes ago, Ross Siggers said:

Is Freedom Mobile on the west coast? I've used them in Ontario and NB and they have okay rates, and cross province coverage.

Yeah, but the coverage is terrible, even inside the Vancouver metropolitan area...

[dizmo]

1 minute ago, LienusLateTips said:

At least, one with reasonable rates....

 

Yeah, but the coverage is terrible, even inside the Vancouver metropolitan area...

How is $12/day unreasonable?

[dizmo]

10 minutes ago, Ross Siggers said:

Is Freedom Mobile on the west coast? I've used them in Ontario and NB and they have okay rates, and cross province coverage.

Granted, data in Canada is expensive as fuck, no matter who you go with. I think you'll be paying big bucks if you wanna use portable hotspot. I was in Toronto a few weeks ago, and for a prepaid with 1Gb of data, I paid the same I do monthly in the UK, for unlimited everything  

 

#bigcountryproblems

EDIT:

Yeah Freedom operates in Vancouver, if you plan on doing any travelling around though, you may be out of luck

Their service is shoddy at best. Not really the most reliable service.

[Ross Siggers]

7 minutes ago, LienusLateTips said:

Yeah, but the coverage is terrible, even inside the Vancouver metropolitan area...

Ah that's unfortunate

3 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Their service is shoddy at best. Not really the most reliable service.

Seems like it depends where you are I guess, I've used prepaid cards from them in Toronto Montreal and Moncton, as well as on the road between in some cases. Never had an issue with speed or coverage. 

[dizmo]

5 minutes ago, Ross Siggers said:

Ah that's unfortunate

Seems like it depends where you are I guess, I've used prepaid cards from them in Toronto Montreal and Moncton, as well as on the road between in some cases. Never had an issue with speed or coverage. 

Very much so. There are areas of Richmond and Vancouver that simply lose coverage, even though they're in the map. They also don't have great building penetration, which is an issue with concrete buildings or some areas of the downtown core.

[Ross Siggers]

@dizmo what network are you on? Might be worth @Callum.G looking at them for prepaid sims.

[dizmo]

6 minutes ago, Ross Siggers said:

@dizmo what network are you on? Might be worth @Callum.G looking at them for prepaid sims.

Koodo, but for what he wants the link I posted is by far a better deal.

[DaiGurenMK42]

6 hours ago, dizmo said:

How is $12/day unreasonable?

You dropped /s

[TetraSky]

What are you looking for exactly for the prepaid service?

Data? How much data do you want/need?

Do you need Unlimited calling/texting or would you be fine with a limited plan (like 50/100 minutes)

 

If all you need is DATA, then TepWireless is indeed a relatively good deal, 5GB PER DAY for 13$ is pretty damn good deal, especially if you're just here for 2 or 3 days and you need a lot of data.

 

If you don't really need any data and just want a way to call/text, LuckyMobile, PublicMobile or Chatr offer that service for dirt cheap, starting at 10$ for 50 minutes/50 texts, 15$ for 100 minutes and unlimited texting... (No data for these low price tier)

 

 

If you want a lot of data, unlimited calling and texting... it can cost up to 50$ for 8GB of data, but you have the entire month.

 

[dizmo]

2 hours ago, DaiGurenMK42 said:

You dropped /s

Or you just don't know the Canadian cell phone market

[Bouzoo]

39 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Or you just don't know the Canadian cell phone market

You people really got the short end of the stick. 

[TetraSky]

15 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

You people really got the short end of the stick. 

Eeeh, it got better in the last little while.
I barely use my phone for calling, almost everywhere I go has wifi and didn't want to pay $30+ with the big carriers for their low tier plans...
So getting 250MB of data for those rare times I absolutely need it when no wifi network is available, 100 minutes of calling and unlimited texting across Canada, for only 15 Canadian rupees with LuckyMobile (PublicMobile has the same plans.. yay collusion), well, that would've been a pipe dream not even 5 years ago.

[Bouzoo]

11 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Eeeh, it got better in the last little while.
I barely use my phone for calling, almost everywhere I go has wifi and didn't want to pay $30+ with the big carriers for their low tier plans...
So getting 250MB of data for those rare times I absolutely need it when no wifi network is avaible, 100 minutes of calling and unlimited texting across Canada, for only 15 Canadian rupees with LuckyMobile (and PublicMobile has the same plans.. yay collusion), would've been a pipe dream not even 5 years ago.

I am in a 2nd world country, pretty behind on tech part, but I have the best plan hands down that we can get, 1TB of 4G data per month (advertised as unlimited so they are not wrong to a degree, you will never use it), unlimited calls and messages for 35 CAD. You can go prepaid and get 8000 units (1 unit = 1 min, 1 SMS or 1 MB) for 16 CAD.

And as a bonus, since we have EEA roaming regulative I can use unlimited calls, messaged and 10 GB of data in any EEA country. But that is out of the equation. 

[TetraSky]

6 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

I am in a 2nd world country, pretty behind on tech part, but I have the best plan hands down that we can get, 1TB of 4G data per month (advertised as unlimited so they are not wrong to a degree, you will never use it), unlimited calls and messages for 35 CAD. You can go prepaid and get 8000 units (1 unit = 1 min, 1 SMS or 1 MB) for 16 CAD.

And as a bonus, since we have EEA roaming regulative I can use unlimited calls, messaged and 10 GB of data in any EEA country. But that is out of the equation. 

1TB of 4G data!? Jesus... You'd think mobile data is some sort of rare commodity with how little they give us in North America. At most, the expensive plans (like 80$ and above...) will net you maybe 12GB per month here...

[Bouzoo]

18 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

1TB of 4G data!? Jesus... You'd think mobile data is some sort of rare commodity with how little they give us in North America. At most, the expensive plans (like 80$ and above...) will net you maybe 12GB per month here...

Yeah. It's ridiculous. Though it's 5GB per day, then you confirm via an SMS you want another 2 GB unlimited times per day, just probably so people don't misuse it. After that 1TB you still have unlimited 4G but they might throttle you to 1Mb between 18 and 23 hours and then it's regular 4G again. So basically unlimited 4G with specific throttling after 1TB. And daily limitations that you can renew. 

 

Jesus $80 for 12 GB. Really, Jesus. You can activate 50GB options for 26 CAD here. Now I see how that 12 CAD per day is a good deal. Though you do get a hotspot router. 

[dizmo]

On 6/2/2019 at 9:26 AM, Bouzoo said:

You people really got the short end of the stick. 

Don't even get me started...

[BubblyCharizard]

Use Freedom mobile....I have been with them since they launched, and although yes there are some issues, they are much better than the big 3

 

but you can also get a SIM from many companies

 

7/11 has speakout wireless (uses Rogers)

Petro-Canada has their own brand (also uses Rogers)

Lucky sells their sims at dollarama (Bell)

Roam mobility has some plans too

[BobbyPdue]

I'm looking for a data plan for around 14 days in Canada with two trips to the US (Las Vega and Seattle)

 

I'm looking for a data (2GB minimum) plan mostly with less than 60 minutes of talk time.   

 

Any ideas? I've looked around, but all the prices I've seen have been per month which is weird for pre-paid service.  Also the ones I looked at had a couple of connections fees.  

 

Is there anything below $100 that would allow me to go to the US and have enough data for two weeks of traveling in North America?  Perhaps I should just get a SIM in the US?

[Failquail]

Must say thank you so much for posting this topic. It wouldn't have registered at all to me as an issue, being so used to the EU free roaming thing on holidays...

Would have cost me £6/MB and led to an extremely nasty bill when i got back home

Now off to investigate a temp sim for this trip...

[Failquail]

Went with this one if usefull for others:

£12 for 1GB
(Theres a £17 for 3GB and greater versions too)

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Travel-Prepaid-Roaming-Data-Card/dp/B07MVQ37ZZ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=canada+prepaid+sim&qid=1562761465&s=electronics&sr=1-2