Traveling b/w provinces, switching plans in another province

[ca]

Hi, I don't currently have an account and my questions are related to activating one.

I plan to activate my current phone (with a new PM sim card) in ontario, with the $37 plan for 1 month only, which includes canada talk, global txt and 500 MB. I chose this plan because I will be traveling by car from Toronto to BC : through ON, MB, SK, and AB. So this plan will allow me to communicate via talk and text across canada, and to access internet in case of emergency (when on the road, out of wifi range, yes?).

Once in BC, I will no longer need this plan: so I will be switching to the $25/mo plan with unlimited text and province-wide talk.

My questions:

1. Will I need to change my phone number once in BC, when the first month has ended and I switch to a different plan for the 2nd month, because I will be in a different province from where I initially activated the first month's plan? Will I be charged a fee for changing the plan/number?

2. The $25 plan includes province-wide talk. I understand this means I can make calls from within any province, to any number in that same province. And I can receive calls from within the same province I'm in. And I cannot make calls to a number outside of the province I'm in. Can I receive calls from outside the province I'm in? Does it apply when I am in any province, or does it apply only to the province in which I activate the plan/service?

thank you.

[wetcoaster · Accepted solution]

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@matbasm wrote:

@ca,

If you can pick up a SIM card locally (Walmart, WOW, and K-mobile), the process is quite quick.  In our case, the phone was active within an hour after we signed up/activated the sim on-line.

As for requesting a BC number (while in Ontario), the sign up process will ask you to select a number.  Although i haven't seen it myself, I would expect the system will ask you where/what area code you would like to get your number from.

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What they said. I'm confident that the vast majority of activations are smooth and efficient as long as all the information is entered correctly, incognito mode in Chrome seems to work well for a lot of people. Be extra careful to enter the credit card information exactly as on your statement.

However, personally I would not leave the activation to the very last minute before the trip, just in case your activation is one of the rare exeptions and things need to be sorted by a moderator.

As for your phone number: IIRC there will be a drop down menu in the "choose your phone number" stage. Choose the area you are going to and you will be given 5 or 6 choices with the according area code (if you're in the lower mainland it's 604 (unlikely these days...), 778 or 236, in some other parts of the province you might get a 250 number instead of 604) and local calling code (second block of 3 digits).

[matbasm]

@ca,

If you can pick up a SIM card locally (Walmart, WOW, and K-mobile), the process is quite quick.  In our case, the phone was active within an hour after we signed up/activated the sim on-line.

As for requesting a BC number (while in Ontario), the sign up process will ask you to select a number.  Although i haven't seen it myself, I would expect the system will ask you where/what area code you would like to get your number from.

[ca]

Oh, and how do I ensure I get set up with a BC number, if I'll be activating my first month of service from within Toronto?

[ca]

Does it typically take about a week to get set up, from ordering a sim card online to activating your phone with service?

[computergeek541]

After getting to BC, and switching to a province-wide talk plan, you'll want to change your phone number (or get a second one).  This is because people calling you from there would otherwise have to call your Toronto-based phone number to reach you, and potentially be paying long distance.

Also, because you will having only province-wide talk, the ability to receive incoming calls is another reason to change your phone number.  Officially, you are not supposed to be able to receive any phone calls in BC if you have a phone number from Ontario and you are only a province-wide calling plan.

[matbasm]

@caAlthough it is possible that the pricing changes, the discount that you are seeing is simply a multi-product discount.  When you take talk & text & data, you get the lartgest discount.  Sometimes it could actually be more expensive to take just talk and data.  Adding texting actually can reduce the price.

[ca]

If the "plan calculator" is indeed correct, then $37 for 30 days of Canada-wide unlimited talk, unlimited global text and 500 MB is hard to beat and ideal for while I will be traveling between provinces. Not sure why there's a $25 discount when I choose data? But I'll take it, as long as this deal lasts through next month, because I've still got a bunch to figure out before I'm ready to go 🙂

[mimmo]

The other option go with provincial plan and buy the long-distance add-on $8 or 15$.

Depending on how many calls you plan on getting this might be an idea.

Also not sure if it was fixed but people have been able to receive calls while out of their home province.

[matbasm]

Yup.  I think you got it!

[ca]

Ok, I understand:

If I activate the first month's plan in ON, then move to BC and keep this number but switch to the $25 plan, I cannot receive any calls, because I am not in my 'home' province (ON), no matter where they are from. And I can only make calls to numbers within the same province as me (e.g. BC, AB). Luddite makes it sound like I can also make calls to ON from any other province.. ?

Either way yes it seems I should start with a BC number. Now if I do this... I will still start with the $37 Canada talk, global txt and 500 MB plan. This will provide me with coverage between BC and ON while traveling. Then I get to BC and can keep my number and just choose the local plan for the 2nd month. Receiving out-of-province (ON-->BC) calls when in BC, and calling anyone in BC, or AB if I'm in AB.

Think I got it eh?

[matbasm]

@ca,  If you do as @wetcoaster suggests, starting with a BC number might be a great idea. IIf you do that, you will not need to change your number later, and won't have to notify everyone of your new number. 

[wetcoaster]

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@ca wrote:

Hi, I don't currently have an account and my questions are related to activating one.

I plan to activate my current phone (with a new PM sim card) in ontario, with the $37 plan for 1 month only, which includes canada talk, global txt and 500 MB. I chose this plan because I will be traveling by car from Toronto to BC : through ON, MB, SK, and AB. So this plan will allow me to communicate via talk and text across canada, and to access internet in case of emergency (when on the road, out of wifi range, yes?).

Once in BC, I will no longer need this plan: so I will be switching to the $25/mo plan with unlimited text and province-wide talk.

My questions:

1. Will I need to change my phone number once in BC, when the first month has ended and I switch to a different plan for the 2nd month, because I will be in a different province from where I initially activated the first month's plan? Will I be charged a fee for changing the plan/number?

2. The $25 plan includes province-wide talk. I understand this means I can make calls from within any province, to any number in that same province. And I can receive calls from within the same province I'm in. And I cannot make calls to a number outside of the province I'm in. Can I receive calls from outside the province I'm in? Does it apply when I am in any province, or does it apply only to the province in which I activate the plan/service?

thank you.

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Since you intend to use a Canada wide plan for the first month - have you considered starting directly with a phone number of the local calling area where you intend to be in BC?

[Luddite]

1. Not required, but as you note in 2 calling anywhere but BC and Ontario will be long distance, and you cannot receive calls without the long distance add-on. There is no charge to pick a new number.

2. Peruse this for all your answers: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Knowledge-Base/Province-wide-Canada-wide-and-Long-Dis...

[matbasm]

Hi @ca, When you switch to the $25 province wide talk /text plan you will need to change your phone number, since the 'province' is the province where the area code of your number is located.  So if you start with an Ontario area code, a provincial talk plan would let you call Ontario when in Ontario, and BC while in BC.  However, you would need an LD plan to be able to receive calls, since your calls would be redirected from Ontario to BC.  I do not think there would be a charge to switch numbers.  One thing related to receiving calls while in any other province is that you must have a LD plan to receive while outside your 'home' province.  You can make a local call anywhere, though.  You also need a LD plan if you want to call back to BC (from any other province).

Hope that helps.

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Once in BC, I will no longer need this plan: so I will be switching to the $25/mo plan with unlimited text and province-wide talk.

My questions:

1. Will I need to change my phone number once in BC, when the first month has ended and I switch to a different plan for the 2nd month, because I will be in a different province from where I initially activated the first month's plan? Will I be charged a fee for changing the plan/number?

2. The $25 plan includes province-wide talk. I understand this means I can make calls from within any province, to any number in that same province. And I can receive calls from within the same province I'm in. And I cannot make calls to a number outside of the province I'm in. Can I receive calls from outside the province I'm in? Does it apply when I am in any province, or does it apply only to the province in which I activate the plan/service?

thank you.

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