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  #11  
Old August 24th, 2004, 08:10 AM
Mike O'sullivan
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"Jo" wrote in message
...
what is a fido store ? I looked online but confused. There were cards for
$59 and activation kits for $25 and could not find out where there shops
were.


Well, I was in Vancouver and I bought a SIM card at the Fido store in
Georgia Street (at Richards) if that's any help. I see from my Visa
statement that I paid $45.


  #12  
Old August 24th, 2004, 08:10 AM
Mike O'sullivan
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"Jo" wrote in message
...
what is a fido store ? I looked online but confused. There were cards for
$59 and activation kits for $25 and could not find out where there shops
were.


Well, I was in Vancouver and I bought a SIM card at the Fido store in
Georgia Street (at Richards) if that's any help. I see from my Visa
statement that I paid $45.


  #13  
Old August 24th, 2004, 02:26 PM
Jo
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now I have even more questions :-)) what is the best system in Canada and
the USA if it is not the gsm system ? Didn't know there was another one. So
if I buy my card in Vancouver I will get local call rate in Vancouver and
long distance for example in Banff, is that right ? I won't be giving my
number so won't have to pay for incoming calls at least.

Joanne

"A Mate" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
Fido and Rogers AT&T are the two gsm carriers in Canada. Prepaid sims are
available for Fido certainly - because we used one last year. The Canadian
(and USA) system is quite unlike that used in the rest of the world. The
number you get is location specific! You pay local rates for calls in that
area and long distance for everything else - and callers to you likewise.
You pay for incoming AND outgoing calls.

Lastly - the gsm system is NOT the cell system of choice for North

America -
so gsm netrworks are small with many 'no service' areas.

We still found it worthwhile to get a prepaid sim.



"Jo" wrote in message
...
I am not sure what it is called in north America, it is a sim card in
England. I was wondering if they were easy to buy and if they were
expensive. I have a mobile phone that would work in Canada but would

need
a
local card as to use my own card would be too expensive. Could someone

let
me know if I could buy one and how much the card and the calls would be

?

regards,
Joanne








  #14  
Old August 24th, 2004, 02:26 PM
Jo
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THANKS Mike, does that include any calls at all ? Or are they extra ?

Joanne

"Mike O'sullivan" a écrit dans le message de
news: ...

"Jo" wrote in message
...
what is a fido store ? I looked online but confused. There were cards

for
$59 and activation kits for $25 and could not find out where there shops
were.


Well, I was in Vancouver and I bought a SIM card at the Fido store in
Georgia Street (at Richards) if that's any help. I see from my Visa
statement that I paid $45.




  #15  
Old August 24th, 2004, 02:26 PM
Jo
external usenet poster
 
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THANKS Mike, does that include any calls at all ? Or are they extra ?

Joanne

"Mike O'sullivan" a écrit dans le message de
news: ...

"Jo" wrote in message
...
what is a fido store ? I looked online but confused. There were cards

for
$59 and activation kits for $25 and could not find out where there shops
were.


Well, I was in Vancouver and I bought a SIM card at the Fido store in
Georgia Street (at Richards) if that's any help. I see from my Visa
statement that I paid $45.




  #16  
Old August 24th, 2004, 04:53 PM
jcoulter
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"Jo" wrote in
:

now I have even more questions :-)) what is the best system in Canada
and the USA if it is not the gsm system ? Didn't know there was
another one. So if I buy my card in Vancouver I will get local call
rate in Vancouver and long distance for example in Banff, is that
right ? I won't be giving my number so won't have to pay for incoming
calls at least.


GSM is new to the NA market but it is growing and is where available
arguably better. You will find it in most metropolitan areas but it will
not be there as much off the beaten track.

Most phone plans have free long distance so it isn't as much a problem as
it once was when long distance charges really ate things up. but it is
incoming and outgoing

If you have a multiband phone already buying the GSM SIM is the way to go.
IF you need a phone (NA is on 1900 and 850 (some but not all GSM) bands)
then a cellular (TDMA IIRC prepaid phone might do you well)
  #17  
Old August 24th, 2004, 05:16 PM
B Vaughan
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On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 19:14:27 +0200, "Jo"
wrote:

I am not sure what it is called in north America, it is a sim card in
England. I was wondering if they were easy to buy and if they were
expensive. I have a mobile phone that would work in Canada but would need a
local card as to use my own card would be too expensive. Could someone let
me know if I could buy one and how much the card and the calls would be ?


I live in Italy and have a tri band phone which can be used in the US.
Once I bought a sim card from T-Mobile, which was the only provider
available at the time. The cost for calls, both incoming and outgoing
was something like 50 cents a minute, and much more for overseas
calls. There was also a setup charge of about 15 dollars. If you
didn't recharge your card before its balance remaining went to zero,
you had to get a new card, a new phone number and pay the setup charge
again. An incoming call from my husband in Italy wiped out my credit
in the first minute when I was a bit low, and I didn't bother to get
another sim card.

The next time I went to the US, I used my Italian sim card, paying
international roaming and now I always do that. It ends up costing me
less. I buy a prepaid phone card once I'm in the US and use it when I
can for my outgoing calls, either from a private phone or a pay phone.
--------
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.
  #18  
Old August 24th, 2004, 05:16 PM
B Vaughan
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On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 15:26:04 +0200, "Jo"
wrote:

now I have even more questions :-)) what is the best system in Canada and
the USA if it is not the gsm system ? Didn't know there was another one. So
if I buy my card in Vancouver I will get local call rate in Vancouver and
long distance for example in Banff, is that right ? I won't be giving my
number so won't have to pay for incoming calls at least.


The problem is that none of the other systems will work with any
European phones. Most people in the US have monthly contracts that
reduce their rates considerably. The GSM system is expensive because
it's not much used.
--------
Barbara Vaughan

My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.
  #19  
Old August 24th, 2004, 06:37 PM
Mike O'sullivan
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"Jo" wrote in message
...
THANKS Mike, does that include any calls at all ? Or are they extra ?

Joanne


I seem to recall that the SIM was $25 including instant activation, and that
I bought a $15 airtime voucher, giving, I think, 150 minutes. Plus tax it
came to just over $45.


  #20  
Old August 24th, 2004, 06:37 PM
Mike O'sullivan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Jo" wrote in message
...
THANKS Mike, does that include any calls at all ? Or are they extra ?

Joanne


I seem to recall that the SIM was $25 including instant activation, and that
I bought a $15 airtime voucher, giving, I think, 150 minutes. Plus tax it
came to just over $45.


 




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