Phone Network Providers in BC, Canada
The main phone network providers in British Columbia are:
Sim-Only Deals
I was looking for a sim-only deal as I recently bought a new phone back in the UK. After research into which provider would be best to join in Whistler, I was left with the top choices being Bell, Fido or Telus. Unfortunately there are no Fido shops in Whistler Village: The nearest is in Vancouver. That left Bell or Telus. The Telus shop is not in the village centre, and the Bell shop is. Bell also have GREAT deals. I managed to get a plan of unlimited calls and texts, and 5GB Data for only $40 per month.
Some providers only offer one sim-only contract which is unlimited everything but for $70 per month. WiFi is so readily available here that you are unlikely to need to use too much data, unless you are going away on a trip and need to use maps on your phone or something. $70 is pretty pricey for a phone plan and you can definitely get a better deal if you look around.
Best Coverage
After comparing the different deals on the websites of the phone network providers, it seemed that Bell had the best coverage and the most value for money. I looked at the WhistleOut website to compare coverage across the region. As with anything, the coverage, deals and prices will vary between different provinces, as will the number of providers available.
Setting up your new contract
They were really helpful in the shop and I had a working Canadian number within about 10 minutes. I now have full control over how much I would like to pay each month depending on whether I want to get more or less data. There is an option to pay month to month or by direct debit.
So far I have had no problems with the company or the product, and they message me with freebies every now and then e.g. an extra $5 to my account to cover ‘extras’.
The only thing that I could have used would be calls to the UK to sort out my driving licence things with the DVLA, but other than that I will use WiFi to call back home on an app!
Which phone provider have you found to be the best? Do you get international calls included in your plans? I’d love to hear from you!