Cell Phone Use in Montreal?

[Special K]

Gentlemen,

I use my cell phone quite a bit while in Montreal and have had excellent coverage when there (also pay .20/min.), but due to the high monthly cost of my service I'm thinking of changing my cell phone service to Cingular but wanted to see if anyone out there that travels from the US to Montreal has had any problems at all using Cingular while in town?

Secondly if anyone travels up Rt. 89 through NH & Vermont do they still get service?

All feedback would be welcome.

Thanks much,

SK

 

[EagerBeaver]

Cingular

Special K,

I have Cingular service and they SUCK MONKEY BALLS. The service is nonexistent if you are near the water. They lie to you and tell you bullshit like "we are building cell towers near the water." Total BS which they train their service reps. I previously had Verizon Wireless and want it back.

All that being said, I never did have a problem with the Cingular service in Montreal, only in USA. I do recall also having service problems in Vermont and in upstate NY as well as near the water in Connecticut.

 

[Ned Nobody]

EB,

Has the merger between AT&T and Cingular helped matters? In Canada, Fido and Rogers have merged, and customers have seen some improvements.

All four carriers now use GSM phones (AT&T and Rogers older phones are TDMA). For those with unlocked GSM phones, you could get a prepaid Fido or Rogers SIM card, and probably have better rates.

The SIM cards cost about $25CAD, and the prepaid rates vary.

NN

 

[EagerBeaver]

AT&T - Cingular

Ned,

Since the merger, service near the water is still nonexistent. They are not building any cell towers near the water. Maybe they will in 2010 but I will no longer be their customer by then. It's bullshit, what they are telling their customers. They also told me my service would improve after the merger, as if AT&T would somehow wave some magic wand without building the cell towers which need to be built.

It should be noted that I performed a test with a friend of mine who has Verizon Wireless and his service was much better near the water.

 

[Montreal Moose]

Hey Special K,
I am sorry I have not info on Cingular as I am a fellow Verizone customer from the Red Sox Nation area.
May I ask which plan gives you $.20/min in Canada? I may have to change mine. I have the 'America's Choice' plan and pay $.65/min in Canada. I don't have a tri mode phone (or something like that) so my voice mail does not prompt me in Canada. Both my phone and plan are about 4 years old because they try to 'upgrade' me to more minutes at a higher price that I will not use.
Coverage in VT on Verizone is good. I have found that when you are in between the mountains of VT off I89 coverage is shakey but all of them may be the same way?
MM

 

[MG_mtl]

In Canada, Fido and Rogers have merged, and customers have seen some improvements.
NN

Ned what are you talking about ??? The Merger has barely been approved by the authorities, but the companies have not merged anything yet, certainly not their wireless services so I don't know where you heard that customers have seen improvements

 

[Special K]

Hey Special K,
I am sorry I have not info on Cingular as I am a fellow Verizone customer from the Red Sox Nation area.
May I ask which plan gives you $.20/min in Canada? I may have to change mine. I have the 'America's Choice' plan and pay $.65/min in Canada. I don't have a tri mode phone (or something like that) so my voice mail does not prompt me in Canada. Both my phone and plan are about 4 years old because they try to 'upgrade' me to more minutes at a higher price that I will not use.
Coverage in VT on Verizone is good. I have found that when you are in between the mountains of VT off I89 coverage is shakey but all of them may be the same way?
MM

Hi MM,

My current provider is Nextel, but it's too expensive even though I have great coverage. Once I cross the border to Canada my phone automatically changes to Telus and my rate then becomes .20/min. Which is good also, but I believe Cingular now offers parts of Canada on their regular plans with no roaming fees, just the minutes you use are deducted from your monthly allotment.

Regarding the merger between Cingular & AT&T yes just recently occurred so I don't think we'll see any difference in service/cell sites for a little while, but I thank everyone for their comments and look forward to hearing more.

Thanks,

SK

 

[Ned Nobody]

Ned what are you talking about ??? The Merger has barely been approved by the authorities, but the companies have not merged anything yet, certainly not their wireless services so I don't know where you heard that customers have seen improvements

MG,

From the Fido site (clearer than the Rogers site):

Monthly package subscribers now have the option to use the combined GSM/GPRS digital wireless network coverage of both Fido and Rogers Wireless. Even better, monthly package subscribers can now use their minutes within the enhanced coverage area for three months at no additional charge.

http://www.fido.ca/portal/promos/personal/acquisition_20041108/en/promotion.shtml

Since Tuesday, I see my phone occasionally switching between the networks, and I now have coverage in areas where I did not before.

NN

 

[EagerBeaver]

Cingular Rip Off

Special K,

I have the Cingular plan on which you pay $29.99 a month, and get 300 anytime free minutes for calls made within my zone (which is basically CT, Mass., most of NY and parts of Vermont) and 5000 free minutes weeknights after 9:00 p.m. and weekends. I went and checked my old cellphone bills and these slimy bastards charged me .79 per minute in Canada on roamer, on outgoing calls in Montreal made within Montreal, and on outgoing calls in Montreal made back to the USA. I note one 12 minute call I made to the USA from Montreal cost me a total of $10.47 because I was also hit with "international tax", whatever that means.

Thieves!

 

[breadman]

Eager, Ive got Att...which was bought by cingular. Nights have now been changed to 7pm for both companies. Also think you can add on canadian coverage for 9.99 a month or so.

 

[MG_mtl]

Since Tuesday, I see my phone occasionally switching between the networks, and I now have coverage in areas where I did not before.
NN

I am really surprised to hear that ! Then I stand corrected Ned...

 

[breadman]

For those with Att service, starting today all att customers have the option of having their minutes roll over like cingular. Certain plans only im guessing...

 

[traveler0099]

Canada calling plan

AT&T / Cingular has a Canada calling plan, which is an extra $10 USD or so per month. With that plan, Canada is treated like any other place in the USA -- meaning LD calls to/from/within Canada just hit your monthly allotted daytime minutes. I have had the AT&T Canada calling plan for several years now.

Coverage in nothern Vermont & New Hampshire is spotty, but just drive and enjoy the scenery. ONce you hit the Canadian border, reception is fine.