cell options or internet for Canadians in US

I am currently on Verizon's old plan, no longer available, but is has unlimited data while in US, and 900 minutes across US and Canada. I pay 175 US for it per month. Expensive but I like my netflix etc while on the road. For Canada data I have a mobile internet device and pay on a sliding scale depending how much I use it. Ranges from $10 to $90.

I recently came across a plan Telus has. Canada and USA wide, unlimited minutes in both countries, 2 GB of data total. $150 cdn per month. If that data cap worked for me i'd get this. I can't find it on their website but they had a brochure when I went in. I have very good coverage with my internet device from Telus all across Canada. The only place it has a dead spot is between Hearst ON and Dryden, ON. I think it works around Nipigon though. After that it works all the way along the major highways, 1, sk-11, 16, ab-2, ab-3 ... No idea on what Telus coverage is like in USA ...

 

Hit a Walmart in the US and get a Boost Mobile phone. $50/month completely unlimited including calling to Canada. It's only 3G but it's better than getting raped by Canadian carriers while traveling in the US. Make sure you tell them you want the plan that lets you call Canada. You'll have to either top up with cards or set up autobilling with your credit card. My TD bank debit card also works as a prepaid Visa, so no problem there for me. One caveat though: their unlimited plan doesn't allow for tethering, so you can't use your phone as a wifi hotspot for your laptop.

 

Get Cricket, you won't regret it

 

Hi SKMan.
I'm also on with Sasktel, I've been with them for about a year. I had been with Telus for about 4 years prior And was fed up with huge bills.
I have 2 different phone plans with Sasktel. One is called the 13th man with unlimited talk even Stateside. Also unlimited texting. However, if you take the 13 gig data plan, only 50% of that is permitted outside Saskatchewan. I got a pretty terse phone call from them telling me that in the future I would have to pay for each mb over that 50%. I can use all 13 gigs in Sask.
My other plan states it's unlimited data, but again, it's not. Of course. Under Sasktels "Fair use policy," only 5 gigs can be used outside the province.
I've been gone from Sask for 5 months working, needless to say, I've had to get on with Telus For additional service for Data.
I don't know, but Bell may be our best bet as I believe they don't have those provincial restrictions and have decent rates if you negotiate. I'm stuck for at least another 18 months unless I'm willing to pay to break the contract And pay penalties.
Let me know how you work out.

 

A side note to the US based Boost Mobile thing... doesn't work in Canada, so you do still have to have 2 phones. I turn off my Canadian phone's data while in the US, and if someone calls it, I just let it ring and then call them back from my US phone (assuming the caller ID works, which is not always).

 

Rodgers ROAM LIKE HOME I had bell Telus and several US phones and it beats them all hands down. You don't pay if your not in the us and when you are it is $5.00 a day maximum $50 per billing cycle. I have 4Gigs of data and my bill if I do the full 10 is around 150 month. Beats everything else I tried. I had a us phone but you pay every month weather.you use it or not OR you have one you manually load cards on and you have minutes/data expire. And you have 2 numbers.

 

I have the Rogers roam like home plan, the coverage in the US is pretty good, and it is better than any option I have tried for a phone plan.