the price of roaming + long distance, with a Canadian phone from Bell

[gusl]

Here's my little contribution against the cellular telephone confusopoly.

This data is for April 2010, Bell Mobility phone from Vancouver, on a DynamicBiz Corp 250-36M plan ($25 plus monthly fees: $9.70 System Access fee, $7 display fee, $5 text messaging plan).

My roaming charges are 99c / min, whether I'm in Seattle or NYC.

Long-distance rates do not apply if I'm calling from Manhattan to Brooklyn, or from Seattle to Bellevue. They do apply at a rate of 75c / min if I'm calling from New York to Boston or Pittsburgh; or Seattle to Vancouver, or Seattle to Pennsylvania.

Incoming calls cost the same 99c / min in terms of airtime.
In terms of long distance rates, they were always 35c / min... however, the caller's number and location are not provided in the bill, making it difficult to audit the phone company (yay confusopoly!)

Comments

[extensionality.livejournal.com]

Those rates are terrible. Get an American SIM?

[gustavolacerda.livejournal.com]

I'm planning to get an Android Phone once I move to NYC.

Last summer I used a prepaid Cricket phone (not GSM) that was quite reasonably priced.

[extensionality.livejournal.com]

I recently got a Nexus One (unlocked, no contract). It's fantastic. The Droid Incredible also looks very impressive, if you want Verizon.

[gustavolacerda.livejournal.com]

do you know any benefits of getting a real Google Phone, as opposed to merely Android?

[extensionality.livejournal.com]

The Nexus One is actually manufactured by HTC (who make a lot of other Android phones) and sold through google. The selling point for me was that it was sold unlocked, and could be purchased without a plan, and was the most powerful Android phone available on the market at the time. If I had known the Droid Incredible was on its way, I might have waited longer, but Droid Incredible as a Verizon phone does not have the unlocked (not even a SIM phone) and no-contract advantages.

[tedesson.livejournal.com]

Google Voice is free calling to Canada, but you must live in the US to get it. I have an invite if you want one.

[gustavolacerda.livejournal.com]

I will want one in August!

[tedesson.livejournal.com]

I'll save it for you.