T-Mobile N1 traveling to Montreal

[johnjohntc]

I have a[n unlocked] T-Mobile Nexus One and am traveling to Canada a few times in coming months (Montreal and Toronto). What's the appropriate provider to purchase a Canadian SIM card from? Who's network is most compatible with T-Mobile compatible N1's?

 

[ILoveBlythe]

Huh, don't know, is it WIND?? I know Rogers is GSM but they run the same bands as AT&T. So that would work but no 3G.

 

[dan1431]

I believe that WIND uses AWS (1700/2100MHz) spectrum for their 3G service in Canada.

Dan

 

[anon(21022)]

Nope, you won't get WIND in Montreal, since another company bought the 1700Mhz spectrum and so far isn't using it. Now if you were only going to Toronto, I'd say WIND, but since you're going to both.. Unless you get 2 different SIM cards...

Otherwise, you'll have to chose either Rogers or Fido, as they use GSM (Telus, Bell, Virgin only have 3G or CDMA, no 2G). Rogers will rape your wallet just to buy a pay as you go SIM card (45$ + airtime + activation fee), Fido won't be as bad (I don't quite remember their fees).

Oh yeah Fido is owned by Rogers anyway, so, they won't be too nice either.

Welcome to Canadian cellphone life

 

[hooey]

Actually, Telus and Bell has GSM now but they're on the same frequency as Rogers and AT&T.

dan1431 is right. WIND uses AWS so you can use that for 3G in Toronto but I don't know what's available in Montreal.

 

[anon(21022)]

Actually, Telus and Bell has GSM now but they're on the same frequency as Rogers and AT&T.

Only for 3G, and the T-Mo Nexus One doesn't support the same 3G frequency as Telus and Bell; hence they are not an option for the OP.

dan1431 is right. WIND uses AWS so you can use that for 3G in Toronto but I don't know what's available in Montreal.

There is currently no carrier in Qu?bec which uses AWS (1700MHz 3G band) because Videotron bought the rights to use that range and isn't using it -- most probably to block out competitors (WIND), so he will have to use either Rogers or Fido, which support the same GSM (2G) bands that are on the Nexus One.

Patrix.

 

[johnjohntc]

As an after-trip report, I went to a Fido kiosk (mall at McGill station, to be precise) and bought a Fido SIM card for $10, put $20 on the pay-as-you-go account. Calls worked just fine after registering on the Fido network:
Settings -> Wireless & Networks -> Mobile networks -> Network Operators -> Fido

For a N1 data, you need to buy a $3/20MB-day plan. When you open your browser and try to do go somewhere, you get redirected to a Fido site that asks you to authorize the $3. Clicking through does that. However, no additional data worked.

After much fiddling, the guy at the kiosk was able to get my 2G data working.
He said we went to back to the network operators screen:
Settings -> Wireless & Networks -> Mobile networks -> Network Operators -> Fido
A press-hold on the Fido selection got a user/pass entry screen (fido/fido).


This worked, though he did it, not me. When re-authorizing the next day, data didn't work again. I didn't have the time to go back to the kiosk and ask him to repeat the process. Sorry future-me.
(Oh, and yes, I did try the above process myself.)