Fido Cell Phones

TopperHarley · Post by **TopperHarley** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 1:21 pm

Hey guys,

I am planning on signing up with Fido (2 year contract) and will likely go with the Motorola V180 flip-phone. I get access to Roger's network for no extra charges, and their long-distance plan is good in the USA (only 20 cents per minute, no extra charges).

Does anyone else here use Fido? If so, do you like them? I know their customer service is great and now that they have Roger's network, their coverage has improved a lot too. Is there anything that I should know before I sign on the dotted line?

Thanks in advance for all comments,

Chris.

skyhigh · Post by **skyhigh** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:38 pm

Currently using Fido and with the merger with Rogers, the coverage has been awesome. If you can, make sure that you get a phone with quad band capability to take advantage of all of the tower frequencies offered by both networks.

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:49 pm

Not to hi-jack Chris' post, but any comments on Bell service would be appreciated too...I am thinking of signing a two-year corporate contract.

Thx cheers

bob sacamano · Post by **bob sacamano** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 7:54 pm

They'll soon ask you for $5/month for the Roger's access. I use FIDO since their phones can be unlocked and used overseas. The t616 had good reception. I'm currently using the p800, reception is extremly low.

gr8_2_av8 · Post by **gr8_2_av8** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:12 pm

I am with Fido as well. I like the plan i'm on with all incoming free. Thing that sucks is when I bought the phone I wasn't aware that it was digital only (my own fault) so the coverage is very limited. Personally I would never sign a contract with a provider for any given time

bee tee · Post by **bee tee** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:00 pm

Flip-phones are for chicks!!!

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:12 pm

Fido sucks, had it and will never make that same mistake, got Telus now and love it!

fingersmac · Post by **fingersmac** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 11:17 pm

i disagree...

telus is the worst mobile phone service provider ever. i've been a customer of theirs for 5 years and it just keeps getting worse and worse. their great if you're a first time user but once you sign a second contract

i have 1.5 years left in my second contract and i'm thinking of spending the $300+ to break the contract because my bills are too high.

if i go somewhere else it will be to fido for sure. best plans and rates i've seen in canada yet.

... · Post by **...** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:26 am

Utva wrote:Flip-phones are for chicks!!!

Kick it OLD SCHOOL

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:37 am

Been with Telus 3.5 years 1.5 as pay as you go and the other 2 on contract, no problems for me. I guess with everyone its different. Everyone will experience problems with one or more of these companies and never use em again. Telus for me is great cause they don't add stuff to my account without my permission like Fido did and I get excellent reception.

DHQ · Post by **DHQ** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:44 am

I also have been investigating Fido. They're free access to the rogers network is only for a limited time (July I think) and after that it will cost you $5 per month. Also certain plans you subscribe to aren't allowed to access the rogers network, prepaid phones are one example. 10c/min long distance is awesome though.

I would have gone with Fido, but I want a prepaid phone, but more importantly I need the bigger coverage area.

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:45 am

If you want prepaid take Virgin, ugly phones awesome reception. Their Nokias are excellent.

TopperHarley · Post by **TopperHarley** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 8:32 am

I was told that access to the Rogers network is free if you agree to sign a contract (2 years). If you do not sign the contract, then you must pay $5/month to access it. Also, my friend is on pay-as-you-go, and he receives the Roger's network too (he has been with Fido for 4 years or so).

Wasn't Me · Post by **Wasn't Me** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 8:56 am

I have the fido city plan. It sucks since Rogers took it over. The coverage is poor and getting smaller in the Toronto area.

I have been having trouble on trips to different airport not having coverage.

I have a copilot with bell who seems to have no trouble.

DHQ · Post by **DHQ** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:48 am

C-HRIS wrote:I was told that access to the Rogers network is free if you agree to sign a contract (2 years). If you do not sign the contract, then you must pay $5/month to access it. Also, my friend is on pay-as-you-go, and he receives the Roger's network too (he has been with Fido for 4 years or so).

hmmm... it will piss me off if that is the case. I called Fido last night, and they told me I would have no coverage in the areas outside Toronto where I need it, even though the rogers network covers that area. And the website says the extended coverage area isn't available to Fido prepaid customers. Perhaps your friend gets the deal because he's been with them for so long. Oh well, i just bought a rogers phone.... so i'll go with it. Would have bought fido if I knew for sure I'd have access to the full coverage area.

wha happen · Post by **wha happen** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:54 am

with regards to bell. been with them for a little over a year and i have had no major problems. telus on the other hand...

bizjet_mania · Post by **bizjet_mania** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:14 pm

I've used my phone and got perfect coverage in places outside of Toronto, Wiarton, Lindsay, Muskoka. Telus has bigger coverage in Canada than Fido.

flyboeing · Post by **flyboeing** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 1:44 pm

I have Bell and enjoy the coverage

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 2:25 pm

I'm going to my Bell store this weekend to get more info...

Can I use it in Europe? Caribbean?

bee tee · Post by **bee tee** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 2:55 pm

Can you use it in Europe?

Definately. You have to have the phone unlocked, and once you go somewhere you buy a SIM card, put it in your phone and 'you're good to go.' I have a FIDO phone that has been used in Europe and Middle East. No problems. The Celle Celle I use here is also FIDO phone on a 24 month contract, and its not bad. And there is a camera in the phone which is very handy when 'you're crunk up in da club.' Ya heard.

Dockjock · Post by **Dockjock** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:19 pm

Been with Bell for 6 yrs and don't plan on switching. As with absolutely everything in life, you get what you pay for. Bell is not the cheapest, Fido is.

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 8:02 am

Alright, thanks for the information guys...(or gals)

loopy · Post by **loopy** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:27 pm

With FIDO and no complaints. Love the extra netwrk thru Rogers. GSM phones as well, great for travelling. Can get great rates for calling overseas from Canada. You can also get the FIDO to FIDO anywhere in Canada feature. Great when the significant other or family members and friends all have Fido.

complexintentions · Post by **complexintentions** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 5:16 pm

I'm going to my Bell store this weekend to get more info...

Can I use it in Europe? Caribbean?

Can you use it in Europe?

Definately. You have to have the phone unlocked, and once you go somewhere you buy a SIM card, put it in your phone and 'you're good to go.' I have a FIDO phone that has been used in Europe and Middle East. No problems. The Celle Celle I use here is also FIDO phone on a 24 month contract, and its not bad. And there is a camera in the phone which is very handy when 'you're crunk up in da club.' Ya heard.

This makes it sound like you can use a Bell phone in Europe. You can not. Fido/Rogers uses GSM (Global System for Mobiles, a cell protocol) that is widely used worldwide, their phones (with appropriate SIM cards and network access) will work there.

Bell and Telus both use CDMA, (Code Division Multiple Access, a totally different protocol) that is not used in Europe. Your Bell/Telus phone will be a paperweight outside of N. America. (With certain exceptions, like Hong Kong.)

Having said that...I have found the CDMA technology (which is actually really cool sh^t if you're a geek like me, Digital Spread Spectrum originally developed by the US military - who else...) to be FAR better quality, both reception and coverage. One reason is that Telus' network consists of former provincial companies like BC Tel that invested heavily in infrastructure early on before being merged. So in each province there is generally more infrastructure in place, since each provincial telco only had to build their own network. Rogers/Fido was built from scratch nationwide and has certainly caught up a great deal, but I still find my Telus phone gets a signal in places where the Rogers couterpart doesn't. Another reason is that Bell/Telus have an agreement that they can use each other's network towers where they have none of their own. This is transparent to the user but obviously an advantage for coverage. Plus if you're a medevac pilot, you can even still use analog towers in the smaller towns where they still exist, but your GSM phone won't work because it wasn't cost-effective for Rogers to build a digital site there yet.

Customer service? I've used them all, they've all sucked, and they've all been ok at times. Pricing? Well, once you sort through all the bs (Bell includes the System Access Fee in their monthly pricing, the others don't, etc etc) there's not a great deal of difference. A few dollars either way, depending on what the deal du jour is.

So the deal-breaker for me was the quality of technical service. And while I had to hold my nose to sign a contract with Telus, signal-wise, coverage, and just plain call coverage...the CDMA networks walk all over GSM in N. America. If you need the latest bling phone, or really go to Europe a lot, by all means get a GSM phone...just be aware of the compromise you will have in quality when you get home.

Just to further muddy the water, I should mention that Europe is moving to W-CDMA (Wideband-CDMA) for the new 3G phones (ie, lots of data)...further evidence of technical superiority...

w squared · Post by **w squared** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:11 am

I've had both positive and negative experiences with a number of companies in respect to customer service. That said, the most clear-cutt issue is service area. Bell and Telus share their networks - and what networks they are!

I've had a Rogers phone, and they don't have anywhere near the same coverage outside of cities.

To my mind, living in western Canada, Bell still has an advantage because they own NorthWestTel. This means that Telus customers still end up with roaming charges in NE BC (because Telus is in a p@ssing contest with NWTel), whereas Bell customers don't. The question is moot for Rogers customers...once you're past Fort St. John, you might as well just turn your phone off and find a deep dark hole for it.