Digital (PCS) Phones

The digital hype has hit the Toronto area. Currently there are four major players in the digital phone arena: Bell Mobility, Cantel, Telus Mobility, and Fido. Do not buy a digital phone if you want privacy. Sure it offers additional privacy over analog phones, but it is not totally secure.

The following table will attempt to aid you in determining which phone company is best for you. The first column lists the company names and the second column lists features of that company. By clicking on a logo or a link, a new browser window will open.  This will allow you to refer back to this page easily.

Steve's Toronto Area Cellular/PCS Site Guide is an excellent site which contains up to date (much more so than this page) information.

Read the summary at the end.

Choose If you want
Bell Mobility Telus Mobility
  • excellent voice quality
  • latest technology (CDMA)
  • fewer dropped calls
  • Telus Mobility packages start at $20.00 per month for 100 anytime minutes. For $30 you can get 100 minutes Mon. to Fri. and unlimited minutes on the weekend. The phone costs $149.00.
  • Telus Mobility's plans include: Caller ID (you pay extra at Bell Mobility), Call Waiting, and Voice Mail (you pay extra at Bell Mobility).
  • Telus Mobility does not require that you sign up on a contract.
  • Bell Mobility's rates start at $25.00 per month for 100 anytime minutes. The phone (Qualcomm or Sony) will cost you more than Telus Mobility, but the price decreases depending on the contract length and plan you choose.
  • If you already have a cellular phone with Bell Mobility you can keep the same number. If you wish, you can also keep the cellular phone activated for $9.95 per month. The cellular (analog) phone will share the minutes with the primary (digital) phone. You cannot keep the same number if you switch cellular companies!
  • Bell Mobility's coverage (analog + digital) is greater than that of Telus Mobility. Bell Mobility has an agreement with Sprint PCS to utilize their digital networks. Bell Mobility has an extensive analog network, but their digital network is not as vast as Telus Mobility's.
  • Both companies use phones manufactured by Nokia and Samsung
Cantel
  • cross canada coverage
  • old technology (TDMA) (not as good as CDMA---read the article referenced in the summary below)
  • TDMA is proven technology---has been in existence longer than CDMA
  • several different phones (Nokia and Ericsson)
  • more rate packages than Telus Mobility or Bell Mobility
  • phone is free if you sign up on a three year contract
Fido
  • reasonable rates
  • uses GSM technology which is extremely useful if you travel to Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong.
  • four phones are available: Nokia ( 2190, 6190, 9000), Ericsson (388).   Fido no longer carries the Nortel phone.
  • no contracts
  • small company (not as large as Telus Mobility, Bell Mobility, or Cantel)

Summary

If you travel a lot across Canada and the USA, go with Cantel. If you are mainly in the Toronto area, then Telus Mobility or Bell Mobility are both fine choices (their digital networks are not as extensive as Cantel's). If you travel all over the world, then I would recommend Fido.

If you're on a budget and money is your only concern, then I recommend Telus Mobility, Fido, or Cantel. All of Bell Mobility's plans are more expensive than the plans offered by these three companies.

If you choose Bell Mobility or Telus Mobility as your carrier, you may find that you spend a fair amount of time in analog mode. When in analog mode, your battery is used up much more quickly than in digital mode.

You can read an article on CDMA and TDMA to help you make a wise and informed decision.

The above information is based on my personal research. The information may have changed since I last compiled it. Please follow the links in the table for the most up to date information.