[kwlug-disc] Dropping Bell, Phase 5

[Khalid Baheyeldin]

On Mon, Apr 28, 2014 at 9:37 AM, CrankyOldBugger
<crankyoldbugger at gmail.com>wrote:

> What recommendations for non-Bell and non-Rogers cellphone providers do
> you guys have?
>
> She is a low-volume cellphone user, mostly just calls home like "how do I
> find Suchandsuch Street?"  She texts a little bit as well.  Data is
> optional, but not necessary.
>

I have Rogers pay as you go and I am keeping it.
You pay $10 a month, and get a la carte usage. You pay for every call and
every text message. But if you pay $100, you get 12 months AND your balance
never expires!

For a low volume user, it is good.

They have other plans on Pay As You Go, here

http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-products/plans?cm_sp=wireless-_-pay_as_you_go-_-plans_banner

For data, you enable it on the phone and Rogers sends you a text message
with your options ($1 for 10MB for a day, or $5 for $60 for a week), and
you click a link and it gets withdrawn from your balance.

There is also the 711 cell plan.
http://www.speakout7eleven.ca/

Virgin Mobile had some good plans when someone in the family was looking
into it a few months ago.

She'd like to keep her current cell phone as she likes the slide out
> keyboard.
>

You can get her phone unlocked for $10 to $40 (depends on make and model)

Whatever you do, decouple the phone from the cell provider. This is how the
rest of the world does it, and this is how it should be.

If needed, go on Kijiji and buy a used unlocked phone that you like.

This bundling culture is so ingrained here and it has to be eliminated. We
have choices, and we should know about them.

And by the way, she can keep her cell number ported.


> I'm on Telus myself, so there's an advantage to having her account merged
> in with mine, but I'm open to suggestions on a smaller provider like those
> guys who have kiosks in the mall if they have an unbeatable deal.
>

Seems like a viable option and may give you free family calling.


> I've gone through the various company websites and I'm familiar with the
> pricing structures, etc., but I was wondering if you guys had really good
> or really bad experiences with any of the smaller companies like Koodoo,
> Solo or Wind or whatever.
>

For Wind, see my other email. Coverage is the issue.


> By the way, now that the satellite TV is gone, I'm seriously considering
> Western Digital's Live TV box for Wifeski's TV.  It looks pretty good, and
> as far as I can tell it's the best device for streaming the stuff I have
> already downloaded to my servers, whereas devices like Roku or Chromecast
> seem intent on selling you monthly subscriptions to Netflix, etc.  I'll
> keep you guys informed as this progresses.
>

-- 
Khalid M. Baheyeldin
2bits.com, Inc.
Fast Reliable Drupal
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Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. --  Edsger W.Dijkstra
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. --   Leonardo da Vinci
For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple, and
wrong." -- H.L. Mencken
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