Which Canadian cell phone company offers good prepaid data plans?Is Campground Wi Fi prevalent?

That depends on how you will use the phone. All the major carriers have a variety of plans based on how you will use it. There may also be coverage concerns. For example a phone that uses Rogers network does not work well where I live but farther west they work well. Telus on the other hand seems to work well in most places I have been.

I'm with Telus. Got the Nokia 520 smart phone for $90 and a one year phone card for $100, good for 100 minutes.This was three years ago.

Verizon offers a tack on for Mexico. 100 minutes for $15, good for a month, there's 100 texts and a little data included. I think they offer something similar for Canada....but you have to ask.

$190 for phone and 100 minutes, surely there must be something less expensive.

We just kept our cell phones off while traveling in Canada. Data is prohibitively expensive from U.S. carriers. We notified family that we would have our phones off and to send us email. We were able to check every day, finding wifi in mist if the campgrounds we stayed at, Only once did we have to go to a McDonakds to use their wifi.

Best Cell Phone Company for travel in Canada | Good Sam Community

b2egypt
Explorer
Apr 09, 2015
We have Verizon, live in Michigan. My husband's brothers live in Ontario, we text to communicate, no extra cost. Even when we are in Canada we text to family at home. Check with your company. Betsy
b2egypt
Explorer
Apr 09, 2015
We have Verizon, live in Michigan. My husband's brothers live in Ontario, we text to communicate, no extra cost. Even when we are in Canada we text to family at home. Betsy
pianotuna
Nomad III
Apr 04, 2015
Hi joe,

That map is optimistic at best. Telus and Bell have a reciprocal agreement so they win on coverage.

all companies coverage maps
joe_b_
Explorer II
Apr 04, 2015
http://www.comparecellular.com/rogers-coverage-maps/

This is a coverage map of Rogers cell services. A traveler has to decide if it works for them or not. Keep in mind that no cell company has full coverage in northern Canada, meaning 100 miles north of the US/Canada border and beyond. No population base.
Just like here in the US, there is no one best company for all parts of the country. If there was, that would be the company everyone would use, same applies in Canada, I am sure.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Apr 04, 2015
Rogers and Fido have the poorest national coverage in Canada.
joe_b_
Explorer II
Apr 04, 2015
Roy, not sure which system your Australian cell phone works with, be it CDMA or GSM or some other, but if it has a changeable SIMM chip, www.fido.ca has numerous plans available which give you a set amount of data, unlimited texting and a Canadian phone number for about $50 cdn a month.

They have SIMM chips for many countries around the world. The last I read, Fido, was owned by Rogers Communications, AT&T 's roaming partner in Canada and the U.S. respectively. The few times I have used my cell phone (AT&T) in Canada, I have found Rogers, in western Canada to be very satisfactory. Every bit as good as AT&T is in the mountain west of the US.
free_radical
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
hessey wrote:
Which Canadian cell phone company offers good prepaid data plans?
Is Campground Wi Fi prevalent?

I'm with virginmobile get 200 minutes for 20$ a month,prepaid every month no contract,mind you not sure if it's still available as I had this for about 10 years now..

Just updated to 120$ Alcatel smart phone,,so I can take better pictures,use free wifi in malls ,Starbucks,Tim Hortons hotels etc..
Btw Virgin uses Bell network so it's just as good or better reception as any other network
virginmobile.ca
Lynn0527
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
Telus works all across Canada so I think is a good choice. I travel for work and there are only sporatic spots that don't have coverage usually in the country. They have now just offered a prepay program that is fairly reasonable.
JaxDad
Explorer III
Apr 04, 2015
It's also more important WHERE in Canada you are going to be in Canada then which carrier is the best in a posters opinion.

In some areas certain carriers are useless while others have stellar reception.
Fizz
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
I REPEAT!!!!

As usual some people are not paying attention.
Roy is from Australia asking about cell phones in Canada.
Giving out info on Sprint or Verizon is useless to him.