How am I billed if I use my mobile phone outside my local calling area?
Voice - Making calls
When using your mobile phone, you become local to whatever cellular site processes your call, regardless of your mobile phone number or what your local calling area might normally be. If long distance applies, you're charged from the cell site location that processes your call to the location you're calling.
For example, if your mobile number is 416-570-XXXX (local calling area normally being Toronto) and you're in Sherbrooke calling a Sherbrooke number, the call is considered to be local and you’ll be billed for usage but no long distance charges will apply.
If you're in Sherbrooke calling Toronto, you'll be billed usage plus the long distance charges from Sherbrooke to Toronto, even though you have a Toronto-based mobile phone number.
Receiving calls
If you receive a call while outside your local calling area, you will be charged long distance.
When you are in the extended coverage area, you are always considered to be outside of your local calling area.
For example, if your local calling area is Toronto and you're in Sherbrooke receiving a call, the call is considered to be long distance, regardless of whether the call originated in Sherbrooke, Toronto or anywhere else. You will be billed your regular airtime charges plus long distance.
Long distance features
If you subscribe to a long distance feature, you only pay your regular airtime charges when you make or receive a long distance call. The long distance minutes will be deducted from your feature.
However, if you go over the minutes included in the feature, you will be charged the current pay per use long distance rate.
Text messages
If you send or receive a text message anywhere in Canada, you pay your regular rates, regardless of whether you are inside or outside your local calling area. This applies to text messaging included in your mobile rate plan, and text messaging included in any features you have added to your plan.
Data
You pay your regular rates for data and Mobile Browser usage anywhere in Canada, regardless of whether you are inside or outside your local calling area. This applies to data usage included in your mobile rate plan and to data usage included in any features you have added to your plan.
Travelling Outside of Canada
All of the above applies to International travel. If you are going to travel to the USA or Europe or anywhere outside of your calling locale, cellular charges apply unless you have coverage for that specific locale. This also includes L.D., Data, texting, etc.
To avoid some of these charges and / or reduce their costs, you can increase your coverage, add roaming to your mobility plan, or just turn your mobile device off & leave it at home.
Here is a link to better assist you when travelling outside of Canada.
Travelling to the U.S. and internationally – How much will it cost?
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for more info on what does and doesn't trigger roaming fees.
