Compare BYOD Plans in Ontario
Ontario is lucky to have almost 100% network coverage by the major carriers including Bell, Rogers, and Telus. These and smaller carriers in Ontario, Canada allow you to bring your own device (BYOD) when you sign up for a new plan, which can save you a lot of money in the long run. What’s more, if you need a new SIM card, most carriers make it easy too—you can sign up online and receive a new SIM card right to your door, pop it into your existing device, and get your service up and running.
Which carriers offer BYOD plans in Ontario?
Depending on which tier of carrier you choose —top, mid, or low-cost—there are postpaid and prepaid BYOD options available. Regardless of which plan you choose and from which carrier, when you use your existing device instead of buying a new phone, your monthly payment will always be cheaper. Using an old phone or using a hand-me-down phone can save you anywhere from $10-$100 each month.
The carriers below offer BYOD plans in Ontario and you can browse through what they offer to compare monthly cost, perks, coverage, and deals before making a decision.
- Bell
- Rogers
- Freedom
- Telus
- Chatr
- Public
- Koodo
- Virgin Mobile
- Fido
Compare all BYOD plans in Ontario
Finding a BYOD plan that suits your needs, including your budget and whether your device is compatible, can make you and your wallet happy. Luckily, all of the major carriers offer BYOD plans and many of the smaller carriers do as well. So if you love your device but you’re looking to leapfrog to a new carrier, you can weigh the benefits of each.
Bell BYOD plans
As one of the major carriers in Canada, Bell has great BYOD offers for consumers in Ontario. Its coverage is superb and you have the option of choosing between BYOD monthly postpaid plans and prepaid plans. Prepaid BYOD plans are the best way to save the most money, but a BYOD monthly plan is a better choice if you need more data.
Rogers BYOD plans in Ontario
Rogers offers BYOD plans so that you can bring your unlocked phone and sign up for a plan with no commitment or term contract needed. To get started, choose between its 10GB, 20GB, and 50 GB plan options. When you find a plan that works for you and meets your needs, you can simply call 1-855-291-9727 to activate the phone. Rogers will send you a SIM card that you can then plug in your SIM card and begin calling, texting, and browsing on your phone.
TELUS BYOD plans in Ontario
TELUS has a wide variety of BYOD plans for customers looking to save. As with Bell, If you’re looking for the best BYOD plan deal, check out TELUS’ prepaid plans, which start at $10/month. These plans are ideal for light or infrequent phone use, while the Peace of Mind plans offer more data and features for the moderate to heavy phone users. Once you make a BYOD plan selection, your SIM card will be shipped and ready to use. All you need to do is insert your activated SIM card into your phone and you’re on your way!
TELUS BYOD prepaid plans
TELUS BYOD postpaid plans
If you are looking for postpaid Telus plans that allow you to BYOD, you have plenty of options to choose from.
Freedom Mobile BYOD plans in Ontario
Freedom BYOD plans are always a great option for budget-minded customers who don’t mind not having the latest and greatest smartphones. Freedom’s monthly BYOD phone plans start at $35/month for 2GB (1GB + 1GB bonus). Freedom also offers BYOD prepaid phone plans that start at $9/month for texting only and go up to $29/month for unlimited talk and text and 2GB of data.
Comparing mid-tier BYOD prepaid plans in Ontario
Fido, Virgin Mobile, and Koodo offer BYOD prepaid plans starting at around $10/month. These are great options if you’re on a budget and looking to save money on both your device and monthly plan.
Fido BYOD prepaid plans
Fido runs on the Rogers’ network and offers budget-friendly prepaid phone plans when you BYOD. Simply choose a plan that fits your lifestyle in terms of texting, talking, data, and cost, and you will be sent a SIM card. Then, login and activate your account to start your phone service.
Koodo Mobile BYOD prepaid plans
Koodo Mobile runs on the TELUS’ network. Given that TELUS provides excellent coverage in Ontario, you can count on pretty reliable service. At a few dollars more than other carriers in the low-budget category, Koodo Mobile offers plans starting at $15/month. If you need a Koodo Prepaid SIM card you can purchase it through the site or Amazon, which is convenient. Prepaid plans:
Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile runs on Bell’s powerful network and has BYOD plans that start at a slightly higher rate than the competitors, but that’s because they include 1GB of data in the cheapest plan.
Comparing low-cost BYOD plans in Ontario
The easiest way to save on your phone plan (besides bringing your own device) is to look at low-cost carriers that offer BYOD plans in Ontario. While these carriers run on Bell, TELUS, Freedom, and Rogers’ larger networks, they still provide adequate coverage at a lower cost.
- Public
- Fizz
- Fido
- Lucky
- Cityfone
- Chatr
Things to Remember When Bringing Your Own Phone
A few things to remember when bringing your own phone to a new carrier:
Unlocking the device
- Phones bought in Canada after 2017 are unlocked, which means you can take it to any compatible carrier
- If the device is locked, your old phone carrier can unlock it for free
Compatibility
- Most smartphones work on all Canadian carriers, so compatibility shouldn’t be an issue if your phone was bought here
- If the phone was purchased in another country, online, or is an old model, your new phone carrier will be able to tell you if it’s compatible with their network.
Do I need a new SIM card?
When you sign up for a BYOD plan in Ontario, you need a SIM card to activate and connect your device to the network of your choosing. Most plans will provide you with a compatible SIM card and if you’re bringing your own device, you’ll need to purchase a SIM card.
If you have an iPhone or Google Pixel, these phones have Dual SIM capabilities. That means you can have two different numbers on a single phone, which comes in handy if you run your own business and use your phone for personal and business matters. Most carriers allow you to activate a second line on your Dual SIM phone by calling their toll free number or by using their live chat feature on the website.
Update your phone before installing a SIM card
Before you pop in your new SIM card, make sure to update your software to the latest available version. If you’ve been holding off on updating your phone or tablet, don’t worry—you can simply go to the Apple or Google store and update your system directly. But before you go ahead and hit update, it’s best to get your phone cleaned up and ready by deleting any existing apps you don’t use and backing up your phone (just in case).
The great thing is that smartphone technology is getting better each day. Meaning that just because your phone is three years old doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t keep up with everything you need. A simple software update could improve its functioning speed tremendously.