Need coverage Minnesota/Winnipeg, Manitoba -- help?

[marian]

Hi all. My son is starting at the University of Manitoba at Winnipeg in September. We live in Duluth, Minnesota. His girlfriend will be in Mankato, Minnesota.

I'm looking for a (reasonable, $$-wise) cell phone plan that will provide coverage in all three locations, without roaming, without bankrupting me!

If we can only manage Duluth to Winnipeg, and vice versa, that's fine too. He can call his girlfriend using a land line.

thanks in advance!

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by marian

Hi all. My son is starting at the University of Manitoba at Winnipeg in September. We live in Duluth, Minnesota. His girlfriend will be in Mankato, Minnesota.

I'm looking for a (reasonable, $$-wise) cell phone plan that will provide coverage in all three locations, without roaming, without bankrupting me!

If we can only manage Duluth to Winnipeg, and vice versa, that's fine too. He can call his girlfriend using a land line.

thanks in advance!

Can't do it. You're going cross-border. If he wants service in Winnipeg he'll likely have to get prepaid service through one of the Canadia providers more than likely Telus, Bell Mobility, Fido or Rogers.

If you get service in Duluth through whichever carrier you choose you'll likely pay very expensive charges to roam in Canada. If you get a US carrier calls to Mankato is probably included in a US plan. A two provider solution is probably what you're looking for. You'll want prepaid service through one of the carriers listed above. For cheap calling from Canada I've used a service called "Tricell" www.tricell.ca for good calling rates. You're not going to find coverage with one provider for all areas without paying huge roaming and long distance fees.

[marian]

Thank you Telekom. Has anyone heard about the Verizon North Americas Choice Plan?

I've been told that it may actually be a solution, with coverage in both places.

Or am I dreaming?

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by marian

Thank you Telekom. Has anyone heard about the Verizon North Americas Choice Plan?

I've been told that it may actually be a solution, with coverage in both places.

Or am I dreaming?

It might be worth looking into if you can get the package in Duluth. Of course you have to take into consideration that anyone calling your Duluth Verizon number will be paying long distance charges to call your number no matter where you are. You had also better check whether that plan is just calling into Canada or actually roaming in Canada.

[marian]

Telekom, I'm afraid I'm a complete cell phone idiot.

Can you explain why people would be paying long distance to call my Verizon number in Duluth? I'm clueless!

thanks.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by marian

Telekom, I'm afraid I'm a complete cell phone idiot.

Can you explain why people would be paying long distance to call my Verizon number in Duluth? I'm clueless!

thanks.

I must have expressed it wrong. If someone in Duluth called you on your Duluth cellphone number there would be no extra charge. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I made that response.

[agentHibby]

Here is a map for MN

Hopefully it will be there for awhile

If girlfriend could get her own plan that would fix the problem.

T-Mobile gives lots of minutes; however, you can only get a local phone number in Winnipeg, and not Duluth.

[BG1811]

Verizon's North America Choice plan will do what you're wishing to do. The only negative is the family plan is not available in Minnesota. Each phone would have to be on it's own plan. Another option is to use an internet phone service such as Vontage. There would have to be a high speed connection at each of the three locations. Vontage calls to Canada are included.