Washington-British Columbia connections

For GSM coverage there is only one choice and that is ROGERS. That's only if you have billed monthly service. Prepaid does not work once you get within a mile or two inside BC except for the cirumstances you note on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island.

 

I have made the crossing from the Olympic Peninsula (Port Angeles) to Victoria (on Vancouver Island) and my Verizon phone works perfectly on both sides, and in the Strait. My Cingular GSM phone also works, but I have not make any calls. Both carriers offer a plan that includes both countries without roaming charges.

Based on Verizon's superior coverage on the American side, I would lean toward them, but that depends on where you'll be making your crossing.

Primus can make calls TO any country, but AFAIK, they only work where there is Sprint service.

 

Actually Fido have GSM coverage as well. Any of the Canadian carriers will have U.S. roaming and long-distance plans. I know Telus did the last time I went up to the Great White North (it was Montreal, it was Christmas, it was definitely Great, White and North).

 

Actually, as an operator Fido does not exist any more. In Canada for national carriers there's only one network and that's Rogers. Besides Rogers there's a regional carrier called ICE that serves Whitehorse, Yellow Knife and Inuvik with proposed service in five other towns. If you go to Canada there's only one GSM operator that has any kind of national presence and that's Rogers. Rogers bought Fido over two years ago and Fido is basically a division of Rogers. The only possible reason you may see anything other than Rogers as an operator is if you have an older SIM card. Fido was great while it lasted, but it really lives in name only since Rogers merged their network with Fido's and it's really all Rogers now. With a recent phone and a recent SIM you will not see any Fido at all. Rogers (310-72) replaced Fido.

 

Yikes, I missed the fact that the OP was located in Victoria! But the answer remains the same. On the U.S. side, the CDMA carriers (Verizon) have better coverage. But if you plan to travel from Port Angeles or eastward, it's a tossup with the GSM carriers. I get perfect coverage w/both T-Mobile & Cingular in that area.

 

You have two things working for you on the south end of Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island is below the 49th parallel and really right into Washington State. The other thing is that over the water you get lots better coverage.