Quick Facts
Country: Canada
Network Name: Fido
Website: http://www.fido.ca
Product Name: Prepaid
Owned by/Major partners: Rogers
Operational Frequency: 1900 GSM
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): $50 canadian
Prepaid Package Validity: 15-60 days depending on voucher
CSD access: No (according to sonyericsson setup wizard)
GPRS access: Yes
SIM applications: No
Manual included: Yes (English and French)
Refill amounts: $15, $20, $30, $40 (canadian)
Availability: Fido Stores and Fido website
Competitors: Rogers, SimPro, m-mobile
More In-Depth Information
Buying:
The Good:
I was in Canada for 2 weeks so I decided to go the prepaid route since I would be calling local numbers. I bought my prepaid package at a Fido Store (in a mall in Montreal). Buying the package was relatively painless, and I also bought my first refill voucher there as well. The prepaid package had directions in both english and french and it was pretty helpful (even though I do not really read the manuals), and it included some startup time (how much I do not remember).
The Bad:
I had to fill out a form, give them my name, address, and local landline phone (hello?!). They did check my identification, they asked for my passport since I was not a resident of Canada. Also I found the price to be a bit high but the included time made it worth it.
Usage:
The Good:
Fido operates well in cities. I did not have any problems using my phone in Montreal and Ottawa. I also did not have any problems getting reception while in transit between the two cities. When I bought my package GPRS was not available to prepaid customers but evidently now it is. Fido Prepaid comes with Caller ID, Call Waiting, Voicemail, SMS (probably MMS too?).
The Bad:
If you want to go trekking though the mountains and the woods, away from the cities, Fido is not for you (and they tell you that). CSD is not offered by Fido either, I always like to have CSD as a backup just in case GPRS does not work. The last thing that I found annoying was that Fido prepaid has no roaming. I still had some credit on my account before I left but once I got back home I could not roam.
TIPS:
1) Know where you will be staying if you want to buy a prepaid Fido package, they will ask you
2) Stay in the cities, Fido has no reception out in the boondocks
3) If you want GPRS access please ask the Fido representative at the store to activate GPRS on your account when you buy the package.
4) When you are returning home, make sure to use up your credits in your account because you cannot roam on a prepaid account.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Since I stay in cities whenever I visit canada I found that Fido works well for me. I recommend Fido to any traveller that wishes to have Prepaid in Canada.
NOTE: Fido was owned by MicroCell, but they were sold to Rogers in 2004 (I think), so Roger's is not a real competitor, they offer sort of "sister packages". Fido still exists as a brand even after the acquistion