[PhotoJim]

I'd check the prepaid packages for each. For short-term use, Fido has lower rates with very short expiries. For infrequent use, Rogers has an option to have a one-year expiry. Another option if you want long expiry is 7-11's SpeakOut Wireless which uses the Rogers network. See the forum at howardforums.com to learn about SpeakOut.

As for phone, you're best to have 850 and 1900, but you'll be okay with 1900. You're most likely to lose signal on 1900 when you're inside buildings that don't have their own picocells. (The Rogers Centre, e.g., not shockingly, has its own sites so you get full signal just about everywhere.)

The only place I had borderline signal was just east of Guelph, and that's quite a ways out of Toronto (but that was with a quad-band, mind).

Every Rogers tower supports at least 1900 and every outdoor tower (to my knowledge) supports 850 also, so the network is pretty comprehensive.

You pay for incoming calls here so get a number local to where you will be most of the time, or you will incur long distance charges as well as airtime when you get inbound calls. In Toronto, an area code 416 or 647 number (+1 416 or +1 647) will be local.

Another option is to use the American T-Mobile. The rates in Canada are fairly expensive (about 60 cents US per minute) but reasonable compared to what you'll likely pay with your own UK provider, and the rates in the US are exceptionally good. It's one of the cheapest prepaid services to keep going, so you can avoid losing your paid-up time - once you have put $100 in time into it, any top-up will give you a one-year expiry.