There are no data roaming charges when you travel in other provinces within Canada. Your wireless rate plan applies across Canada.
Travelling with a phone or tablet
Even if you're not actively using your phone or tablet while travelling in the U.S. or internationally, if your data feature is turned on, your phone or tablet will still use data (for example, receiving email messages, automatic app downloads, location services) and you'll end up with unexpected charges.
To avoid data roaming charges, turn off the data feature on your phone or tablet so only voice and messaging services work (see theText messaging section below). (Another option is to subscribe to DataTravel add-ons.)
To make sure you don't use any data while travelling outside of Canada, turn off ALL of these before you leave:
- Data Roaming (iOS: Settings > Cellular > Data Roaming: OFF)
- Cellular Data or Data Services (the label depends on your device) (iOS: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data: OFF)
AND, on iPhone and iPad, turn these off:
- iMessage (Settings > Messages > iMessage: OFF)
- Location Services (Settings > Privacy >Location Services: OFF)
- Background App Refresh (Settings > General > Background App Refresh: OFF)
You can keep Wi-Fi turned on. (See theWi-Fi section below.)
It's a good idea to turn off Cellular Data or Data Services and Data Roaming BEFORE you leave Canada. If your data is still on when you arrive, you may get data roaming charges as soon as you turn your phone on, or turn off airplane mode. This happens because your phone will try to download any emails or other data streams. See Using airplane mode on your wireless device.
Instructions
For instructions on how to turn data roaming and cellular data off on your phone or tablet, check the user manual for your model. See:
With Apple iOS 7 and up, you can also turn off data for individual apps. Go to Settings > Cellular and scroll down to the section called Use Cellular Data For.
Wi-Fi
If you need to use data services while travelling, you can use data for no charge or a fee by connecting to Wi-Fi networks. For instructions, see Connecting to Wi-Fi:
Text and picture/video messaging
Text messaging is separate from data and Wi-Fi. Picture and video messaging uses the wireless data network when you're not connected to Wi-Fi. SeeUsing text and picture messaging when you're outside Saskatchewan for more information.
To use picture/video messaging (also known as MMS) outside of Canada, you must have data roaming turned on.
When data roaming is on, you'll be charged the U.S. daily rate or the Mexico daily rate for data if you use data (or an app on your phone uses data in the background) and you don't have a data travel add-on or U.S. or Mexico data included in your plan.
Sending or receiving a picture or video message will not trigger a daily data charge, but any other data usage will. For picture/video messaging rates, seeUnderstanding rates for picture and video messaging when roaming.
Travelling with a mobile internet device
When using a mobile internet device outside of Saskatchewan, we recommend you avoid activities that use large amounts of data, such as streaming movies on Netflix. Use our Data usage calculator to estimate how much data activities use.
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