Getting a Phone Plan in Ottawa as a Newcomer or International Student

Welcome to Ottawa. Whether you've arrived to work, study at Carleton, the University of Ottawa or Algonquin College, or to start a new life here, a Canadian phone number is one of the first things you'll need: banks, landlords, employers and your school will all ask for one. Here's the simplest way to get set up.

Why most newcomers start with prepaid

Postpaid plans usually involve a credit check, and when you've just arrived you don't have a Canadian credit history yet. Prepaid plans skip all that: you pay before you use, there's no contract, and you can switch brands or plans whenever you like. Once you're settled, you can always move to a different plan and keep your number.

Step 1: Make sure your phone is unlocked

A locked phone only works with the carrier that sold it. If your phone came from a carrier at home, ask them to unlock it before you travel, while you can still reach them easily. Already here? Our unlocking guide shows how to check, and what to do about phones locked abroad.

Step 2: Choose a prepaid brand

Popular prepaid brands in Ottawa include Public Mobile, Koodo Prepaid, Lucky Mobile, Chatr and Fido Prepaid, which run on the TELUS, Bell and Rogers networks. Coverage follows the network, so think about where you'll spend your time: campus, home, work and the bus routes in between. Our prepaid comparison explains the differences.

Step 3: Keep your home number (if you can)

Many phones take two lines: two SIM slots, or a SIM slot plus an eSIM. That lets you keep your home SIM for bank verification codes and messages from family, while a Canadian prepaid line handles local calls and data. Check your home plan's roaming charges, and turn off data roaming on the home line if needed.

Step 4: Activate

Bring your unlocked phone and a way to pay for the first month, plus photo ID in case it's needed. A new number usually takes just minutes. Our guide to activating a prepaid SIM in Ottawa covers the details, including porting a number later.

Watch out for phone scams

Newcomers are often targeted by calls and texts pretending to be from government agencies, immigration offices or the police, demanding urgent payment. Real agencies don't ask for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency. If something feels wrong, hang up and check with the agency directly. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists current scams and how to report them.

Look after your phone through the first winter

If you're coming from somewhere warm, your phone is in for a shock too. Ottawa winters regularly drop far below the temperatures phones are designed for, and batteries can shut off without warning. Read why phones die in the cold before December. And if it does break, most repairs at our shop take 30 to 60 minutes; see what we can fix the same day.

Finding us

We're at 572 Bronson Avenue, Unit B, between Centretown and the Glebe, on the same street that runs south to Carleton University. Use the OC Transpo travel planner to plan your trip. Open Monday to Friday 10:30 AM to 7 PM and Saturday 11 AM to 5 PM.