Local? Long Distance?
Wireless long distance is different from landline long distance because of the mobility of wireless. With a landline phone, only outgoing long distance calls are charged, however, with a wireless device, you are able to move around, so long distance charges may apply for receiving a call as well.
Understanding Local Calling Areas
With your wireless phone, calls are defined as local or long distance based on local calling areas. Your location at the time of the call, your wireless phone number and the phone number called are all important factors in determining local calling areas and wireless long distance.
Not sure which calls will be charged as long distance? Here’s how it works:
Incoming Calling
Incoming calling is when you receive a call on your wireless device. Your Incoming Local Calling Area is the area or geographic boundary1 associated with your wireless number. All calls that you receive on your wireless device while you are physically within that area are local. All calls that you receive while physically outside of that area are long distance.
The number calling you is irrelevant!
Incoming Calling scenarios
| Receiving a call while... |
Airtime |
Long Distance |
Within your Incoming Local Calling Area Lisa has a Toronto wireless phone number. Her physical location is Toronto. Her Incoming Local Calling Area is Toronto. |

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N/A |
Outside your Incoming Local Calling Area Lisa has a Toronto wireless phone number. Her physical location is Vancouver. Her Incoming Local Calling Area is Toronto. |

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Outgoing Calling
Outgoing calling is when you place a call on your wireless device. Your Outgoing Local Calling Area is determined by your physical location -- the area you are in at any given moment. If you dial a number that is local to your physical location, then it is a local call. If you dial a number that is long distance to your physical location, then it is a long distance call.
Your wireless number is irrelevant!
*Note: In the case of mobile to mobile calling, the physical location of the person you are calling is also irrelevant.
Outgoing Calling scenarios
| Making a call to a number... |
Airtime |
Long Distance |
Within your Outgoing Local Calling Area (e.g. in Toronto, calling a Toronto number) Lisa has a Toronto wireless phone number. Her physical location is Toronto. Her Outgoing Local Calling Area is Toronto. |

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N/A |
Outside your Outgoing Local Calling area (e.g. in Toronto, calling a Vancouver number) Lisa has a Toronto wireless phone number. Her physical location is Toronto. Her Outgoing Local Calling Area is Toronto. |

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Within your Outgoing Local Calling Area (e.g. in Vancouver, calling a Vancouver number) Lisa has a Toronto wireless phone number. Her physical location is Vancouver. Her Outgoing Local Calling Area is Vancouver. |

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N/A |
Outside your Outgoing Local Calling area (e.g. in Vancouver, calling a Toronto number) Lisa has a Toronto wireless phone number. Her physical location is Vancouver. Her Outgoing Local Calling Area is Vancouver. |

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TIP: Not sure if the number you wish to dial is long distance to your location?
Simply dial the number using 10 digits (area code + 7 digit number). If you exclude the ‘1’ and the number you are trying to reach is long distance to your location, your call will be completed, preceded by a network recording advising that the call is long distance.
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Call Forwarding
Call Forwarding2 is when an incoming call is routed from your wireless phone number to another number. Your Call Forwarding Local Calling Area is determined by your wireless phone number.
The location of your wireless device when you receive the call is irrelevant!
Call Forwarding scenarios
| Receiving a call to your wireless number which is forwarded to a number... |
Airtime |
Long Distance |
Within your Call Forwarding Local Calling Area (e.g. Toronto number, forwarded to a Toronto number) Lisa has a Toronto wireless phone number. Her physical location is Toronto. Her Call Forwarding Local Calling Area is Toronto |

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N/A |
Outside your Call Forwarding Local Calling Area (e.g. Toronto number, forwarded to an Ottawa number) Lisa has a Toronto wireless phone number. Her physical location is Toronto. Her Call Forwarding Local Calling Area is Toronto
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Within your Call Forwarding Local Calling Area (e.g. Vancouver number, forwarded to a Vancouver number) Lisa has a Vancouver wireless phone number. Her physical location is Ottawa. Her Call Forwarding Local Calling Area is Vancouver. |

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N/A |
Outside your Call Forwarding Local Calling Area (e.g. Vancouver number, forwarded to an Ottawa number) Lisa has a Vancouver wireless phone number. Her physical location is Ottawa. Her Call Forwarding Local Calling Area is Vancouver. |

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1.The boundary is determined by telephone numbers which have specific geographic designations.
2. Also referred to as ‘Call Transfer’.