Long Distance Calling
Local call? Long Distance call?
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.
Finding out which calls will be charged as long distance is simpler than you might think. Here’s how it works:
Long Distance Rates
To view the most current rates for long distance:
- Go to our Plan Add-on page
- Select Long Distance
- Select “View preferred international rates.”
- Enter the name of the country to get the current rates per minute for you call.
Receiving Incoming Call
When receiving a call, only 2 factors will determine if a call is charged long distance:
- Your local calling area (Your Local Calling Area is the area or geographic boundary associated with your wireless number.) Your plan will define this for you as Local or Canada-Wide minutes.
- Your physical location at the time the call is received.
The phone number or the physical location of the person calling you are irrelevant.
Incoming Call scenarios
| Examples | Airtime* | Long Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Within your Local Calling Area You have a Montréal wireless phone number. You receive a call while you are physically located in Montréal. |
|
No |
| Outside your Local Calling Area You have a Montréal wireless phone number. You receive a call while you are physically located outside the Montréal area (i.e. you are in Toronto). |
|
|
Placing Outgoing Call
Just as with incoming calls, only 2 factors determine if an outgoing call is considered long distance:
- Your physical location at the time the call is placed.
- The phone number you are calling.
Your wireless number is irrelevant!
If you are calling another mobile phone number, the physical location of the person you are calling is also irrelevant.
Outgoing Calling scenarios
| Examples | Airtime* | Long Distance |
|---|---|---|
| You are physically located in Montréal and you are calling a Montréal number. |
|
No |
| You are physically located in Montréal and you are calling a Vancouver number. |
|
|
| You are physically located in Vancouver and you are calling a Montréal number. |
|
|
Remember: when placing outgoing calls, your phone number has no relevance in determining if the call will be local or long distance.
Call Forwarding
Call Forwarding2 is when an incoming call is routed from your wireless phone number to another number. What determines if a forwarded call is local or long distance is:
- Your local calling area (Your Local Calling Area is the area or geographic boundary1 associated with your wireless number).
- The number to which your calls are forwarded.
The location of your wireless device when call is forwarded is irrelevant!
Call Forwarding scenarios
| Airtime | Long Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| You have a Montréal number and you forward your calls to a Montréal number. |
|
No |
| You have a Montréal and you forward your calls to a Charlottetown number. |
|
|
Finding Your Long Distance Charges on your bill
To view long distances charges on your digital bill:
- Sign in to My Account
- Scroll down to the mobile plan section of your bill.
- Select usage summary to view details about your long distance charges.
- From your Usage summary page, you can select the minutes to view a detailed breakdown of the calls made.
Finding out what's included in your plan
To see if long distance is included view long distances charges on your digital bill:
- Sign in to My Account
- Scroll down to the mobile number that you're inquiring about.
- Select Monthly Charges.
- If long distance is included in your plan, it will show up in your plan details and add-ons section.
See full details
- The boundary is determined by telephone numbers which have specific geographic designations. Roaming and/or airtime charges may apply in addition to long distance charges described above.
- Also referred as "Call Transfer".
