Porting old number after Activation with New Number | Technical service details | Consumer forum

Hi I just activated a phone for a friend today. It was a move from an Area Code 250 Nanaimo number to a Victoria number. The number SO assigned was an Area Code 778 number based in Victoria. I asked the CSR what area codes would be local and which ones would be long distance for outgoing calls. She told me that area codes 604 and 778 would be local. I told her that was no good as most Victoria numbers are area code 250. She had me hold on while she checked, and she came back saying that outgoing calls to any of 250, 604, and 778 would be local calls. I said that appeared to be almost to good to be true, so she had me hold once more and came back confirming it.

She gave me this summary:
1) Calling from the phone would be local to area codes 250, 604, and 778.
2) Calling to the phone would only be local for anyone calling the phone from 250 or 778 numbers based in the Greater Victoria area. (That doesn't affect the phone — just the person calling the phone.)
She said that was better than it used to be with the 250 number and I certainly agree.

And of course incoming calls to the SO phone are all 'local' at 25 cents per minute to the phone itself wherever the phone is in Canada.

Since the phone is going to a senior who has no experience with cell phones, I spent 50 cents on test calls to verify that I could call both area code 250 and 604 for 25 cents per minute and it worked. When I called the 604 number I got the recorded warning message from Rogers saying I should have dialed 1 before the 10 digit number. However, the call connected and I was charged 25 cents.

It does in fact give province wide coverage.
That was why I got the CSR to double check and then used a couple of test calls to verify.
Area code 604 and 250 numbers are mutually exclusive, but 778 includes everything.

RonM said:

Wow that really does sound too good to be true! Thanks very much for sharing your experience!

In my case it proved to be in fact too good to be true.
I was charged long distance rate when placing a call
only 20 miles away to BC from a BC location.

Which BC area codes are involved? And which locations?

bridonca's suggestion of just dialing the number without the 1 is always good advice for any cell phone system. You may have to redial the number occasionally with the 1, but that is much better than paying long distance and/or roaming charges when you don't have to.

I have specifically tested dialing from a Speakout area code 778 phone to both 250 and area code 604 numbers and only been charged the 25 cents. I did that right after getting the information I relayed above from the Speakout CSR. My tests weren't extensive -- a couple of test calls to and from a phone I was setting up for a senior neighbour to and from locations she wanted to call using her 778 area code SO phone with a Victoria based number.

778 is the only area code that crosses the 250/604 divide with SO. It is long distance to call from 604 to 250 or 250 to 604.

Remember too that these rules are for outgoing calls from the SO phone. You can call an area code 250 number in Nanaimo (or elsewhere) from a Victoria based SO phone. however if the person in Nanaimo calls you back from anything except a SO phone it is long distance for them based pretty much on the Telus land line long distance calling areas.

7-11 said:

Hi bridonca, I dialed with the 1 added. So if a message comes on and states I must add the 1 before dialing, I hang up and redial with 1 added it will be a local rate call??

Hi Ron, I dialed 604 to 250 so it sounds like basically you have province wide coverage charged as local if & only if SO assigns you area code 778.
Lucky you!

If you are assigned 250 it's going to be long distance to 604 & 604 dialed to 250 is long distance too. Correct?
Yet if you are lucky enough to be 1st assigned 778 then province wide its local call charges only, no long distance.

In that case I should get another Sim, visit the SpeakOut website and select my local coverage as being in a 778 area code.

Yes the only province wide coverage is from a Speakout area code 778 SIM.

I was setting up a phone for an elderly neighbour using a used SIM that had a 250 Nanaimo number. When I asked for a Victoria number I got a 778 number so I wanted to be very sure it would work since the lady is in her 80s and wants the phone to call for her handi-transit rides etc. The SO CSR was on and off the phone with me several times during setup while she checked for me. The CSR was as surprised as I was that the 778 number would cover all 3 area codes. So just to be sure I spent a couple of bucks on test calls to the lady's daughter in Kelowna and to folks in Vancouver with a 604 number and a couple of local Victoria numbers.

The SO CSR can change area codes for you – I have changed several at no charge — but all were changes from one city to another or or one province to another. There is a $10.00 charge if you want to change to another number at the same location, so a number change would be cheaper than buying a new SIM. Talk to SO Customer Service — they can help you make up your mind. My experience with every CSR I've hit at SpeakOut has been good — friendly cheerful and helpful.

The Rogers Network sometimes dumps a message on top of calls saying you should have dialed 1 as the call is long distance but the system is connecting you. That message is meaningless to your SO call — it is from Rogers. My friend hears it sometimes while calling her daughter in Nanaimo from her Victoria SO phone, but the calls always go through as local without dialing 1.

Here in Victoria with a Rogers phone, you have to be very careful about never dialing a 1 unless it is required. There are locations where the strongest signal is from across the straits from ATT towers. If you hit one of those places you can end up paying "out of Canada" roaming charges for local calls if you've dialed a 1. If you haven't dialed the 1, the call will not be connected through ATT.

That isn't a problem with SO because the phone just won't work on the ATT network.

Rather than repeat my reply to your other post, Here is the link:

I've been using Yak Mobile Long Distance with 2 Speakout cell phones, 1 Rogers cell phone, and a Telus landline for over a year with no problems from Victoria BC.