Overview:
Bell Canada is the largest communications business in Canada, and has been around for 127 years. It is named after Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone. Bell offers wireless, residential, business and enterprise communication solutions.
Pros: Bell has several choices for data plans, including email, Internet and voice options. You get unlimited voice minutes on many plans and with two of the plans, you get long distance minutes, as well. If you know exactly what you’re going to be using your BlackBerry for, you can pick a plan that will have the features you want without charging you for the ones you don’t want. You can also choose how much data you think you’ll use, depending on the plan.
Cons: There is a monthly activation fee of $8.95, and a one-time activation fee of $35. As well, you don’t get unlimited data on any of the plans. If you go over your minutes, each additional minute costs $0.30. You will have to pay for additional data, and it can get quite expensive, from $1 to $12 per MB, depending on the plan that you have.
Detailed Provider Information:
Voice Plan Options: Bell has two data plans that include voice options. The first plan is called the Email, Internet and Voice: BlackBerry 45. You get 100 anytime voice minutes and unlimited local incoming minutes. It costs $45 a month. The second plan gives you more voice features – it’s called the Email, Internet and Voice: BlackBerry 55. You get 250 anytime voice minutes, unlimited local incoming minutes, unlimited nights local minutes, and 100 long distance minutes within Canada. Not only that, you also get call waiting and conference calling. At $55 a month, it’s by far the better deal if you need voice on your BlackBerry.
Data Options: Bell’s data plans have varying amounts of data, depending on the plan that you get. The BlackBerry 45, 55, and 25 include 4 MB of data, the BlackBerry 40 includes 8 MB, the BlackBerry 60 includes 30 GB of data, and the BlackBerry 100 includes 1 GB. The names of the plans indicate how much they are a month – so for example, the BlackBerry 60 is $60 a month. They all include activation fees, both monthly and one-time. Be careful not to go over your data usage – depending on the plan, you could pay $1 to $12 for every additional MB. There are also relatively high charges for using data in the U.S. – they range from $3 to $6 per MB.
Messaging Options: Email is included in all data plans. Text messaging is an optional feature and ranges in cost from $3 to $10 a month, depending on the service that you choose.
Customer Service: Bell offers phone and email support for its customers. As well, you can access their online knowledge base which answers questions on whatever you want to know. You can also do things like check your recent payment online and adjust your services.
Contract: BlackBerry phones are available without a contract, but you’ll have to pay a lot for them – in some cases, almost $400 more than you would pay with a contract. Bell’s plans require a 1 to 3-year contract. If you want to get out of your contract, you’ll have to pay an early termination fee, which will be revealed to you at termination.
Messaging: Text messages are $0.15 each if you don’t have this feature added.
International Calling and Messaging: Charges per call will vary on the country that you use your phone in. They will also vary depending on if you use an analog or a CDMA connection. In-country calls and incoming calls internationally are approximately $1.80 per minute on the analog network, and $0.99 on the CDMA.
Roaming Charges: Roaming charges apply outside of your calling area.
Activation Fee: All of Bell’s plans include a one-time activation fee of $35 and a monthly system access fee of $8.95.
Additional Features: Depending on your plan, you can get extra features like voice mail, extra minutes, detailed billing, national mobile to mobile, roadside assistance, and more.
Insurance: See Terms and Conditions.
Phones: Bell offers the BlackBerry Pearl 8130. With four models to choose from, you might have trouble figuring out your favorite BlackBerry to use.
Some Additional BlackBerry Models Available:
BlackBerry 8830 World Edition
BlackBerry Curve 8330
BlackBerry 8703e
BlackBerry 7130e
Coverage Map: The Bell coverage map can be found here.
I refuse to waste another second of my life on Bell except to warn the world about Bell. I will keep this as short and simple as possible:
Hell is all Canadian Wireless plans and the Devil is Bell. Keep your soul and choose another Canadian provider. Purgatory is better than hell.
Bell is my first mobile provider. For $55/month, I am getting 250 daytime minutes, unlimited local evenings and weekends (starting at 6pm), 2500 text messages/month, call display, voice mail, and 4MB data/month, not to mention free email, blackberry messaging, etc. I like the plan that I have, which is by far the best Canadian plan (versus Telus/Rogers). I like their online account information, as I can daily check how many minute I've used, how much data I have left before I go over, etc. Very handy.
I have not been impressed with the call quality. I've heard bad things about Bell, but so far I'm more than content with them.
With Telus I get unlimited data on my Blackberry for 30 dollars a month. They used to have unlimited data for 15! I can get unlimited data using even 3rd party bb applications, which Rogers disallows. I'm able to stream live video from the web to my phone. With images turned on, I average 200 Kb per web page. With 4 megs, this leaves you with 20 web pages a MONTH--what a rip. Also, unlimited data includes unlimited email, email attachments and Blackberry messenger. And since Telus allows you unlimited data for 3rd party apps, I can use iPhone killer browsers like Opera Mini, and chat with Yahoo messenger, Google messenger, or any other 3rd party instant messenger I choose to download and use.
I'm stuck here in england with my costly blackberry world edition and you can't even get it to connect to anything! Better yet, if you try to ask anyone a question, there is no one available to call!
Quite frankly bell sucks lousy customer service and sky high rates. Once my contract ends I will never return to bell
I ve been with Telus and Rogers and Bell so far gave the best deal outhere. They may be lacking on device selection but $60 for 200 min 100, after 6 and weekends, free long distance all the voice features you can think of included, plus the system access fee (8.95) also included not to mention unlimited Data. That is the best deal out for Bell. If you grill 'em hard enough you too can have a plan like this. I got no quams wit BELL. Ive experience much worse plans and features with Telus and Rogers.
I LOVE BELL---- I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS THEY ARE THE BEST OUT THERE GREAT COVERAGE AND AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE!!
Good news! Unlimited email and mobile browsing! All for $30! Tethering costs $15/Mb, so don't tether, just surf and email! Better than the BB25 :P
ive been with bell since 1985. i have an old plan thats not available anymore which is $45/month for 750 mins, billed by the second plus $10/month for unlimited incoming plus nights and weekends free . one word for their customer service "fantastik". so in my case im sticking with Bell.
also forgot to mention that i now have the $30/month unlimited data with my new Pearl 8130