Before you start

Photo identification
A Canadian address
A credit check or a deposit, for postpaid plans
An unlocked handset — all phones sold in Canada have been unlocked since 2017

Step-by-step

1
Start on prepaid or a flanker brand
Public Mobile, Fido, Koodo, Virgin and Lucky Mobile run on the major networks at lower prices and without the credit friction of a flagship postpaid plan. Starting here avoids a deposit and gives you time to build a score.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Expect a credit check or a deposit for postpaid
A postpaid plan is a credit product in Canada. Without history you will be asked for a deposit, often several hundred dollars, refunded after a period of good payment. This is normal rather than a sign of a problem.
In personWho: You
3
Bring your own unlocked handset
Every phone sold in Canada has been unlocked since 2017, and bringing your own avoids a device financing agreement bundled into the plan. Confirm band compatibility for handsets bought in Europe or Asia.
OnlineWho: You
4
Compare Telus fibre and Shaw or Rogers cable for home internet
Edmonton has good coverage of both fibre and cable, so most addresses have a genuine choice. Check which reaches your specific building before signing — in older Oliver and Garneau walk-ups it is not a given.
OnlineWho: You
5
Look at the independent internet resellers
Smaller providers resell wholesale access on the incumbent networks at meaningfully lower prices with comparable speeds. They are the standard way to avoid overpaying for home internet in Canada.
OnlineWho: You
6
Plan for coverage if you drive north or into the backcountry
Edmonton is the last major city before the north, and coverage on the routes to Fort McMurray, into the Peace Country and up Highway 63 is patchy to absent. In winter, on those roads, a dead phone in a stalled car is a serious situation. A satellite messenger is normal equipment for people who travel those routes regularly.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Photo identification
Canadian address
Credit check consent or a deposit
Banking details for pre-authorised payment

Things most newcomers don’t know

A postpaid phone plan is a credit product, and without a score you pay a deposit.

This surprises almost everyone arriving from Europe or Asia, where a phone contract is just a contract. In Canada the carrier is extending credit and checks for it, so a newcomer with no file is asked for a deposit running into hundreds of dollars, refunded after a year of payments. Starting on prepaid or a flanker brand sidesteps it entirely and costs less anyway.

Source: community-reported

Coverage north of Edmonton is a safety question, not a convenience one.

This is the last major city before northern Alberta, and a great many jobs here involve driving to sites, plants and communities well beyond continuous coverage — Highway 63 to Fort McMurray, the Peace Country, the routes toward the Territories. In a −35 °C January, a vehicle problem outside coverage is genuinely dangerous. If your work or your weekends take you north, a satellite messenger is ordinary equipment here rather than an enthusiast's toy, and locals treat it that way.

Source: community-reported

The flanker brands run on the same towers as their expensive parents.

Koodo is Telus, Fido is Rogers, Virgin is Bell, and Public Mobile and Lucky sit below them again. Coverage on a flanker brand is the parent network's coverage, including its rural coverage. Paying flagship prices buys customer service, roaming bundles and device subsidies rather than better signal, which for most newcomers is not worth the difference.

Source: community-reported

Promotional pricing reverting is the largest avoidable cost in Canadian telecom.

Both mobile and internet are sold on promotional rates that expire after a set term and revert to list price without notification. Calling to renegotiate is completely normal here and retention departments exist for exactly that purpose. Diarising the end date of every promotion is the difference between Canadian telecom being expensive and being absurd.

Source: community-reported