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What You Need to Know


Owned by Rogers, Cityfone offers coast-to-coast service using the Rogers network. With a focus on basic plans, flexible options, and entry-level devices, the network is a good option for those looking for the essentials of mobile service.

Cityfone only offers postpaid monthly service. Costs range from $18 to $95 per month before taxes and add-ons. Dedicated plans are available for tablet data as well. Most plans include unlimited texting and evening and weekend minutes. Unlimited calling plans are available as well.

Need a phone too? Cityfone offers discounts on new phones in exchange for a two-year term agreement. However, their phone selection is mostly basic smartphones or feature phones. So if you're looking for a high-end device or iPhone, you'll have to buy one elsewhere. Fortunately, Cityfone allows you to bring your own phone and supports a range of GSM, UMTS, HSPA and LTE devices. They'll even give you a 10% discount on your monthly rate.

What’s Good?

  • No-contract plans available
  • Bring your own device plans
  • Unlimited messaging
  • Canada-wide calling available for most plans
  • Unlimited calling plans available
  • Excellent plan variety
  • Shared family plans available

What’s Bad?

  • Smaller phone selection
  • Low data caps

Notable Features

Family Plans: Share your monthly allotment of data, texts and minutes with up to three lines for added savings.

Canada-Wide Calling: All plans include Canada-wide calling, so you don't have to worry about complicated zones or added fees. Many also include unlimited evening and weekend calling to make keeping in touch affordable.

Flat-Rate Roaming Packs: Enjoy a set number of minutes, texts, and data in destinations around the world with affordable roaming packages.

Awards and Recognitions

  • Cityfone currently has a A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau with 2 complaints closed in the past 3 years.

How's the Network Coverage and Speed?

Cityfone uses the Rogers network to deliver 3G and 4G LTE service across the country. 

    You can check coverage and network types in your area at the Cityfone support page.

    Ranked third for download speeds in both the 4G and 3G network categories in Tutela's 2018 "Mobile Experience Report", tests of the Rogers network showed an average speed of 16.12Mbits/sec for 4G downloads and 3.92Mbits/sec for 3G downloads. Uploads speeds averaged 7.73Mbits/sec across both 4G and 3G networks.

    The 2016 PC Magazine study “Fastest Mobile Networks in Canada” ranked Rogers' network second on the national level with an average LTE download speed of 43.20Mbits/sec. The average national upload speed was 21.80Mbits/sec.

    Additional data from OpenSignal shows an average 4G LTE download speed for 16.9Mb/sec and an average 3G download speed of 2.2Mb/sec. 4G upload speeds measured at 7.5Mb/sec with 3G coming at 0.7Mb/sec.

    Do They Charge Roaming Fees?

    Most Cityfone plans offer Canada-wide calling at no additional charge. Whether you're at home or on the road, as long as you're in the country, you shouldn't need to worry about roaming fees.

    Outside of Canada, fees vary. To help keep costs down during travel, Cityfone offers a range of flat-rate add-ons. 

    Options include:

    • US Roaming: $20 to $80 for up to 250 minutes, unlimited texting, and 600MB of data.
    • EU Roaming: $40 to $100 for up to 100 minutes, 150 texts, and 100MB of data.
    • Asia, Caribbean, Latin America and Oceania Roaming: $45 to $125 for up to 100 minutes, 150 texts, and 50MB of data.
    • Africa Roaming: $50 to $200 for up to 100 minutes, 150 texts, and 25MB of data.
    For additional information on roaming fees and PAYG rates for other destinations, consult their Travel Packs page.

    What About Long Distance Fees?

    For most Cityfone plans, you'll enjoy calls anywhere in Canada at no additional charge.

    International calling fees vary based on your destination.

    Call the U.S. often? Unlimited U.S. and Canadian calling is available for $30 per month.

    For rates to specific destinations, check their Long Distance Rate Calculator.

    Does Cityfone Offer Wi-Fi Calling?

    No. Cityfone does not support native Wi-Fi calling or offer an app to provide Wi-Fi calling on unsupported phones.

    How About Voice over LTE (VoLTE)?

    No.

    Can I Tether My Mobile?

    Yes. Tethering is allowed on Cityfone if you have a data allotment on your monthly plan. Data used outside your allotment is billed at standard per-use rates.

    Be aware that tethering with a PC, game console or another device might cause increased data consumption. Any data used by those devices while tethered counts against your data bucket. Always tether with caution.

    Do They Offer Data Rollover?

    No. 

    What Add-ons or Bundles are Available?

    All Cityfone plans include standard voicemail and caller ID. Add-ons make it easy to add extra features to your account. 

    Popular add-ons include:

    • Account Calling: For $2 per line, per month you can unlock unlimited calling to and from any number on your account. This is great for keeping the family in touch without running through your monthly minute allotment.
    • Unlimited Incoming Local Calls: For $12 per month, you can enjoy unlimited local incoming calls.
    • Data Top-Ups: Running low on data? You can add between 50MB and 1GB of data to your line or shared data pool. Prices run between $5 and $30.
    For a full list of add-on options, consult their Add-Ons page.

    Do They Offer Bring Your Own Device/Sim-Only Plans?

    Yes! Most carrier-unlocked GSM, UMTS, HSPA and LTE devices will work with Cityfone.

    Bringing your own phone also nets you a 10% discount over standard plan rates.

    They recommend calling customer care to start the process and check phone compatibility. You can find out more at their Bring Your Own Phone page.

    Do They Require a Credit Check?

    Yes, Cityfone runs a credit check for all new lines of service. At the time of writing, this is a "hard" credit check. This means the check will likely appear on your credit report.

    Items needed include 1 of the following:

    • Canadian Driver's Licence
    • Canadian SIN Card or Letter
    • Canadian Credit Card

    Plus 1 of the following:

    • Valid Canadian Driver’s License (Not applicable if used as one of the items above)
    • Valid Canadian or Foreign Passport
    • Work Visa
    • Department of Defense ID
    • Permanent Resident Card
    • Native Indian Status Card
    • CNIB Card
    • Valid, Government-Issued Provincial/Territorial Photo ID
    • Possession and Acquisition License (PAL)

    One of the items provide must include your date of birth or a third item containing the information must be supplied.

    NOTE: Credit checks from carriers that pull your credit bureau report may impact your credit score. If you're not sure the best options for your credit profile, we suggest contacting the carrier directly before attempting to obtain service.

    For more information on credit check requirements and how they might affect your account, consult their Service Agreement Terms and Conditions.

    What About Activation and SIM Fees?

    Unless you bring your own phone, Cityfone charges a $25 one-time activation fee for every new line of service.

    To bring your own phone or tablet, you'll need a Cityfone SIM.

    SIM kits are available at no cost and include free activation.

    For additional information, consult their Service Charges and Bring Your Own Phone pages.

    NOTE: Fees often differ between retail stores and websites. Be sure to check both before signing up or adding a line to your account to maximize savings.

    Do They Charge an Early Termination Fee?

    If you have a term contract or received a subsidy on your phone, you will need to pay an early termination fee to end service before the end of your term agreement.

    According to their Service Charges page, the early cancellation fee is:

    Equal to the device subsidy multiplied by the number of months remaining in your contract term divided by the total number of months of your term (plus applicable taxes).

    Contacting their customer support team is the best option for finding out specifics for particular plans, contracts or devices.

    Can I Port My Number To or From Cityfone?

    Cityfone adheres to all Local Number Portability requirements. This means that you should be able to port your number to or from their network as long as a few conditions are met.

    • The account with the number must be active and in good standing.
    • Cityfone must offer service in the area where the number is based.
    • Number portability must be available in the area where the number is based.
    • The number must not be assigned to a pager.

    In most cases, the process takes up to 72 hours to complete.

    For more information about porting numbers to or from this carrier, refer to their support page.

    Will They Unlock My Phone?

    Yes! According to CRTC Wireless Code regulations effective December 2017, they must unlock your phone free of charge upon request. If you received a subsidy on your phone, you must wait 90 days before unlocking your phone.

    Contact Cityfone by phone, email or chat to start the unlocking process.


    For additional questions about Cityfone pricing, features and coverage, be sure to check our Cityfone Q&A Forum. It’s filled with questions and answers from people like you looking to get the most out of their mobile service!

    If you spot any errors or missing information, please let us know! It's appreciated and will help make this page better for everyone.


    Voice network: GSM 850 MHz, UMTS 850 MHz, LTE 600 / 700 / 850 / 1700 / 2100 / 1900 / 2600/ 5200 MHz
    Data network: GPRS, EDGE, HSPA+, LTE

    Cityfone Customer Service

    Mailing Address:
    101 - 3991 Henning Drive Burnaby, BC V5C 6N5

    Phone Number:
    1-888-499-7566

    Helpful Links

    Official Website, Twitter, Coverage Maps, Manage Your Account


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