# iPhone Unlocking - for work: Have to move from Fido to Bell for work uses



## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

I started searching for threads with this topic but couldn't quite get my thoughts/questions answered with current answers...and my goodness there are a lot of iphone threads! whoa!

Essentially this is my scenario:

- iPhone 3g on 3.0 update
- Carrier: Fido on $75 plan (there are only 2 plans and this is the higher of the two)
- Uses: Personal, till now: phone (mostly local and at night on weekends which are included unlimited), mail, internet, music, lots of local texting (the odd international texting) and roaming a couple of times a year and of course sinking with my 2 macs.


The problem:

- I need to start using this phone for work which means calls during the day, long distance when I'm out of town, and a bill my employer won't pay as our company is part of Bell. He'll pay for any Bell phone/plan for me but that means I'd have to add a second phone and phone number to my life which I don't want to do. I hear Bell is moving to the SIM card system so my solution might be:

Solution:
- I thought maybe I could unlock the phone and try and start using with Bell?

I'm ok with no warranty etc. but I am worried about viruses and lost services. I don't really care about all the extra apps that are available right now with a jailbroken phone, as I'm happy with the extend of what apple offers. My main concern is losing any existing services (visual voicemail, maps, syncing with my mac, etc) I have with the iPhone and Fido and so far I can't seem to get a detailed list of the pros and cons and/or list of lost services/gained services of unlocking an iphone in Canada with Fido to go to Bell in particular. 

I was with Telus for 10 years previous to this with a regular phone so I'm not up to speed with what's involved with data plans etc...or if unlocking the phone is even an option for me. I read words like tethering etc...which I have no idea about! I did find out that unlocking and jailbreaking are not the same thing however...lol...althought I don't know why yet!

I know people hate redundant posts, but if someone could at least point me in the direction of where to find this info without having to spend weeks researching, it would be very much appreciated. I learn fast 

Thanks Ehmac'ers


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## Garry (Jan 27, 2002)

Hi

Fido and Bell are 2 completely different systems... you can't use an iPhone on Bell.

Fast enough for ya?


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## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

Yeah, funny you say that because I read conflicting information about that fact. I don't know enough to be able to decide for myself yet though.

_*Bell and Telus team up to overhaul wireless network - Move will allow companies to offer more cellphones, including Apple's iPhone*

October 10, 2008

Canadian telecom giants BCE Inc. and Telus announced Friday they will work together to overlay their existing wireless networks with a cellular technology more popular around the world, a move that will allow both companies to compete more directly with Rogers Communications Inc.

BCE unit Bell and Telus both announced Friday they would be making a significant investment in upgrading their networks, adding high speed packet access, or HSPA, cellular technology to their third-generation networks.

The two companies said the upgrades to their faster third-generation networks should be complete by 2010 and will pave the way for the transition to adopt fourth-generation Long Term Evolution technology, a developing global standard for even more advanced phone capabilities expected to be available in 2012._


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## MomentsofSanity (Jul 9, 2008)

Sadly that's all down the road planning. Right now you simply can not use the iPhone on Bell/Telus.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

Pamela said:


> Yeah, funny you say that because I read conflicting information about that fact. I don't know enough to be able to decide for myself yet though.
> 
> _*Bell and Telus team up to overhaul wireless network - Move will allow companies to offer more cellphones, including Apple's iPhone*
> 
> ...


Bell and Telus have just started laying the groundwork for this network. It won't be live until the 2010 Olympics at the absolute soonest, and even then probably only in Vancouver.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

It should further be noted that just because Bell and Telus are building a network that is *compatible* with devices like the iPhone, it does not follow that they WILL be carrying or supporting the iPhone.

It is very possible (indeed, quite likely) that Rogers has exclusivity on the iPhone for a certain number of years, just as AT&T does in the states.

So anyone hoping to get an iPhone from Bell or Telus anytime soon ... I'd say you're dreaming.

That said, if this new Bell/Telus network actually gets up and running at some point in the future, those people with _unlocked_ and _not-on-contrac_t iPhones would have options.


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## archangel (Jan 1, 2003)

Years ago, we had a virtual office set up with a 52xx for a friend's very profession needs. It was just a corner in the room. There should be a way with call forwarding, switchboards, etc, that you could set up a bell phone that would do all the expensive stuff but, in reality, you are still using your iphone. Sorry, that's all the help I could offer.


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