Staying in touch with family and friends while you are studying in Canada is naturally important to you and your loved ones. E-mail makes it possible to stay in contact regularly and inexpensively. However, you will also want or need to speak by telephone sometimes. There are several options for staying in touch by phone:
Using a land line with a long distance service provider. The main service provider for home telephone lines is Bell Canada (www.bell.ca) but recently other competitors have entered the market, such as Sprint Canda (www.sprint.com/sitemap). An advantage to using your land line is that you can call from the comfort and privacy of your home at a time that suits you; however, this option is often more expensive than using a pre-paid phone card or internet-based phone card. Long distance calling cards. Long distance calling cards can be purchased for a set amount at many convenience stores or specialty stores. There are numerous calling cards available, and rates vary significantly depending on the country you are calling.
There are generally no additional charges besides the given rate per minute. Some cards are especially for calling Asia, and can be used at pay phones. Before purchasing a phone card, make sure it can be used to call Vietnam. Mobile phone Getting a mobile phone is relatively straightforward if you want a prepaid service (also called "pay as you go" or "pay & talk" by some operators). Getting a monthly package (where you pay monthly charges) is usually not so easy, because some providers require either a credit rating or cash deposit. There are several mobile phone providers, including Bell Canada, Fido (www.fido.ca), Rogers (www.rogers.com) and Telus (www.telusmobility.com. Calls on your mobile phone are charged per minute of "air time". This means that you pay whether you place or receive a call, and even if you dial a toll-free number. Calling internationally on a mobile phone is in general the most expensive option. If you plan to send text messages home, verify with the provider that they support sending text messages to your home country – not all of them do. The easiest way to verify this is to go to one of their shops and ask them to give you a sample cell phone to test it on the spot, and send a message to someone home. Text messages are charged per message sent, but some providers also charge for the messages received.
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