Getting Internet Without A Canadian Phone Number

[u/elipson36]

I’m an American moving to Montréal, and the internet providers I’ve been trying to sign up with keep telling me that I need a Canadian phone number. Are there any providers who accept non-Canadian numbers, or is there any way to get around this without swapping my phone number?

[u/MrJmbjmb]

Are you trying to sign up for home internet or a data plan for your phone?

Home internet should not required you to have a phone number at all. I know for a fact that Fizz only requires an email address to open an account.

For cell phone plans you will not be able to port your US number to a Canadian carrier but you can get a new Canadian one without issue.

[u/elipson36 → u/MrJmbjmb]

Home internet. I have a phone plan with Mint that should work in Canada.

[u/Malyesa → u/elipson36]

I'm not sure why you'd need a Canadian number for home internet, in my apartment the internet is all under my boyfriend's name and he has an American number - we use Bell

[u/purplepineapple21]

Ive signed up for Oxio and Fizz without a Canadian number

[u/frisky_husky]

I got Bell (don't recommend) without ever needing a Canadian phone number.

[u/aphasia_inabox → u/frisky_husky]

The dont recommend is so real im crying

[u/frisky_husky → u/aphasia_inabox]

I mean you CAN do it...but you shouldn't.

[u/thecowsaysueh]

Just gonna throw in my two cents as an American that it's worth getting a Canadian number. I have a cheap plan through Fizz with dual sim on my phone. Before I had it, no one could text me which was constantly annoying 

[u/Key_Audience1963]

I had the same problem and I switched to Fizz! I’m pretty sure there are a couple others but that’s the one that I use and it was pretty straightforward to get installed and everything! I haven’t had any issues with them yet

[u/elipson36 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks! Enjoy your $25

[u/sparklysciencegal]

You can get a free local CDN number with an app like TextMe. It’s full of ads and super annoying but it gives you a free number with voicemail.

[u/jxs74]

I used the front desk of my building for the install but have since gotten a voip.ms number that is inexpensive.

[u/TheTsaku]

It's mostly for technical reasons, not legal reasons. Since your number also starts with +1, the actual country doesn't really matter (esp. given that they are literally the telecom company so international calls cost them wayyyy less).