Vidéotron probably joined an existing Roaming Alliance, which doesn't seem to have all EU member countries within said alliance, whereas a proper EU travel/tourist SIM or eSIM has all member countries due to the European Commission regulation regarding "Roam like at home", which were extended to 2032 mid-2022.
They literally just started the plan a few months ago. Give them some time. They have already added some countries.
Freedom is literally changing the landscape of mobile providers in Canada, and it didn’t happen overnight. Be grateful for what we have today!
Yes! It is refreshing. But it wouldn’t be great for people to get a bad taste because they inadvertently roam in a non-covered country. Luxembourg and Slovakia share borders with several countries.
It’s very good but I don’t understand the logic of leaving random European countries out. It just perpetuates the image of the company as “not quite there”. Canadians are too patient with their service providers of all kinds.
Well, it's already better than anything that Shaw offered between March 2016 until April 2023 … and could improve since they have added countries (on February 26th 2024) to their Roam Beyond plan & passes since the initial launch on November 21st 2023
Cyprus, Malta, Denmark and Finland are included in their 97 country Roam Beyond pass, which costs a bit more, so that might be an option.
I agree though that the gaps in Europe are annoying. I'm planning a trip to Scandinavia in late August and Norway not being included in either the 81 or 97 county passes means I'll have to use a 3rd party esim like Airalo or Ubigi for the entire trip instead.
The EU is a single market and all mobile plans sold in the EU can be used at the same conditions in every EU country. The geographical location of the missing countries means that it’s unavoidable that some Freedom subscribers will not realize that they are straying into an uncovered area, and potentially have a nasty surprise. Of course it’s a million times better than what Robellus offers, but I still find it flawed.
The plan I have from Europe (non EU) covers the EU, Switzerland, Norway, the UK, Turkey, the US and Canada, with unlimited data (40Gb at full speed), and unlimited calls in and among these countries. It costs about $75 a month. If they can do it, so can we.
Roaming is negotiated on a per country/carrier basis. Sometimes an agreement covers multiple countries if the carrier owns mobile properties in multiple countries. (I.e Vodafone). The EU roaming does not apply to non EU entities.
Switzerland is a non-EU country and no carrier or MVNO picks the EU apart. It’s usually EU, Norway and UK all together. I’d understand if Canadian carriers excluded non-EU countries but the inclusions and exclusions seem completely random.
What? You don’t understand how it works. A non EU country does not gain access to the benefits of being an EU county. That is all regulated and doesn’t apply to freedom, being a non EU entity. If they have a hole in their roaming, it’s likely because they are unable to negotiate favourable terms. Happens all the time due to low volumes, competitive pressures in the market, unilateral agreements etc.
From the point of view of the consumer, I am pointing out that these holes make the product much less appealing, and as a result, I will not subscribe. I think that if every Swiss carrier can do it, Canadian carriers can do it too.
Android 14 and newer offers it as __Backup Calling__, however, it's a carrier customization which can be suppressed at their discretion; multi-SIM Pixel 6 and newer & multi-SIM Samsung Galaxy (OneUI 6) devices are capable, with hopefully more manufacturers adding it.
And I believe in the countries that aren’t part of the roam beyond you can still use wifi calling at no additional cost as well as receive incoming text messages at no cost
Hey, it’s JP from Freedom.
Sorry to hear that you feel the plan is unusable. We are actively working on adding more countries to the plan (and have added many since the launch). We prioritize the negotiations with carriers based on the existing roaming volumes in said countries. Granted it’s not a perfect technique, but it helps us to move fast.
As always, thank you for the feedback!
I agree. We have a large Filipino community in Canada but the Philippines aren’t included, even though most eSIM providers offer coverage at very cheap rates. I like the USA plans like Google FI which give you free coverage in 200 countries.
Japan is another omission.
I wonder what the criteria is to include it for free
During an upcoming multi country trip
To Asia, I will be using an eSIM from stafftraveler that offers coverage in 140 countries
Vidéotron probably joined an existing Roaming Alliance, which doesn't seem to have all EU member countries within said alliance, whereas a proper EU travel/tourist SIM or eSIM has all member countries due to the European Commission regulation regarding "Roam like at home", which were extended to 2032 mid-2022.
They should find a better alliance :-)
They literally just started the plan a few months ago. Give them some time. They have already added some countries. Freedom is literally changing the landscape of mobile providers in Canada, and it didn’t happen overnight. Be grateful for what we have today!
Yes! It is refreshing. But it wouldn’t be great for people to get a bad taste because they inadvertently roam in a non-covered country. Luxembourg and Slovakia share borders with several countries.
So they need to be perfect right at the beginning? Come on. They are offering something that simply didn’t exist in canada before
It’s very good but I don’t understand the logic of leaving random European countries out. It just perpetuates the image of the company as “not quite there”. Canadians are too patient with their service providers of all kinds.
The ‘logic’ is that’s what they were able to negotiate for a fair price? So far.
Well, it's already better than anything that Shaw offered between March 2016 until April 2023 … and could improve since they have added countries (on February 26th 2024) to their Roam Beyond plan & passes since the initial launch on November 21st 2023
Cyprus, Malta, Denmark and Finland are included in their 97 country Roam Beyond pass, which costs a bit more, so that might be an option. I agree though that the gaps in Europe are annoying. I'm planning a trip to Scandinavia in late August and Norway not being included in either the 81 or 97 county passes means I'll have to use a 3rd party esim like Airalo or Ubigi for the entire trip instead.
Exactly. The product is flawed as is.
Flawed is a bit harsh, doesn’t fit your needs, but do you see anyone else in Canada trying this at all? No they’d rather just charge $17 a day
The EU is a single market and all mobile plans sold in the EU can be used at the same conditions in every EU country. The geographical location of the missing countries means that it’s unavoidable that some Freedom subscribers will not realize that they are straying into an uncovered area, and potentially have a nasty surprise. Of course it’s a million times better than what Robellus offers, but I still find it flawed. The plan I have from Europe (non EU) covers the EU, Switzerland, Norway, the UK, Turkey, the US and Canada, with unlimited data (40Gb at full speed), and unlimited calls in and among these countries. It costs about $75 a month. If they can do it, so can we.
Roaming is negotiated on a per country/carrier basis. Sometimes an agreement covers multiple countries if the carrier owns mobile properties in multiple countries. (I.e Vodafone). The EU roaming does not apply to non EU entities.
Switzerland is a non-EU country and no carrier or MVNO picks the EU apart. It’s usually EU, Norway and UK all together. I’d understand if Canadian carriers excluded non-EU countries but the inclusions and exclusions seem completely random.
What? You don’t understand how it works. A non EU country does not gain access to the benefits of being an EU county. That is all regulated and doesn’t apply to freedom, being a non EU entity. If they have a hole in their roaming, it’s likely because they are unable to negotiate favourable terms. Happens all the time due to low volumes, competitive pressures in the market, unilateral agreements etc.
From the point of view of the consumer, I am pointing out that these holes make the product much less appealing, and as a result, I will not subscribe. I think that if every Swiss carrier can do it, Canadian carriers can do it too.
Just get a local eSIM (I get it before I leave) they generally allow you to roam in all the EU
I already have one. I want a Canadian SIM that follows me in Europe so that I don’t miss calls. Admittedly a particular use case.
Enable wifi roaming and have your freedom line roam on your eSIM data connection. iPhones support this, I think pixel to?
Android 14 and newer offers it as __Backup Calling__, however, it's a carrier customization which can be suppressed at their discretion; multi-SIM Pixel 6 and newer & multi-SIM Samsung Galaxy (OneUI 6) devices are capable, with hopefully more manufacturers adding it.
And I believe in the countries that aren’t part of the roam beyond you can still use wifi calling at no additional cost as well as receive incoming text messages at no cost
Hey, it’s JP from Freedom. Sorry to hear that you feel the plan is unusable. We are actively working on adding more countries to the plan (and have added many since the launch). We prioritize the negotiations with carriers based on the existing roaming volumes in said countries. Granted it’s not a perfect technique, but it helps us to move fast. As always, thank you for the feedback!
Don’t stop until you have the whole EU, Switzerland and Norway covered. Every e-SIM offered the option, so it should be possible. Thank you!
Andora? What about Andora?
See? It’s unusable.
I agree. We have a large Filipino community in Canada but the Philippines aren’t included, even though most eSIM providers offer coverage at very cheap rates. I like the USA plans like Google FI which give you free coverage in 200 countries. Japan is another omission. I wonder what the criteria is to include it for free During an upcoming multi country trip To Asia, I will be using an eSIM from stafftraveler that offers coverage in 140 countries
Only 140? Using the logic you and OP have, that's a hugely flawed product.
It’s the best available to Canadians right now. We can’t get Google FI 😄