Article Summary:
Ottawa features the most mobile networks anywhere in the country, and is the only place to get discounted Quebec plans in Ontario. Coverage by Freedom and Videotron are great in the core but in the suburbs you should depend on Bell, Telus or Rogers.
Sure, Canada’s capital city is cold—in fact it’s the seventh coldest capital in the world, behind such frigid places as Ulaan-Bataar, Mongolia and Helsinki, Finland. But if you can withstand the winters, Ottawa has so much to offer.
For starters, Ottawa features a magical blend of city and country. Wherever you are, you’re probably not far from a park (or a field—it boasts more farmland than any other Canadian city). It’s also exceedingly clean, so much so that Forbes ranked Ottawa the fourth cleanest major city in the world.
And then there’s the people. They’re undoubtedly some of the friendliest anywhere. On a recent trip to Ottawa for the 5G Canada conference I was stuck in a snowstorm that would have crippled Toronto for weeks. Despite that everyone I met in pubs, on the buses and in the airport maintained an infectious good mood.
Maybe it's the great cell reception. Ottawa is the only place in the country with five competing mobile networks.
Coverage in Ottawa At-a-Glance
Beautiful scenery and the Senators hockey team are not the only reasons to come to Ottawa--there's also the great cell phone coverage. Ottawa comes in with an stellar coverage score of 92 out of 100. Here's a guide to coverage for the entirety of Ontario.
What we love
- Bell, Rogers and Telus all blanket Ottawa with great coverage
- The only place outside Quebec you can get Videotron
- Freedom Mobile covers Ottawa and recently added Pembroke, Cornwall and Brockville but not in between.
What could be improved
- Rural coverage less reliable the further you travel from the city
- Freedom's coverage outside the Ottawa core isn't great
- Videotron's coverage is better, but doesn't even reach as far into Ontario as Renfrew or Cornwall
92/100
Carrier Network Coverage in Ottawa
While no carrier's perfect, three of the five major networks perform superbly throughout Ottawa. This means you can join any of them--or the multitude of smaller carriers that run on their networks--to get great coverage.
Best Coverage in Ottawa by Network
| Network | Covered Area % |
|---|---|
| Bell | 99.91% |
| Rogers | 99.84% |
| Freedom | 24.42% |
| Telus | 99.91% |
Current Videotron coverage data unavailable
Cell Phone Coverage in Ottawa by Area
Ottawa encompasses 4,977 square kilometers and the most robust local carriers, Bell, Rogers, and Telus, cover nearly every bit of it:
Geographic Area Covered in Ottawa
Big Carriers vs. Small Carriers in Ottawa
When choosing a cell phone providers, there's no need to limit yourself to the big companies. There are dozens of smaller wireless providers that run on the major networks but charge a fraction of the price for service. Known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs for short), these carriers purchase network service from the major providers at wholesale prices, then pass the savings on to consumers. Companies like Koodo, Fido, Virgin Mobile and more will give the same coverage and performance as Telus, Rogers and Bell since they're owned by the Big Three. Customer service with these sub-carriers is often better.
Getting the Best Plan & Coverage
WhistleOut's industry-leading coverage check feature supercharges an already robust comparison engine by allowing you to instantly see what coverage is like at your location. Just punch in your address, and we'll do the rest.
In addition to showing you a map of your area with the coverage from all four major carriers, we filter through the available cell phone plans and present only those from carriers who provide good reception to you.
Cell Phone Carriers in Ottawa
Here's the full list of wireless carriers (big and small) in Ottawa, and the network that each belongs to. Smaller carriers like Fido run on major national networks. Regional carriers from other parts of the country have service through partner networks.
| Carrier | Network | Available in Ottawa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Mobility | Bell | Yes | |
| BellMTS | Bell/Telus (partner) | Yes | |
| Chatr Wireless | Rogers | Yes | |
| Cityfone | Rogers | Yes | |
| Fido | Rogers | Yes | |
| Freedom Mobile | Freedom | Yes | |
| Koodo Mobile | Telus | Yes | |
| PC Mobile | Bell/Telus | Yes |
|
| Petro Canada | Rogers | Yes | |
| Public Mobile | Telus | Yes | |
| Rogers | Rogers | Yes | |
| SaskTel | Bell/Telus (partner) | Yes | |
| Telus | Telus | Yes | |
| Videotron | Videotron | Yes | |
| Virgin Mobile | Bell | Yes | |
| 7-11 SpeakOut | Rogers | Yes |
One More Thing: Using Public WiFi in Ottawa
Ottawa offers free WiFi in a variety of public spaces, including libraries, museums, and parks. Check out some of the places offering free WiFi below. This is handy when you want to save your cellular data.
- Ottawa International Airport
- Ottawa Public Library
- National Gallery of Canada
- Canadian Museum of Nature
- Ben Franklin Place/Centrepointe
- Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex
- ByWard Market Building
- Minto Recreation Complex
- Greenboro Community Centre
- Kanata Liesure Centre and Recreation Complex
- Nepean Sportsplex
- Ottawa City Hall
- St-Laurent Complex
- Walter Baker Sports Complex
- Tim Hortons
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