Virgin Mobile 4G & LTE Wireless Network Canada Coverage Maps
Virgin Mobile runs on Bell’s network, which is one of the most reliable and farthest-spanning networks in the nation. Virgin Mobile’s 4G LTE network covers over 99% of Canadians, meaning you can rest assured you’ll receive great coverage—as long as you live in a highly-populated area. If you’re heading off the grid or live somewhere remote, however, you’ll want to use our coverage tool to check if you’ll receive service or not.
Virgin Mobile: Types of Coverage
Virgin Mobile currently offers three different types of coverage:
- 4G HSPA+: Faster than 3G, but not quite up to par with 4G speeds. Covers the most geographic area, along with LTE.
- LTE: A network with 4G speeds, LTE is currently the standard for cell phones. Has the most thorough geographic coverage, along with 4G HSPA+
- LTE-A: The quickest network, with faster speeds than regular LTE. Virgin Mobile is in the process of expanding their LTE-A network, and the most common places you’ll find it now are in and around major cities.
Virgin Mobile Canada 4G LTE Coverage vs. Fido and Koodo Mobile
Virgin Mobile’s 4G LTE network covers about 18% of Canada—while this figure may seem low, keep in mind that Canada is very sparsely populated, so networks only have to cover the places where people live. See the chart below for a breakdown of Virgin Mobile’s coverage by province and territory, as well as how their network compares to other mid-tier carriers, such as Fido and Koodo Mobile.
| Province/Territory | Virgin Mobile | Koodo Mobile | Fido |
| Ontario | 23.7% | 23.7% | 20.23% |
| Quebec | 12.05% | 12.05% | 7.5% |
| British Columbia | 19.36% | 19.36% | 10.28% |
| Alberta | 69.11% | 69.11% | 60.61% |
| Manitoba | 19.4% | 19.4% | 19.19% |
| Saskatchewan | 53.27% | 53.27% | 21.97% |
| Nova Scotia | 97.17% | 97.17% | 70.89% |
| New Brunswick | 77% | 77% | 69.05% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 17.45% | 17.45% | 1.36% |
| Prince Edward Island | 99.95% | 99.95% | 99.31% |
| Northwest Territories | 3.28% | 3.28% | N/A |
| Nunavut | 0.27% | 0.27% | 0.022% |
| Yukon | 4.24% | 4.24% | N/A |
| Canada | 18.06% | 18.06% | 12% |
Where Virgin Mobile Has the Best Coverage
Virgin Mobile has solid coverage in and around the following cities:
- Calgary, AB
- Edmonton, AB
- Vancouver, BC
- Winnipeg, MB
- Fredericton, NB
- St. John’s, NFL
- Halifax, NS
- Toronto, ON
- Ottawa, ON
- Charlottetown, PEI
- Regina, SK
- Saskatoon, SK
- Montreal, QC
- Quebec City, QC
Virgin Mobile Roaming: Can I Use My Virgin Mobile Phone in the U.S. and Internationally?
With the help of partner networks, Virgin Mobile provides you with coverage in the United States and elsewhere. Roam Sweet Roam is available for all postpaid cell phone plans.[1] Whether you’re traveling to the United States or somewhere a little more exotic, you’ll be able to use your Virgin Mobile phone abroad.
Traveling in the United States: Roam Sweet Roam
Traveling with your Virgin Mobile plan in the United States is simple. If you’re going to the United States and have roaming turned on, Virgin Mobile will connect you with an American partner network for $8/day. You’ll have unlimited talk and text for every day you’re connected, and you can choose between 100MB of data per day or using your home data (the data allowance on your Virgin plan). You can be charged for a maximum of 20 days per billing cycle. If you continue to roam after these 20 days, you won’t incur any additional fees, and will only owe more if you exceed your data limit.
Something Important to Remember While Roaming...
Traveling Internationally: Roam Sweet Roam
Virgin Mobile charges you $12/day for every day that you’re connected to an international roaming partner’s network. Talk and text will be unlimited, and you can elect to travel with your home data or 100MB. Again, you can be charged a maximum of 20 days per billing cycle for using Roam Sweet Roam while traveling—after that, roaming is free for the rest of the month.
Travel Passes: For the US and Beyond
If you don’t have Roam Sweet Roam, traveling abroad for a month can get expensive without a Travel Pass. Travel Passes allot you a certain amount of talk, text, and data use outside of Canada. Virgin Mobile currently offers two different types of Travel Passes—30-day and 72-hour. Travel Passes are stackable; if you need a lot of data, you can buy several Virgin Travel Passes before leaving for you trip and then use them back-to-back.
The cost of your Travel Pass will depend on:
- How much talk, text, and data you want
- The country you’re traveling to
Sending a text outside of Canada or the United States will cost $.75 per text, but receiving texts is always free. When it comes to calls and data, things get a little trickier. Virgin Mobile divides countries into “zones”, and each zone has a set rate. It’s important to check which zone the place you’re visiting is in, since calls might not even be available in some countries. Incoming and outgoing call rates depend on the zone, and can range anywhere from $1.45 to $3.50 per minute.
About Travel Passes
Virgin Mobile Roaming vs. Fido and Koodo Mobile
Virgin Mobile charges $8/day for roaming in the United States and $12 for international roaming. Fido and Koodo Mobile offer these same exact rates as well. After paying this daily rate, Virgin Mobile gives you unlimited talk and text and your choice of 100MB or the data on your home plan. With Fido and Koodo Mobile, however, you can only use the minutes, texts, and data included in your home plan.
Of the mid-tier carriers, Virgin Mobile charges users the most amount of days per billing cycle, with a maximum of 20. Meanwhile, the maximum for Fido and Koodo Mobile are 15 and 12.5 days, respectfully, so you could essentially get more free roaming days on either of those carriers.
Virgin Mobile currently offers international roaming in the most destinations, with over 200 locations across the globe. Fido comes in a close second with more than 180 countries, while Koodo lets you roam in over 100.
Why You Should Choose a Virgin Mobile Plan
With one of the largest networks in Canada, Virgin Mobile offers postpaid and prepaid plans at more affordable rates than top-tier carriers like Bell, Rogers, and TELUS. While Roam Sweet Roam is similar to Easy Roam and Fido Roam, Virgin Mobile is the only mid-tier carrier to sell Travel Passes. Available in over 200 travel destinations, Virgin Mobile’s roaming coverage is more likely to accompany you to wherever you travel than Fido’s or Koodo Mobile’s.
Pros
- Network covers 99% of population
- Affordable postpaid and prepaid plans
- Broad selection of phones
- Mid-tier carrier with most diverse roaming options
- Wide variety of phone plans
Cons
- No unlimited or shareable plan options
- Charges more roaming days per billing cycle than Fido or Koodo
Popular Postpaid Plans from Virgin Mobile
Popular Prepaid Plans from Virgin Mobile
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What Is Canada-wide Calling?
Canada-wide calling lets you call anywhere in Canada (from within Canada) without racking up long distance charges.
If I Have A Plan That’s No Longer Offered, Is Canada-wide Calling Now Included?
No, sorry. If you’re on a plan no longer offered that doesn’t include Canada-Wide calling, you’ll be charged Canadian long distance fees. However, if you switch to a currently available plan that includes Canada-Wide calling, you’ll be good to go.
Can I Use My Phone While Roaming In Another Country?
Yes! You’ll have access to voice and text in over 200 countries with a SIM card. But you should purchase a Travel Add-on before you leave so that you can save on roaming charges. There are passes for 1-day visits, or longer-term, depending on how long you will be gone for.