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What’s the difference between a local call and a long distance call?

Wireless long distance calls are different from landline ones because of the mobility of wireless devices. With a landline phone, only outgoing long distance calls are charged. However, because you can move around with a wireless device, you may incur long distance charges when receiving a call as well.

Understanding local calling areas

Rogers defines calls made from your wireless devices as local or long distance based on your location at the time of the call, your wireless phone number and the phone number you use to make the call. These are all important factors in determining local calling areas and wireless long distance charges.

Finding out which calls will be charged as long distance is simpler than you might think. Here’s how it works:

Long Distance

Consult our long distance add-ons

  • Incoming Calls
  • Outgoing Calls
  • Call Forwarding

Long Distance Rates

To view the most current rates for long distance:

  1. Go to our Plan Add-on page
  2. Select Long Distance.
  3. Select “View U.S. & International Preferred Rate.”
  4. Enter the name of the country to get the current rates per minute for you call.

Receiving Incoming Calls

You’ll incur long distance charges based on these two factors:

  1. Your local calling area, which is the area or geographic boundary1 associated with your wireless number. Your plan will define this for you as Local or Canada Wide minutes.
  2. Your physical location at the time you receive the call.

All calls that you receive on your wireless device while you are physically within your local calling area are considered local. All calls that you receive while physically outside of that area are considered long distance. If your plan includes Canada Wide minutes, then you’ll be able to call any other Canadian number from anywhere in Canada using your minutes without incurring any long distance charges.

Your phone number and the physical location of the person calling you have no effect on determining long distance charges.

Incoming Call Scenarios

Examples Airtime* Long Distance
You have a Toronto wireless phone number. You receive a call while you are physically located in the Toronto area. Yes No
You have a Toronto wireless phone number. You receive a call while you are physically located outside the Toronto area (e.g., you are in Ottawa). Yes Yes

*The number of minutes included as part of your plan.

Rogers InfiniteTM plan customers can receive calls while they’re anywhere in Canada from any Canadian phone number without paying any long distance charges.

Placing Outgoing Calls

Just like incoming calls, two factors determine if your outgoing calls will incur long distance charges:

  1. Your physical location at the time the call is placed. 
  2. The phone number you are calling.

If you dial a number that is local based on your physical location at the time the call is placed, then it’s a local call. If you dial a number that is long distance based on your physical location at the time the call is placed, then it’s a long distance call.

Your wireless number doesn’t affect the charges, neither will the physical location of the person you are calling.

Outgoing Calling Scenarios

Examples Airtime* Long Distance
You are physically located in Toronto and you are calling a Toronto number. Yes No
You are physically located in Toronto and you are calling an Ottawa number. Yes Yes
You are physically located in Ottawa and you are calling a Toronto number. Yes Yes

*The number of minutes included as part of your plan.

Remember: When you place outgoing calls, your phone number plays no part in determining if the call will be local or long distance.

Call Forwarding

Call Forwarding is when an incoming call is routed from your wireless phone number to another number. Two things determine if a forwarded call is local or long distance:

  1. Your local calling area, which is the area or geographic boundary1 associated with your wireless number
  2. The number to which your calls are forwarded

If the number your calls are being forwarded to is local to the calling area of your mobile phone number, then your forwarded calls will be local. If the number your calls are being forwarded to is outside your local calling area, then your forwarded calls will be long distance.

The location of your wireless device when your call is forwarded doesn’t affect long distance charges.

Call Forwarding Scenarios

Examples Airtime* Long Distance
You have a Toronto number and you forward your calls to a Toronto number. Yes No
You have a Toronto number and you forward your calls to an Ottawa number. Yes Yes

*The number of minutes included as part of your plan.

Good to Know

  • The local calling area boundary is determined by telephone numbers, which have specific geographic designations. Roaming and/or airtime charges may apply in addition to the long distance charges described above.
  • Call Forward also referred as "Call Transfer".

Play video for Rogers Online Bill - Understand Your Long Distance Charges

Finding Your Long Distance Charges on your bill

To view long distance charges on your digital bill:

  1. Sign in to MyRogers.
  2. Scroll down to the mobile plan section of your bill.
  3. Select Usage summary to view details about your long distance charges.
  4. From your Usage summary page, you can select the minutes to view a detailed breakdown of the calls made.

Finding out what’s included in your plan

To see if long distance is included:

 

  1. Sign in to MyRogers.
  2. Scroll down to the wireless number that you’re inquiring about.
  3. Select Monthly charges.
  4. If long distance is included in your plan, it will show up in your plan details and add-ons section.