I found this web site to compare the coverage areas of various providers:
http://www.comparecellular.com/ Click on Coverage to get to maps. If you don't have a Canadian phone you will need to know which Canadian companies have agreements with your provider.

Hi: I have Cingular wireless service. They have agreements with Canadian providers Rogers & Fido. I had no problem traveling thru New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or PEI. Newfoundland & Labrador was another story. Coverage is provided for the Avalon peninsula and extends only as far west as Clarenville. There was no coverage west of there.

Regarding accomodations: Most larger hotels seem to have wireless internet service as well as many B&Bs. Unfortunately I can't provide more exact info as, being retired, it's not something I pay attention to.

The accomodations listing in the excellent travel guide publshed by Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism specifies which establishments have internet. It's available at www.newfoundlandandlabrador.com.

Hope this helps a little.

I have Verizon Wireless and prior to my trip I contacted them and set up service for Newfoundland...well, guess what? it didn't work and i was unable to use my cell phone!

Hi: Using the link supplied by Gavin above, it appears that Aliant and Telus Mobility provide the most extensive coverage for Newfoundland. However, I can't find a US cellphone carrier who an has agreement with either of them.

I think you will find that that Telus and the Bell Mobility companies, including Aliant, have reciprocal roaming agreements with Sprint.

Hi Ron: Thanks for the information concerning Sprint Wireless.

Thanks so much, everyone! it sounds like Newfoundland might not be a good choice for now... Were you able to get cell phone reception in Cape Breton?

I found cell coverage adequate on Cape Breton Island, using the Rogers/Fido GSM network. While there were gaps in coverage on the north end of the island, it was certainly good enough that, if one was travelling around, one should be able to get coverage every day, which is better than your need of coverage "almost every day".

Hi: I'm a Newfoundlander, living west of Clarenville, and my Aliant cellphone not only works in my hometown & around the island, but its roaming coverage worked in Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Quebec, the New England states, mid-Atlantic states, & Florida.
This suggests to me that there must be reciprocal agreements with US carriers-- the company is Bell Aliant, so obviously Bell is the connection-- but I frankly suspect you'll have problems checking on this, just because most American companies haven't heard of Newfoundland. However, wireless internet isn't going to be common in a hotel outside the capital city (St. John's) & Newfoundland is a large island, with plenty of "dead air" spots even if you stick to the main highways. It's not really a Blackberry/Manhattanite kind of place -- although yes there are people here with Ipods & Palmpilots, etc.

Hi - two years ago I was able to use my cell phone in Trinity out on the Bonaivista Pennisula. I may have used it in Bonavista too. I have Cingular. Last year I was able to use my cell phone in Deer Lake. Those are the only places I have tried to use my cell phone. We stay at B&bs. I have found all have internet access and will gladly let you use theirs. Even up in Cape Onion I was able to gete my email - although it was through dial up. I did not have a laptop without so did not try wireless.

We visited Newfoundland in July 2007 and took our Cingular/AT&T Wireless cell phone. It worked fine on the Avalon Peninsula but quit by the time we got to Clarenville. We are returning this year and will be between Deer Lake, Gros Morne, St. Anthony, and southeastern Labrador. Does anyone have any information about coverage in 2009?

Another option if you want cell phone service is to buy a pay as you go phone up there. You can buy them up there much like here in the states - no plan, no contract, no roaming charges, just a per minute fee - usually the same for Canada & the STates. You would then be guaranteed of whatever service is offered.

Western NL is totally covered by operators with the BellAliant connection. My husband ran a consulting business out of Curling, NL and was able to take calls all along the west coast of NL.

Had a friend just buy a pre-paid phone in Canada but he couldn't use it since to register it you need a credit card with a Canadian billing address.

We just returned from a trip to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and PEI.
Roaming service from SPRINT was great. I was particularly surprised by the service in NL. We were in very remote areas along the west coast (Gros Morne, St Anthony) and coverage was exceptional.

Not sure about anywhere else but in the Gros Morne area, Rogers cell coverage is non-existent. Even if you ask them specifically, they say it works fine, referring to the fact that they have inter-carrier agreements, blah blah blah...it's all B/S. Many Ontarians have Rogers, and get a very bad surprise.

I'm in Newfoundland now and I was really surprised that my Rogers cellphone will not work West of Clarenville because there is not Rogers coverage!!! I called Rogers to ask them a if I could roam on the Telus or Bell/Aliant network and they said that I should be able to and that I would have to pay $0.35 per minute roaming charges. I told them that was fine with me but they were feeding my a line of BS because I have not been able to connect to either network, I can see them on my but they will not connect. I. Called Rogers again and they saix that they could not guarantee the connection to the Telus or Bell/Aliant networks because they do not own the towers so there is noting they can do for me.

Gues if you REALLY need service, you wi ll need to unlock your Rogers cellphone and purchase a Telus Pay-As-You-Go sim card.

Cheers.

I was living in Canada for 3 mos and went out there and didn't have a problem. You wont get the internet (3g) up there outside of the major cities and your phone reception may cut out. The biggest company is Rogers. If you want to use data then check your 3g frequency on your phone it may not be the same as with Canada. But voice should work as long as you have a signal

-marcello
http://www.wanderingtrader.com