Before Switching to Videotron or Fizz in Rural Quebec
Matthew Leo · Published October 2, 2026 · Guides
Videotron says more than 25,000 Quebec residents can now sign up for its mobile service after it expanded its subscription area to 31 communities. Fizz, its digital sister brand, is available in the same newly eligible areas.
The change covers communities in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Nord-du-Québec, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Bas-Saint-Laurent. It gives more rural customers another carrier to consider, but “you can subscribe here” is not the same claim as “Videotron has built its own network on every road you use.”
Start with the subscription map
Videotron’s October 1 announcement lists all 31 communities and links to its detailed service-area map. Its support material tells customers to select the map’s subscription-zone view when checking whether they can order a plan.
Use your actual home address. A town name can cover a large area, and a retail employee’s general answer is not a substitute for the address result you will use to open the account.
Then check the places where you use the phone
Videotron plans include service across Canada, including through partner networks. That national access is useful, but it does not predict signal quality inside your home, on a rural road or at a work site.
Before moving every line in a household, check:
- Your home address and the rooms where calls commonly fail.
- The commute between communities, not only the town centre.
- Work, school, a cottage and any regular highway route.
- Whether Wi-Fi calling is supported on your specific phone.
- Which network indicator and roaming terms apply in partner-coverage areas.
If coverage is uncertain, moving one line first gives you a real local test without putting the entire household on the same decision.
Confirm the phone will work
An unlocked phone is not automatically compatible with every carrier feature. Check the exact model number, not just the marketing name. Canadian and imported versions of the same phone can support different frequency bands or carrier features.
Ask specifically about 5G, voice over LTE and Wi-Fi calling. A phone may handle basic data and calls while missing a feature that matters in a weak-signal home.
Compare the full monthly cost
Plan pages often mix base prices, temporary credits and discounts tied to another service. Record each part separately:
- Base monthly price: the amount before credits.
- Promotional credit: the amount and expiry date.
- Bundle discount: what other service must remain active.
- Device balance: anything still owed to the current carrier.
- Taxes and setup charges: amounts not shown in the headline rate.
Fizz is managed online, which can lower costs but changes how support works. Decide whether chat and self-service are acceptable before choosing it over Videotron’s retail and phone support.
Keep your old service active while porting
If you want to keep your phone number, do not cancel the old line first. The CRTC’s number-porting guidance says to tell the new provider that you want to keep the number. The new provider starts the transfer.
Keep the old SIM and account information available. Your current provider may send a text asking you to approve the transfer. Reply within the stated window, then test incoming calls, outgoing calls, text messages and data on the new service before assuming the move is complete.
What the expansion does not prove
Videotron’s announcement confirms that subscriptions are open in the named communities. It does not publish street-by-street performance measurements or an independent comparison with Bell, Rogers and Telus in those areas.
That is why the order matters: address eligibility first, local coverage second, phone compatibility third, and price only after those checks pass.
Tags: Videotron, Fizz, Quebec, mobile plans, wireless service