I currently have an account with a different provider. I am thinking about switching to Koodo, but I use it in some remote places with poor mobile coverage, so I want to make sure the coverage is at least as good as my old provider before I commit. What I’m thinking of doing is this:
- Sign up with Koodo and get a SIM and a new number
- Try it out for a while, while maintaining my old service as well for comparison
- If Koodo works well enough, then transfer my old number and cancel that account. If not, cancel my Koodo account.
Is this possible, or do I have to transfer the number right from the beginning?
Yes, that is possible. You can port in to Koodo once you are satisfied with the coverage in your area.
Thanks, that was helpful. One more related question:
It turns out that Koodo is good, so I want to keep it. My question is, after I transfer the number (from Freedom Mobile) to Koodo, does my other account get the current Koodo number (i.e. a swap), or is it left in limbo with no number at all?
Once you port your number, your old account will be cancelled altogether. No need to do anything further 
Don’t even dream of starting a new account with a ported number. Use a temporary one provided. Then, if you are happy, port over. There is no guarantee with all the features on another provider’s phone will be 100% compatible.
Whenever you port your old number over, be aware that you must have an active account for the older phone in an area where it has reception. As a proper security measure, you have to be able to confirm a text message that your previous provider will send to your original phone within a limited time frame, so your old account must still be active.
Once the port is complete, your old account will automatically be closed.