Every now and then I learn to my horror that some people still pay ridiculous amounts of money for their mobile phone service, so today I decide to write an article about it.
A significant number of people switch providers to save money, but it seems to be in vain. I see it in people’s budgets, specifically lines like this:
-Mobile phone service (2 lines): $ 160
“NO!!!”
… When I see such unnecessary expenses, I just can’t believe it. These days, a great phone service plan costs between $ 15 and $ 40 per month, depending on the number of features.
Why is spending $ 160 on your phone a big deal? Just because cutting $ 100 a month from your budget becomes an increase of $ 17,000 in your wealth every ten years.
And the current $ 15-40 phone plans are awesome and carry your current phone number. Paying more than that is a scam! Just like buying a big price phone is probably a waste of money (what is a big price? $ 300 seems enough!)
What’s wrong with the cell phone industry?
Ad to ad, every mobile provider in Canada claims to offer the best service, at the best price.
How is it possible? By offering financial incentives. Every network wants everyone to think their service is great. Network operators are willing to pay the “prices” for license examiners. Therefore, money-hungry critics reward mediocre and outrageous networks.
In addition, several telephone companies have invented confusing combinations of plans, and combinations that are difficult to compare.
However, with a little research, I think it becomes clear which phone companies and plans offer the best value for money. I believe you will find that there are many great and economical options on the market.
Some examples (all these providers allow you to transfer your current phone number):
Public Mobile (Telus / Bell network) https://www.publicmobile.ca
Koodo (Telus company rebate division) https://www.koodomobile.com
Fizz: For residents of Quebec and Ottawa. Coverage is not as great as other networks.
https://fizz.ca/en
Now what about the phones?
With the above operators, you will be able to use your existing phone. But if you need a new one, there are some really good low-cost options out there these days. The Moto G7 Play costs just $ 210 and offers exceptional performance despite the low price. I use it as a personal phone and love it.
If you really want something fancy, consider the Google Pixel 3a or the 2020 iPhone SE. Both of these phones are amazing and about half the price of an iPhone 11.
Mobile phone service 101
Canadians are traditionally stuck in one of the least competitive (and therefore most expensive) mobile phone service markets in the world. Fortunately, a few solutions are starting to appear, with a few new carriers offering more affordable plans. And by supporting competition like this, the whole market will be forced to lower prices, a victory for everyone.
Not everyone needs the greatest coverage. National discount providers generally offer solid coverage in densely populated areas. Coverage should be of greater concern to people who go to remote areas.
Expensive services will tend to offer better customer service, greater roaming coverage, and better priority during times of congestion than low cost carriers using the same network. That said, many people won’t even notice a difference between low cost and high cost carriers using the same network.
For most people, the easiest way to find out if a low cost carrier will provide a good experience is to try one. You can usually sign up for these services without a long term commitment. If you have a good initial experience with an economic operator, you can stick with it and save considerably month after month.
With a good carrier, a budget phone, and a little bit of effort to limit data usage, most people can have a great cellular experience while saving a lot of money.
My recommendation: Public Mobile
This is the supplier that I have been using for 3 years. Public Mobile works on the Telus / Bell network and offers excellent prices. Most Public Mobile plans are limited to what the company calls “3G speeds”. Access to data on these plans will be limited to a maximum of approximately 3 Mb / s.
Although this speed is slower than that offered by Rogers / Bell, but 3 mbs, this speed is fast enough for 99% of the world.
Public Mobile does not offer traditional customer support. Instead, customers can use support materials, a community forum, and a ticket opening system.
Public Mobile offers a wide range of plans ranging from a low usage plan for $ 15 per month to a $ 50 per month plan with 8 GB of data.
They also have a referral program, so if you sign up make sure to save your code and share it with your friends.
To get your own signup bonus of $ 10, you can use the referral code QEEXZ2.
Sample plan: Unlimited calling and texting with 1 GB of data for $ 25 per month. This is the plan I use!
