Public Mobile is a Telus-owned network carrier offering mid-plans and 3G and 4G services. Public mobile plans start around $15, which is a fair price.
If you are thinking of switching to Public Mobile or want to know about their plans, coverage, and if it’s fit for you. This article contains the basics about Public Mobile, including their plans and prices.
About Public Mobile
As mentioned earlier, Public Mobile is owned by Telus (Check here for a Detailed Review of Telus Mobility) since 2013. Public Mobile offers flexible data plans and targets customers who don’t need heavy data use and don’t mind using the 3G or 4G service rather than the Telus 5G.
Public Mobile is a discount brand and allows users to customize their services and plans to suit their cell phone needs.
Another major difference between Public Mobile and its parent company, Telus, is that there are no Public Mobile phones. It means Public Mobile doesn’t offer device purchasing or financing options; thus, it’s a prepaid (Sim-Only) Service Provider. To use Public Mobile service, you need your device and then buy a SIM card.
Public Mobile Plans
Public mobile cell phone plans include unlimited nationwide calls, texts, voicemail, caller ID and are billed monthly.
Public Mobile has similar pricing with its competitors, Lucky Mobile and Chatr. However, with Public Mobile, you get a $2 credit on your monthly bill if you sign up for autopay.
Public Mobile used to offer two plans; Ready-Made Plans and Build Your Own Plans,
Build Your Own Plan allows users to customize their plans based on their needs. However, Public Mobile, for some reason, no longer offers this, and only Ready-Made Plans are available.
Below are some Public Mobile Plans;
– Public Mobile $15 Plan
For $15 per month, you get 100 minutes of Canada-wide calls, unlimited texts and voicemail, group calling, and call display option.
If you use auto-pay, you get 250 bonus data on a 3G network.
– Public Mobile $25 per month
This gets you unlimited Canada-wide talk time, unlimited international texts, and MMS.
You also get 500MB from this plan and an autopay bonus of 500Mb on a 3G network. This plan also comes with voicemail, group calling, and call display.
– Public Mobile $30 Per month
This plan gets you just 1GB of data on a 4G network. It’s great for users with internet needs.
– Public Mobile $35 per month
You get unlimited Canada-wide minutes and international texts. You also get 1Gb data on their 3G network and a 500MB autopay bonus.
Voicemail, conference, and Call display features available.
– Public Mobile $40 per month
You get unlimited talk-time for Canada calls, unlimited international text, and 4.5GB on their 3G network. There is also an autopay bonus of 500Mb. This plan also comes with voicemail, conference calling, and call display options.
– Public Mobile $50 Per Month
This comes with unlimited talk time for Canada & US calls, unlimited international texts, and 8GB of data with an autopay bonus of 500MB on a 3G network. Voicemail, conference calling, and Call display services available.
Public Mobile Features
Below are some public mobile features you should know about;
® Online Store
Public Mobile only operates online, and there is no physical store. If you need a SIM card, you have to order it online and activate it yourself.
® Customer Support Number
There is no Public Support number. Customers have to fix their problems online or seek other members of the online community for assistance. If you like the option of face-to-face services or calling to reach customer care, then you may find this network carrier ideal.
® No Phones
Public Mobile doesn’t sell phones. You need to buy an unlocked phone to use their services.
Public Mobile Rewards
You can earn from Public Mobile just by using it. Earning helps you get a discount and reduce the overall cost of your data plans. Some reward options are;
– Autopay
This is a saving technique on Autopay that adds $2 to your monthly credit account when you set up automatic payments. You can set up using a credit card or a visa card connected to your Public Mobile account.
– Referral
Public Mobile rewards users by gifting them a one-time $10 for referring a friend and $1 monthly if the friend referred uses the network carrier.
– Loyalty
After your first year of using Public mobile, the network carrier rewards you by deducting $1 off your plan price for each active month. For the 2nd year, you get $2 off, and the 3rd year, $3 off, and so on.
You must remain with Public Mobile to benefit from this offer.
– Community Reward
Public Mobile has an online community where you can earn up to $20 depending on how much you contribute to the community.
The highest contribution level is Oracles, and you get $20 off, next is the Top 1% with $15 off, and the lowest is Top 50% who gets $1 off.
FAQs
How’s Public Mobile Coverage and Speed?
Public Mobile relies on Telus’ network, and Telus is one of Canada’s biggest network providers with wide coverage. So rest assured, you will get the same excellent network coverage as Telus. You can also check the Public Mobile coverage map to see the network types and coverage availability in your area.
Telus network speed is also great, and they offer a high-speed 4G LTE network. However, Public mobile plans only work on 3G data speed, data downloads are limited to 3Mbps, and some users may find it slow.
What are the Roaming Charges?
Public Mobile offers EasyRoam services for US travels only. The roaming charge for the US is as follow;
– US Talk, Text, and Data
For $20, you get unlimited talk, international text, and 250MB data for 10 days.
– US Talk and Text Bundle
For $15 gives your unlimited talk and international text for 10 days, no data bundle.
– US Unlimited Talk
For $8 gives unlimited talk minutes for 10days
– US Unlimited International Text
It also goes for $8 for unlimited international texts for 10 days
– US Data Only
For $10, you get 250MB for 10 days
Or 500MB for $15 and 1GB for $20
What Phones Can You Use Public Mobile On?
Public Mobile plans will only work on carrier-unlocked devices. You have to get an unlocked phone, and then you get a SIM card that costs $10. Public Mobile SIM cards are 3 in 1, which means they can work as standard SIM, micro Sim, and nano-SIM.
Also, your devices must have compatible operating frequencies. Operating frequencies on Public Mobile include;
® LTE: 1700/2100 MHz
® LTE Advanced: 2600 MHz and 700 MHz
® HSPA: 850 MHz and 1900 MHz
You can also check if your phone is compatible by checking phone compatibility here.
Do They Offer Wi-Fi Calling?
No. Public Mobile doesn’t offer Wi-Fi calling or Voice over LTE.
Is Tethering Allowed?
You can tether your Public Mobile plans as long as your device supports it.
Do They Offer Data Rollover?
Like many of the network carriers in Canada, there is no data rollover option. Your unused data expires at the end of the billing cycle.
How Much is Activation and SIM Fee?
Public Mobile doesn’t charge activation fee. SIM costs $10 through the online store.
What About Cancellation Fee?
Public Mobile is a prepaid plan, and there is nothing like a cancellation fee should you decide to halt your stay with Public mobile.
What Add-Ons Are Available?
Public Mobile offers Add-ons that allow you to ass data or minutes to your plans at a particular amount. For example, you can add 200MB to your monthly data for $10 and 1GB for $30.
Can I Make Long Distance Calling?
Yes. There are Long Distance bundles you can choose from if you often make calls outside Canada. Long Distance Add-on offers 200 minutes for $8 to calls to the US, 400 minutes for calls to Canada, the US, and some international countries for $15,
Pros:
– Public Mobile plans are flexible and inexpensive
– Offers affordable US roaming services
– Unlimited Canada-wide and text available on some plans
– Unlimited US calling also available
– No contract or credit check involves
– No cancellation fees
– No data overage charges
– Easy to manage online
Cons:
– No Public Mobile Phones thus you can only buy sim but not phone from Public Mobile
– International roaming only available in the US
– No family plans
– No offline customer service or phone number for a support team
Overall, Public Mobile offers low-rate plans with no contract, credit check, or surprise bills. If you are thinking of choosing Public Mobile, you can do so easily by visiting them online, buy a SIM card, get it delivered to you and manage your account from the Public Mobile dashboard.
You can also check the review of other Network Providers like Chatr and Freedom to determine which network offers the best plans you need.
