lets talk about mobile voice/data plans

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Dresden said:
For all the people recommending WIND... it's terrible. How do I know? I made the stupid decision to switch from a rogers Corp plan ($50 5gb, 350 mins) to Winds $50 unlimited calling / data.

Let's recap this "unlimited" BS from wind.
1. It's not LTE speed. my galaxy S5 feels about as slow as my iPhone 4... youtube streaming is choppy at best.

2. It's only unlimited to 5gb, then you are throttled to 256kb/s and then to 56 kb/s. So you can't even properly download email attachments. Forget about logging into instagram.

3. coverage SUCKS. I live in mississauga and I can't even use the phone I'm my house. I have to go outside when I get a call. My phone switches to roaming when I'm practically outside of milton. Recently in Niagara Falls on Clifton hill, I'm roaming. Additional charges for that.

4. I'm not sure if this is wind specific, but I can barely get 1 in 10 mms picture messages to go through. Wind says there is a 1mb limit on each picture. Gee thanks, good to on know my 16 megapixel camera is useless. The phone *tries to shrink the pics automatically. None of my friends on other networks have any issues.


Bottom line. . Worst mistake ever. I should have just stayed with Rogers even if it's for a 3 yr unbreakable contract.
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That's normal for picture messaging
 
Your 16 MP camera is useless anyways, unless you print in large format.

And why in the world would you want to send a pic larger than 1 MB to another cell phone anyways?
 
Work-related camera (used for documenting site conditions) is set to 640x480. It's good enough for that purpose.
 
I need good coverage outside of GTA, so small carriers are out of the question for me.

Telus $63/month

2GB data - I never go over
Unlimited Canada wide calling/texting/picture messaging
Voicemail/Caller ID
Very excellent coverage - very rarely without a signal, only in the most remote of places like the Adirondacks and some parts of the Smokies
 
Rogers

5GB
Unlimited North America Calling / Long Distance
Unlimited text/mms
Call Display / Voicemail
$70/mth + tax


I would have gone with Wind but the reception is too spotty for me. I use my phone for business and roger's gave a pretty good deal IMO.
 
I hardly use data, so in February I jumped from Rogers to Rogers Jr. (Fido) when they were still offering what I call the '400 plan'.

400 weekday minutes
400 MB data ($5 for next 500MB)
400 dimes/month tax-in

That includes voicemail, call waiting, call display, and unlimited Int'l MMS, detailed billing and the 10% discount for having my own phone.

At the time it was $49 for basically the same plan with 1GB data, or $59 for 5GB. Seems prices have gone up since then.
 
I was given a used unlocked I-4 and am following this with interest. Presently with the old Fido 400 minute / $40 local phone only. Total ripoff by today's standards but was a deal way back when it was $0.25 a minute with Bell. Yeah that long ago.
 
My contract is almost up and Bell offered $65/mo for 2GB data and unlimited everything else if I keep my existing phone, and that's month-to-month no contract.

Same plan is $75/mo if I upgrade to a new phone for 2 years.

Decent I guess....
 
mmmnaked said:
My contract is almost up and Bell offered $65/mo for 2GB data and unlimited everything else if I keep my existing phone, and that's month-to-month no contract.

Same plan is $75/mo if I upgrade to a new phone for 2 years.

Decent I guess....
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That seems expensive for 2GB
 
I only ever use about 1.5 but you might be right. I can probably squeeze more out of em.
 
mmmnaked said:
I only ever use about 1.5 but you might be right. I can probably squeeze more out of em.
Click to expand...
It sounds like the plan I have with Telus is the same but for $63/month. Pretty reasonable compared to what else is available...

For good coverage outside of the GTA (ie. no Wind, Fido etc) what can the average consumer get that is better than just mentioned, that is not through a corporate plan or some one time deal offered a long time ago?
 
I currently work with phone activations/renewals; some of these plans have just recently changed and I suspect some are about to change to follow, so keep that in mind if you're planning on taking advantage of any of the following...



In regards to "in-market" plans (i.e. current mainstream plans), the Premium Brands ("big 3"): Rogers, Telus and Bell are all very similar, and mostly offer premium phones:


  • Base plan of $60/mo for the phone, on a 2-year term; incl.unlimited Nationwide calling, SMS, callerID, CallWaiting, Voicemail; then:
  • + $xx for data (base is $20/500MB, then $25/1GB, $30/2GB etc.)
  • Subsidizes up to ~$480-500 of your phone. Sometimes more, if the carrier (or retailer) is offering an additional discount for certain models etc, which is common with older models.
  • If you BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), your monthly base rate could be as low as $40-50. This varies by carrier
  • Secondary lines on same account cost between $40-60/mo (BYOD, "Lite" phones, "Plus" phones etc) and share the primary phone's data package. So grab a big data plan, and potentially save $10-20 per line;
    • Example: TELUS: 1GB per phone at 2x $85=$170 , or: $90+$60=$150 Shared ($90+$40=$130 w/BYOD) sharing the 2GB plan.
  • As mentioned, the base rates for secondary phones do vary a bit by carrier, but rule of thumb is any premium phone is $60.
  • Rogers and Bell also offer additional bundle discounts if you're bundling home internet, phone, TV services with your cellphone. Ranges from $4/$8/$12 bundle discounts depending on which combination. Bell also offers a +$10 unlimited home internet bandwidth option if you have a 3-service bundle; that's normally $30 otherwise.


Then you have the Value Brands: Koodo, Virgin and Fido, who are similar to each other but not always identical, and have varying selections of phones.


  • Base plans generally $35/mo on "small tab"/"silver"/"standard" plans, but only include 200-250 mins, 5pm eve/wknd, 0-50MB data. (each carrier varies) There are multiple optiopns within these plans, ranging from $35-$99/mo depending on data/airtime needs.
  • Koodo has a slight edge, eve/wknd times from 5pm-8am where the others are 5pm-7am.
  • Add $5-6 to the base plan rates if on a "medium tab"/"gold"/"smart" plan;
  • Koodo has "heavy" plans, Virgin has "platinum" plans, Fido has "max" plans which are designed more for the premium phones like Samsung S5, iPhone 5S/6, etc, and/or for folks needing unlimited nationwide calling.
  • Subsidies vary per carrier/plan. i.e. Fido is $200/$350/$450; Koodo is $150/$300/$500; Virgin is $200/$300/$700 (I believe these changed very recently, so expect this to change further...)
  • The highest tab levels also require plans that are similar to (but still a little cheaper than) what the "big 3" above offer. The difference being that you may still be paying a bit more for the phone up-front.





  • If you're renewing/upgrading devices, Rogers & Fido charge a $25 admin fee, but do offer points/"Fido dollars" to offset your device fee, and your balance+new device fees will be charged to your next invoice. It's possible to have a "positive tab" with Koodo which can be applied to your phone's subsidy. Telus doesn't have activation fees, but you pay for the SIM card. Bell I believe charges a $15 fee. Telus, Bell, Koodo and Virgin will charge your new device balance in-store, but you may have the option of paying your previous device balance on your next invoice depending on the retailer/location.


Generally, best bet is to research what phone/plan you need, and look into the math. Remember, you're not just investing in a phone, you're also investing in a 24-month plan that's helping to pay off that phone. So calculate: (subsidized phone price) + ((monthly rate)*24) = total investment. You may save a couple hundred bucks over that 2-year term depending on the carrier... just remember that the plans do have limitations on the value brands. The good thing is, nobody charges any cancellation fees anymore, just the remaining device balances.

Also, some of the carriers (and in other cases, retailers) offer device protection plans. i.e. Telus offers $6/mo AppleCare+ for the iPhone 6 as an example, which is much cheaper than what some retailers offer. AppleCare+ has a $75 deductible for physical damage claims, others charge $100 or more.


Beyond all of what I just said, of course if you've been a long-term client, call in to the loyalty/retention/client solutions line for your respective carrier. Quite often they offer unadvertised promo plans and/or might be able to piece together a plan that caters more directly to you. I have done this many times with Telus over the years, and while not always a huge difference, it does help save some money. It's also sometimes the difference between being forced to change plans on renewal, or getting to keep an awesome grandfathered plan. Sometimes they can even reduce your device balance if you're doing an early upgrade.


Hope all of this is useful to someone, sorry it's quite a lengthy post but there's a lot of information to be had. As I said above, a lot of these plans/offers change from time to time, sometimes monthly. So take it with a grain of salt...
 
Last edited:
mmmnaked said:
I only ever use about 1.5 but you might be right. I can probably squeeze more out of em.
Click to expand...
If your contact in coming to an end, you hold the cards, call them up and tell them other carriers have offered you a better deal, they will give you a plan with all sorts of discounts, then call other carriers and see if they can beat your carriers deal.
 
TekNinja81 said:
I currently work with phone activations/renewals; some of these plans have just recently changed and I suspect some are about to change to follow, so keep that in mind if you're planning on taking advantage of any of the following...



In regards to "in-market" plans (i.e. current mainstream plans), the Premium Brands ("big 3"): Rogers, Telus and Bell are all very similar, and mostly offer premium phones:


  • Base plan of $60/mo for the phone, on a 2-year term; incl.unlimited Nationwide calling, SMS, callerID, CallWaiting, Voicemail; then:
  • + $xx for data (base is $20/500MB, then $25/1GB, $30/2GB etc.)
  • Subsidizes up to ~$480-500 of your phone. Sometimes more, if the carrier (or retailer) is offering an additional discount for certain models etc, which is common with older models.
  • If you BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), your monthly base rate could be as low as $40-50. This varies by carrier
  • Secondary lines on same account cost between $40-60/mo (BYOD, "Lite" phones, "Plus" phones etc) and share the primary phone's data package. So grab a big data plan, and potentially save $10-20 per line;
    • Example: TELUS: 1GB per phone at 2x $85=$170 , or: $90+$60=$150 Shared ($90+$40=$130 w/BYOD) sharing the 2GB plan.
  • As mentioned, the base rates for secondary phones do vary a bit by carrier, but rule of thumb is any premium phone is $60.
  • Rogers and Bell also offer additional bundle discounts if you're bundling home internet, phone, TV services with your cellphone. Ranges from $4/$8/$12 bundle discounts depending on which combination. Bell also offers a +$10 unlimited home internet bandwidth option if you have a 3-service bundle; that's normally $30 otherwise.


Then you have the Value Brands: Koodo, Virgin and Fido, who are similar to each other but not always identical, and have varying selections of phones.


  • Base plans generally $35/mo on "small tab"/"silver"/"standard" plans, but only include 200-250 mins, 5pm eve/wknd, 0-50MB data. (each carrier varies) There are multiple optiopns within these plans, ranging from $35-$99/mo depending on data/airtime needs.
  • Koodo has a slight edge, eve/wknd times from 5pm-8am where the others are 5pm-7am.
  • Add $5-6 to the base plan rates if on a "medium tab"/"gold"/"smart" plan;
  • Koodo has "heavy" plans, Virgin has "platinum" plans, Fido has "max" plans which are designed more for the premium phones like Samsung S5, iPhone 5S/6, etc, and/or for folks needing unlimited nationwide calling.
  • Subsidies vary per carrier/plan. i.e. Fido is $200/$350/$450; Koodo is $150/$300/$500; Virgin is $200/$300/$700 (I believe these changed very recently, so expect this to change further...)
  • The highest tab levels also require plans that are similar to (but still a little cheaper than) what the "big 3" above offer. The difference being that you may still be paying a bit more for the phone up-front.





  • If you're renewing/upgrading devices, Rogers & Fido charge a $25 admin fee, but do offer points/"Fido dollars" to offset your device fee, and your balance+new device fees will be charged to your next invoice. It's possible to have a "positive tab" with Koodo which can be applied to your phone's subsidy. Telus doesn't have activation fees, but you pay for the SIM card. Bell I believe charges a $15 fee. Telus, Bell, Koodo and Virgin will charge your new device balance in-store, but you may have the option of paying your previous device balance on your next invoice depending on the retailer/location.


Generally, best bet is to research what phone/plan you need, and look into the math. Remember, you're not just investing in a phone, you're also investing in a 24-month plan that's helping to pay off that phone. So calculate: (subsidized phone price) + ((monthly rate)*24) = total investment. You may save a couple hundred bucks over that 2-year term depending on the carrier... just remember that the plans do have limitations on the value brands. The good thing is, nobody charges any cancellation fees anymore, just the remaining device balances.

Also, some of the carriers (and in other cases, retailers) offer device protection plans. i.e. Telus offers $6/mo AppleCare+ for the iPhone 6 as an example, which is much cheaper than what some retailers offer. AppleCare+ has a $75 deductible for physical damage claims, others charge $100 or more.


Beyond all of what I just said, of course if you've been a long-term client, call in to the loyalty/retention/client solutions line for your respective carrier. Quite often they offer unadvertised promo plans and/or might be able to piece together a plan that caters more directly to you. I have done this many times with Telus over the years, and while not always a huge difference, it does help save some money. It's also sometimes the difference between being forced to change plans on renewal, or getting to keep an awesome grandfathered plan. Sometimes they can even reduce your device balance if you're doing an early upgrade.


Hope all of this is useful to someone, sorry it's quite a lengthy post but there's a lot of information to be had. As I said above, a lot of these plans/offers change from time to time, sometimes monthly. So take it with a grain of salt...
Click to expand...
Rogers usually charges 5 per line to share data. They tried charging me, but the plan I'm on the sharing fee is waved, so they had to credit me back the charges.
 
check with your company to see if they run a discount.

Rogers
$20 for everything except data at 350 daytime minutes.
+$30 for the 6gb data

total comes to around $56
 
We get corporate plans at work. The Rogers plan is great but they have garbage coverage. Telus and Bell have terrible plans to the point that my regular schmo plan is still better for me than what they offer.

If it weren't for the coverage I'd switch to Rogers.
 
mmmnaked said:
In-store... in Saskatchewan? I can't do that. :lol:
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You don't have to sign up in Saskatchewan, when you sign up in-store, you can ask for a SK or MB area code number at non-Koodo stores that activates Koodo services. Then you can port in your TO # online and still have the MB/SK plan.
 
Rogers
Corporate plan
$50 unlimited everything in canada

Data Speed limited to 3g if over 10gb
 
300 Minutes outgoing
250 minutes incoming
Unlimited from 6pm - 7 am
Weekends will be Unlimited
Rogers to Rogers Nationwide calling 24 hours
Unlimited texting across Canada
Call Display
Voicemail
6gb of Data

$54/ month

via Rogers Corporate plan
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