Freedom Mobile is a wireless carrier offering 5G and 4G LTE service to 33% of Canadians. After the company was sold to Quebecor in the Rogers-Shaw merger, Freedom announced 5G service, which provides affordable, high-speed connectivity to 31% of the population, with most of the coverage located in the metropolitan areas of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the Freedom Mobile coverage area, including detailed information about their 5G and 4G LTE service. We’ll also review how Freedom Mobile network coverage stacks up against the other major wireless carriers in the Big Three.
Freedom Mobile coverage at a glance
Freedom Mobile is an affordable alternative to the Big Three, providing coverage to 33% of Canadians. Thanks to their partnership with Videotron, Freedom Mobile now offers 5G service, which reaches 31% of residents. Freedom’s total network is primarily limited to metropolitan areas, though it does offer coverage through partner networks when customers venture outside the network.
What we love
- Expanding 5G coverage
- Affordable plans for metropolitan areas
- Numerous options for snowbirds
What could be improved
- 5G limited to urban areas
- Unpredictable off-network coverage
80/100
Freedom Mobile coverage map
Freedom Mobile operates on its own network, called the Freedom network. The Freedom Mobile coverage map reaches 33% of Canadians, with 31% receiving 5G service. That’s much smaller than their competitors in the Big Three: Bell and Telus’ respective networks reach 99% of the population, while Rogers’ is available to 97%. If you live in a rural area of the country, there’s a good chance Freedom Mobile service isn’t available: the Freedom network is concentrated in urban areas, especially along the southern border. Outside of that area, you'll still be connected through the Freedom Nationwide network, though coverage will be significantly slower.
Freedom also offers international roaming through its Roam Beyond packages. Several of its most popular plans, like the 5G Unlimited 75GB CA-US plan, include dedicated Roam Beyond data for over 92 countries.
Want to see if Freedom Mobile is available near you? Check out our interactive Freedom Mobile coverage map by zooming in on your neighborhood.
Freedom Mobile 5G coverage
Freedom Mobile launched its 5G service in July 2023, with service available to 31% of Canadians. In the western provinces, 5G is available in the urban centres of Vancouver, Calgary, and Sherwood Park.
In the east, 5G service is mostly concentrated in the cities of southern Ontario, including London, Barrie, Welland, Niagra Falls, and the greater Toronto area.
Since launching their 5G network, Freedom has expanded their slate of 5G plans, offering some of the lowest rates for 5G in the country. We’re especially impressed with the cheap data in the 5G Unlimited 75GB CA-US plan and the huge data allotment of the 5G Unlimited 100GB CA-US plan. Even better: both of these plans offer bill credits when you bring your own phone.
Quebec residents might be disappointed to hear that Freedom 5G is not available in the province, though they can take advantage of similarly priced plans offered by Freedom’s partner network, Videotron, including the 60GB All-Inclusive Canada-US plan.
Want to see those plans and more 5G options from Videotron? Check out some of their most popular 5G plans below.
Compare Freedom Mobile coverage: Bell, Rogers, and Telus
We’ve broken down the particulars of the Freedom Mobile coverage map. Now, let’s see how it compares with the other major wireless networks of Bell, Rogers, and Telus.
5G and 4G LTE network coverage in Canada
Carrier | 5G coverage | 4G LTE coverage | Total network coverage |
---|---|---|---|
Bell | 70% | 99% | 36% |
Rogers | 70% | 97% | 28% |
Telus | 70% | 99% | 37% |
Freedom | 31% | 33% | 1.34% |
Bell vs. Freedom coverage
Bell has one of Canada’s largest wireless networks, with service that reaches over 99% of the country’s residents. The footprint for the Bell network is the second largest in Canada, covering 36% of the map. Bell’s network is much more extensive than Freedom Mobile’s, with a reach nearly three times as wide.
Bell’s 5G network is similarly robust, reaching 70% of Canadians. Recently, the carrier has begun rolling out 5G+ coverage in the country’s major metropolitan areas, promising better coverage for crowded areas like stadiums, concert venues, and shopping malls.
If you want to get an even more detailed picture of the Bell network, you can do that below with our interactive coverage map and learn if Bell’s 5G and 4G LTE service is available near you.
Rogers vs. Freedom coverage
The Rogers network covers 28% of the map and reaches 97% of the population, numbers that make Freedom Mobile’s network look especially small. Rogers’ coverage in the rural areas of the northern provinces is limited to pockets of the Yukon and Northwest Territories, though the carrier does offer the temporary Rogers’ Extended Coverage if you’re traveling outside their large network.
Like Bell and Telus, Rogers offers 5G service to 70% of Canadians, including 5G+ service in select areas of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.
Want to see the exact locations where Rogers 5G and 4G LTE service is available? Check out our interactive coverage map below.
Telus vs. Freedom coverage
Telus operates the largest wireless network in Canada, with a footprint that covers 37% of the country’s landmass and offers service to over 99% of the population. One reason behind the carrier’s dominance is collaboration: Telus shares cell towers with Bell, an arrangement that’s allowed both carriers to build massive networks while retaining their independence. Another reason is the company’s willingness to expand to remote areas of northern Canada–including the Yukon, Northwestern Territories, and Nunavut–where other carriers, like Freedom Mobile, have not.
Telus’ 5G network is also one of the largest in the country, with service reaching 70% of the population. Like Freedom Mobile, Telus doesn’t offer 5G to more remote areas. Unlike Freedom Mobile, Telus’ 5G is available outside urban centres, with service available in vast swaths of British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec, among other areas.
Want to see if Telus’ 5G and 4G LTE service is available where you live? Use the interactive coverage map below.
Freedom Mobile network reliability
Freedom Mobile network reliability has received mixed marks. A 2021 J.D. Power study ranked the carrier’s network quality behind the Big Three, yet that same year the J.D. Power Wireless Customer Care Study ranked Freedom fifth for customer satisfaction, several spots ahead of Bell and Rogers.
As we noted in our Freedom Mobile coverage review, the carrier’s relatively limited coverage area can lead to frustration for customers traveling outside of the Freedom network who receive sometimes spotty service through partner brands.
Want to see how reliable Freedom Mobile’s network is near you? Check out our guides to cell phone coverage in Canada’s provinces and major cities below.
Compare cell phone coverage by province:
- British Columbia wireless coverage
- Alberta wireless coverage
- Saskatchewan wireless coverage
- Manitoba wireless coverage
- Ontario wireless coverage
- Quebec wireless coverage
- New Brunswick wireless coverage
- Nova Scotia wireless coverage
- Prince Edward Island wireless coverage
- Newfoundland and Labrador wireless coverage
Compare cell phone coverage by city:
- Vancouver cell phone coverage
- Edmonton cell phone coverage
- Calgary cell phone coverage
- Toronto cell phone coverage
- Ottawa cell phone coverage
- Montreal cell phone coverage
- Quebec City cell phone coverage
Regional carriers vs. MVNOs
Regional carriers–like Freedom Mobile, Eastlink, Fizz, SaskTel, and Videotron–offer affordable alternatives to the high prices of Bell, Rogers, and Telus. This does come at a cost: regional carriers, as you might’ve guessed, operate on regional networks with limited availability.
Regional carrier coverage in Canada
Carrier | 5G availability | 4G LTE availability |
---|---|---|
Freedom Mobile | Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec | Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec |
Eastlink | New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island | New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island |
Fizz | None | Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec |
SaskTel | Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan |
Videotron | Quebec | Quebec |
While service is available in the above provinces, it doesn’t mean it’s available everywhere in those provinces. There’s no guarantee that a regional carrier will be able to offer coverage in your particular neck of the woods, which is why we suggest using our Coverage Check, which allows you to see if a carrier offers service to your address.
The provinces listed aren’t the full extent of these regional carriers’ coverage maps, though they do represent the full extent of their high-quality service. Although many of these carriers (including Freedom) offer extended coverage through partner networks, the speed and connectivity can be unpredictable and sometimes substandard.
If you’re interested in seeing what your local regional carrier has to offer, we’ve got the most popular plans from regional carriers below.
If you’re looking for reliable nationwide coverage but can’t stomach the high prices of the Big Three, we recommend MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators), which are smaller brands that provide discounted access to the country’s larger wireless networks.
In Canada, there are relatively few true independently owned MVNOs, but there is an abundance of flankers, which are brands owned by the Big Three that operate on their respective networks. Flankers are geared toward specific demographics and offer cheaper monthly payments than their parent companies.
Interested in checking out popular plans from MVNOs? You can find options on the Bell, Rogers, and Telus networks below.
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