Article Summary
Bell doesn't offer any monthly contract data-only plans for the Canadian cellular market. They have cheap prepaid plans that include data, but most services include talk time. What they lack in data-only options for smartphones they make up for in data sharing choices. Tablets, smartwatches, mobile internet and even your car can share your data plan.
Bell boasts Canada's largest network, and provides wireless service plans to suit every need.
Bell Mobility offers plans for tablets, mobile internet hubs, smartwatches, connected cars and security cameras in addition to their usual cell phone plan offerings. You can share a single bucket of data when you group it on one account, so you'll never have to worry about overage fees again.
Smartphone Data Plan
There aren't any data-only smartphones options with Bell. What they can offer is smartphone plans with up to 50GB of high speed LTE data across that works across Canada. The most popular month-to-month plans start around $75/month for 10GB and unlimited data.
Bell smartphone plans are available in a few flavours:
How you plan to use your device — and how many devices you have on your account — will determine which type of plan is the best choice for you.
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#1
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Bell
Student Plan 100GB
$49/mth
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#2
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Bell
Extra 50
$65/mth
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#3
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Bell
Ultimate 100GB
$65/mth
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#4
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Bell
Ultimate 150GB
$80/mth
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#5
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Bell
Ultimate 175GB Canada-US
$100/mth
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Bell Unlimited Data Plans
Bell Unlimited data plans give you a set amount of data at full-speed 4G-LTE, after which your uploads and downloads are throttled to a slower speed. You'll still be able to browse, chat and even stream musis, but you'll have to pass on watching full HD videos on Netflix until the end of your billing month.
Your full-speed data isn't shareable. While it's not a big deal for some people, it may be for you. If you plan to have an LTE-enabled tablet, smartphone, or just have another family member share your data then they'll need their own plan.
Bell Connect Everything Data Plans
Wireless connectivity isn't just limited to smartphones. If you've got a tablet, smartwatch or even a car that can connect to Bell's mobile network, then a Connect Everything data plan can make it more affordable. Plans cost $10/month for each smart device (not including smartphones) that you want to add. All devices share that one Connect Everything plan's data.
Watch that data cap. Once you hit it then you'll need to pay for more data by the megabyte—and it's expensive. If you have another smartphone on a Bell Connect Everything plan, then you can share data between all phones.
Bell Prepaid Data Plans
In addition to month-to-month and contract plans like those above, Bell also offers prepaid plans for your device. While you don't get as much bang for your buck, your options are priced much lower. In fact, there's even a plan for $15/month that includes 100MB, unlimited texts and pay-per-use talk time. Bell prepaid also offers data packs starting at $15 that you can add onto plans as little as $5/month.
If you're committed to Bell, this is your cheapest option for a data plan on your smartphone. However, prices quickly go up over $50 without much more than a couple gigabytes of data. You're better to look at another carrier for cheap data-only options.
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#1
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Bell
Monthly $20 Prepaid Voice
$20
Per 1 Month Top-up
+ $10 Upfront
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#2
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Bell
Monthly $20 Prepaid Voice
$20
Per 1 Month Top-up
+ $10 Upfront
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#3
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Bell
Monthly $24 Prepaid Voice and 4GB Data
$24
Per 1 Month Top-up
+ $10 Upfront
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#4
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Bell
Monthly $29 Prepaid Voice and 20GB Data
$29
Per 1 Month Top-up
+ $10 Upfront
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Tablet Data Plan
Bell offers two ways to get data on your LTE-enabled tablet: a Flex plan that adjusts how much you pay at the end of the month based on how much data you used, and a $10/month Connect Everything plan.
The Connect Everything plan pairs with an existing Connect Everything smartphone plan. You get access to your smartphone's data plan without having to set up a portable WiFi hotspot. For the first 24 months, Bell will even throw in an additional 1GB per month. You have to have a shareable plan for this to work, and that doesn't include Bell's Unlimited Data plans. Unlike some other carriers, you can bring your own LTE-enabled tablet. You don't need to buy one from Bell in order for them to hook you up.
Hotspot Data Plan
As one of Canada's biggest national carriers, Bell has mobile internet plans that suit your individual needs now, and in the months to come. Sometimes you travel with your tablet across Canada, other times it hardly leaves the house. Maintain a $10/month plan with Bell and only pay for what you use.
Bell Mobile Internet $10 Flex plan
| Usage | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 100MB of data | $10/month |
| Up to 500MB of data | $30/month |
| Up to 2GB of data | $45/month |
| Up to 5GB of data | $60/month |
| Up to 10GB of data | $85/month |
| Over 10GB of data | $10 per additional GB |
You can bring your own device, or buy a USB stick or WiFi hub for as little as $0 on two-year plans. Bell also offers data plans to connect your car which gives you a WiFi hotspot, car diagnostics, and theft tracking.
Just like tablet plans, you can opt to pay a $10/month fee and just use the data plan from your Connect Everything smartphone plan. Bell won't include any bonus data, but it's still a cheaper option for most people than the Flex Data plans.
Smartwatch Data Plan
Bell is one of only three carriers that currently have a data plan for smartwatches. Some features like VoIP on your smartwatch may be restricted in Saskatchewan by Bell, so consider Telus or Rogers data plans if that's a concern for you.
Bell offers two plans for smartwatches: shareable data or non-shareable data. There's no benefit to the non-shareable plan unless you don't have a Connect Everything smartphone plan. If you can, get the plan with 1GB of shareable data for $10/month. That 1GB is added to the data shared by other Connect Everything plans on the same account. It's a great deal if you already have a smartphone or data plan with Bell.
Even if you don't have a shareable plan, 1GB of data should be enough for a smartwatch and still costs only $10/month. You can activate the plan directly from your Apple Watch when you first pair it to your phone. If you self-activate the plan then the connection charge is only $10 (normally $40).
Bell Network Coverage
Bell Mobility has one of Canada's largest wireless networks. They have a wide variety of services and plans to connect smartphone, tablets, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. They are currently testing the next generation of service with 5G.
Information on Data Only Plans
Bell doesn't officially allow plans registered to mobile internet devices or tablets to be used with smartphones, but the technology is the same. Some users have reported success, but your mileage may vary.
First find out how much data you use each month, then sign up with Bell for a cheap Shareable smartphone plan. Then add more data with a shared tablet, mobile internet or smartwatch plan to get the best price.
Another way to keep data use (and costs) down is to understand how much data your apps are using. Read our guides on some of the biggest data hogs:
- How much data does YouTube use?
- Does streaming music use a lot of data?
- Which Map Navigation app is the easiest on data?
- Can I tether devices to my smartphone data plan?
Bell also offers data plans for Internet of Things (IoT) devices like Connected Cars and security cameras. Visit a Bell store for more information.
Bell Mobility Deals
Every week WhistleOut Canada searches out the best deals available everywhere in the country, including Bell Mobility. We track the best cell phone deals available on Bell and report them to you so you can always find the best buy. If you're with another wireless company, unlock your phone for free and switch carriers if you're not on a contract.
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