Article Summary
One year after all the major carriers offered a limited time deal of 10GB and unlimited nationwide minutes for only $60/month, almost all of them all raised the price on these popular plans. Another year has passed, and Bell is adding another $5/month making it $70/month. What can you do about it? There are some ways to lower your plan price, switch carriers, and take advantage of new plans that once seemed impossible in Canada.
Canadians have spent a decade on the hunt for affordable mobile data. Even though Canada boasts the best LTE service in the world, we also have some of the highest prices. When Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fido, Koodo and Virgin Mobile all offered 10GB for $60/month back in December 2017, there was a flood of new signups. Every carrier suffered long delays on customer support lines as Canadians took advantage of the promotion.
Just over one year later almost all carriers increased the plan price by $5 to $10 per month (Koodo is the only carrier to keep prices the same). They are month-to-month plans, so they're perfectly in their right to raise the price at their discretion.
That also means you have the right to walk away from the plan and demand something better. Let's first figure out what plan will work best for you.
What Data Plan Do I Really Need?
When national carriers offered low-price 10GB plans, data-starved Canadians flocked to the deals. For most people it was 5-10x more data than they have ever had in a mobile plan.
Fast forward one year and the average Canadian still uses less than 2GB of data every month. Even when you can stream music and videos without watching the meter, most of us are still pretty conservative with our data.
Check Your Data Usage
Every carrier gives you a way to see how much data you've used. When you log into your account settings on your carrier's web site (or through their mobile app) you can track how much data you've used each month.
For example, Virgin Mobile lets you see your last six months of usage in a convenient chart so you can see your average and peak data use.
The best way to find a plan that's right for you is to see how much data you've been using. Click on your cell phone provider account login page below.
- MyBell login page
- MyRogers login page and Apps
- My TELUS login page
- Fido Services login page
- Koodo Self Serve login page
- Virgin Mobile My Account login page and Apps
Log into their customer care site and find how much data you're using. Not all carriers have a convenient chart, but download your last few bills to find your data usage. A quick call to customer support will put you in touch with someone who can tell you how much data you're using. Don't hang up once you get that info, because now that you're armed with that information you might be able to get a better deal right away.
Ask For A Loyalty Discount Offer
The bad news is that there are very few good deals following the holiday season. If you want to keep a plan under $60/month then you'll have a hard time finding one that offers more than 4GB of mobile data.
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#1
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Fizz
Unlimited Minutes & Text Messaging + 3GB Data
$20/mth
+ $5 Upfront
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#2
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Koodo Mobile
$34- No Tab/BYO Plan with 10GB Data
$34/mth
+ $10 Upfront
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#3
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Virgin Plus (previously Virgin Mobile)
$39 Plan with 3GB Data and Unlimited Minutes
$39/mth
|
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#4
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Public Mobile
$23 Unlimited Canada-Wide Talk + Text + 6GB
$23
+ $5 Upfront
|
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#5
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Freedom Mobile
$34 5G 10GB CA-US plan
$29/mth
+ $45 Upfront
|
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#6
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Fido
$35 Basic Plan with Unltd Minutes + 3GB
$35/mth
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#7
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Eastlink
$40 Starter Data 3GB Plan
$40/mth
+ $50 Upfront
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#8
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Bell
Student Plan 100GB
$49/mth
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#9
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Rogers
Infinite 100GB - Student Plan
$49/mth
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Call your carrier and they can offer deals over the phone for loyal customers that you won't find offered on the web site. Your mileage may vary, but you should get offered a plan with several gigs of data for even less than the $60/month you were paying.
Switch to a Flanker Brand
Bell, Rogers and Telus all offer plans with 10GB or more, but if you don't need that much data (most Canadians don't come close) then switch to a cheaper carrier. Virgin Mobile, Fido and Koodo offer plans with less data and lower monthly bills. Lucky Mobile, Chatr and Public Mobile offer prepaid services with slower data rates, but still run on Canada's largest networks because they're owned by one of Canada's three largest carriers;
- Bell owns Virgin Mobile and Lucky Mobile
- Rogers owns Fido and Chatr
- Telus owns Koodo and Public Mobile
The last one is most interesting as it provides the low-price options on Canada's largest, fastest and most reliable network. Koodo is a sub-brand of Telus and runs on the same premium cellular network. If you've been a customer of Telus for a while then see if you can get one of these deals. But what if you haven't been with your current cell phone provider for very long?
Ask Your Old Carrier For A Deal
Six months after the 10GB for $60 frenzy, several carriers offered "Win Back" deals. Every offer was different but most included between 5-10 gigs of data, a $0 iPhone or bill credits at one competitive monthly rate. Those deals are long gone but you may still be able to negotiate a great plan from your old wireless provider.
If you have ever jumped to another cell phone provider to take advantage of a great deal then your old carrier may offer up something in order to bring you back. Call the sales support line for your old cell company and ask what they can do.
Again, your mileage may vary but if you know how much data you actually use each month and how much you want to spend before you call, you'll be in the best position to get the best deal.
Large Data Plans on One Bill
Large data plans still exist. Summer 2019 saw the launch of unlimited data plans from Rogers, Bell and Telus. There are some conditions to the "unlimited" data, but you still get at least 10GB of high speed LTE data. After that your downloads are slowed to 512 kbps, but that's still fast enough to stream music. Plans normally start around $75/month, but there's ways to get it down:
- Sign up in Quebec, Saskatchewan or Manitoba where plans can be $10/month cheaper
- Use Telus Peace of Mind Connect plans to share unlimited data on tablets, smartwatches and even your car for no additional monthly fee
- Combine two or more plans on one bill and save up to $15/month per line
- Rogers discounts every line after the first by $10/month
- Bell discounts every line after the first by $10/month
- Telus discounts every line by $5 each for two lines, $10 each for three lines, and $15 each for four or more lines
If there are at least four people in your family then each of you gets 10GB for $60/month.
Shared plan with 2 lines
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#1
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Bell
Extra 50
$65/mth
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#2
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Rogers
Infinite Family Plan
$104/mth
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#3
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Telus
Unlimited Family Plan
$155/mth
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Switch to Freedom Mobile
Here's the reason the 10GB for $60 offer appeared in the first place; In late 2017, the recently re-branded Freedom Mobile offered 10GB of data and unlimited calling in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta on their new high-speed LTE network. Their 10GB plan is still only about $60 today and but can get even cheaper.
Freedom Mobile Big Gig 10GB plans
Freedom Mobile still offers the largest data plans for the lowest price in Ontario, BC and Alberta. You can get 10GB of data for as little as $50/month.
Why we love it: Freedom is one of the only carriers in Canada that gives you unlimited data. After 10GB you can still browse web sites and update Facebook but on a slower-speed connection. They're also one of the only carriers in Canada that offer data-only plans with cheap pay-per-use talk time (just $0.05/minute).
Why it's not so great: Freedom offers more data for a lower price but coverage is limited to major cities in Ontario, BC and Alberta. Outside urban centres you'll be roaming on partner networks. Depending on your plan, nationwide calling and a small amount of nationwide data may be included so you can stay connected while travelling.
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#1
|
Freedom Mobile
$34 5G 10GB CA-US plan
$29/mth
+ $45 Upfront
|
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#2
|
Freedom Mobile
$40 5G Unlimited 50GB CA-US plan
$35/mth
+ $45 Upfront
|
|
#3
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Freedom Mobile
$50 5G Unlimited 75GB CA-US plan
$40/mth
+ $45 Upfront
|
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#4
|
Freedom Mobile
$60 5G Unlimited 100GB CA-US plan
$55/mth
+ $45 Upfront
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Freedom Mobile's Network Coverage
While they're the fourth-largest network in Canada, Freedom Mobile doesn't have nationwide coverage. In fact, when you leave the major cities of Ontario, BC or Alberta you'll find yourself roaming on nationwide partner networks.
Most plans (including their $60 Big Gig 10GB + Talk plan) include nationwide talk and text when roaming anywhere in Canada. Most plans also include a bit of nationwide data. Check out Freedom's coverage map to see if switching to Freedom Mobile is your best way to keep 10GB in your pocket without breaking the bank.
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