Unlimited data plans have been around in Canada for a few years now, but they were only available with smaller and low-budget carriers like Freedom Mobile, SaskTel and Chatr. Now that several major nationwide carriers, along with smaller flankers like Public Mobile, offer unlimited data plans, many more Canadians are looking into what is possible. Does unlimited data mean you can listen to your Spotify playlist 24/7? Will you be able to stream Netflix in HD on your commute every day?
It may not surprise you to learn that unlimited data comes with restrictions and some disappointing truths: Once you go over a set amount of full-speed data, your access is slowed or "throttled” until the end of your billing month. Data can be throttled to different speeds—it all depends on your carrier.
Browsing, notifications, chat, and social media on unlimited data
When you're reading the news, making plans over WhatsApp, or checking out the latest trends on Instagram, most unlimited data plans should keep you connected. Notifications and chats take up very little data. If they're delivered to you a couple of seconds later, then you probably won't notice. Browsing sites with lots of advertising will load slowly, but you'll still get there.
Social media apps that depend on lots of graphics or videos (like Instagram or TikTok) will suffer from slower unlimited data speeds and be unusable on throttled data plans from low-cost carriers.
If this is how you're primarily using your mobile data, we recommend a basic unlimited plan with a low monthly payment. "Unlimited" here is a bit of a misnomer: you will have unlimited data, but it'll be throttled so much that you won't be able to stream videos or game. Considering you're a more practical phone user, though, that shouldn't be a problem.
We recommend Chatr's $30 Nationwide Talk, Text & 3G Data Plan, which provides 5GB of full-speed data without overages. Once your surpass your 5GB monthly allotment, you'll still be able to browse the web all you like.
Chatr Wireless $19 Nationwide Talk & Text plan
| Carrier | Chatr Wireless |
|---|---|
| Data | 500MB Data |
| Type | Prepaid (1 Month) |
| Current Deal | Get 500MB bonus data when you sign up with Auto-Pay |
| Total Price |
$19 per month
+ $10 Upfront
|
| View Plan |
Mobile gaming on unlimited data
Most mobile games that require an internet connection are just doing it to access leaderboards, online stores, and to make sure you're not cheating. These games should work smoothly even on throttled speeds. The amount of data being transferred is similar to that of an online chat.
Games with real-time multiplayer action like Asphalt or Mario Kart Tour need a constant streaming connection. The limited bandwidth of cheaper carriers may result in dropped connections while you're trying to take the lead.
We recommend Freedom Mobile's $65 5G Unlimited 60GB CA-US Plan, which offers 60GB of full-speed data on the Freedom Network. Once you go over that (hefty!) amount, you'll be throttled to 256Kbps, which is still faster than most unlimited plans.
Listening to music on unlimited data
Most music apps let you choose the audio quality. Low data options (best for mobile connections) are usually around 128 kbps and can stream on most unlimited data plans. Midrange streams are around 224 kbps and will likely result in buffering. High fidelity streaming is closer to 320 kbps but should still stream on national carriers like Bell, Rogers and Telus. Lossless audio from Tidal requires over 1 Mbps, so unless you're on SaskTel you'll need to find another way to get your fix.
If you want to keep the jams cranked, we recommend Telus' Unlimited 120 5G+ for music streaming. The plan offers 120GB of full-speed 5G data. If you go over, you're only throttled to 512Kbps.
Video streaming on unlimited data
Video streaming services handle low bandwidth differently from one another. YouTube lowers the image and audio quality in order to fit the stream. Netflix will preload content until it can safely play the video all the way through without stopping. Many apps let you download movies or TV shows while on Wi-Fi including Netflix, Disney+ and Crave.
High-quality video streaming requires a high-quslity unlimited plan. We recommend Bell's Ultimate 150GB Canada-US Plan, which gives you a whopping 150GB of full-speed 5G data. That should be more than enough to get you through your next binge.
Bell Ultimate 200GB Canada-US
| Carrier | Bell |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Total Price |
$95 per month
includes Autopay discount
|
| View Details |
Unlimited data in Canada
Canadians are used to the idea that going over our data limit will result in high overage fees. Bell, Rogers, Telus, and Freedom Mobile all have premium nationwide unlimited data plans that let you keep access to wireless data even after you hit your monthly limit.
How unlimited data works
Not everyone likes to call unlimited data "unlimited," since there are limits on your download speeds. What you pay for is a fixed amount of full-speed data followed by unlimited data that’s throttled to slower speeds.
How much your connection is slowed down depends on the carrier, but what you get is unlimited access to mobile data without any data overages. Some carriers may slow down users even more if they see "excessive usage.” No one has a clear definition of what "excessive usage" means, but if you stream music 24/7 on an unlimited mobile data connection you'll probably see your download speeds drop even further.
Who offers unlimited data?
For a few years now, the only carriers to offer unlimited throttled data were regional and discount carriers. In 2019, the three major network carriers introduced nationwide unlimited data plans making these plans available for just about every Canadian.
Unlimited data download speeds
What to do when you run out of full-speed data
Throttled data is alright, but no one likes to compromise. When you reach your data limit and there's still a few more days to go in your billing month, you still have options. This guide will walk you through your options to keep downloading for longer, whether or not you have unlimited data.
Enabling data saver in your streaming apps can lower the quality but eliminate buffering and waiting for the next song to start. You can use free Wi-Fi in your favourite coffee shop (but be careful) or buy a one-time booster for your plan that gets you back to full speed.
Not sure exactly how much data you need to support your phone habits? Hop over to our mobile broadband guide for a full run-down to help you pick the right phone plan.
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