Article Summary
The best cell phone plan in Manitoba is the Bell Essential 120GB plan, which gets you unlimited nationwide talk and text, 120GB of full-speed data, and unlimited throttled data after that. The best family-sharing plan is from Rogers, but check out Bell or Telus if you travel a lot. The best prepaid plan is Lucky Mobile's $25 Unlimited Canada-wide Calling Plan
The Manitoba Government owned a public company (MTS) that helped build the telecommunications network throughout the province. Although it's now long gone, it competed with the national networks so you still find mobile plans among the cheapest in the country.
What Happened to MTS?
The Manitoba Telephone System (MTS) was privatized in the '90s and ownership was split for many years. MTS and a number of smaller telecommunications companies built a large wireless network to serve many rural parts of the province. In 2017 Bell Canada acquired all of MTS. About one and a half years later, Bell MTS mobile services stopped taking new customers and redirected new accounts to Bell. Bell MTS continues to provide high-speed internet, television, and home phone services.
When the acquisition was made, the Canadian government ensured the unique environment of small telecom companies that provide choice to Manitoba. Xplore Mobile bought many of the assets Bell sold off as part of the acquisition. Today, Xplore offers unique mobility plans on a growing LTE network.
Friendly Manitoba continues to enjoy healthy competition in the mobility market and remains one of the best places to get a cheap cell phone deal with loads of talk time, text, and data.
Best Unlimited Data Plan
Most of Canada finds the best deals with only a few gigabytes of data, but Manitoba enjoys plans that cost less while offering loads of data.
Bell Essential 120GB Plan
The best unlimited data plan is the Bell Essential 120GB plan with 120GB of full-speed data.
Why we love it: You get Unlimited of high-speed LTE data, unlimited talk and text for $70/mth/month in this deal that's exclusive to only a few provinces in Canada. If you blast through 120GB of data before the end of your billing month, there are no data overage fees. Your download speeds are slowed to 512kbps, which is still fast enough for basic browsing and music streaming. Bell has Canada's largest LTE network and a 5G network rolling out nationwide. Coverage is good in neighbouring Saskatchewan and northern Ontario for when you take a road trip.
Bell Ultimate 175GB
| Carrier | Bell |
|---|---|
| Data | Unlimited Data |
| Type | No Contract |
| Current Deal | Get a $10/mo. bill credit for 24 months with new activation on this plan + This plan includes $10/mo. credit with Autopay |
| Total Price |
$70 per month
(after $10/mo. credit + $10/mo. credit with AutoPay)
|
| View Details |
Best Sharing Plan in Manitoba
Manitoba cell phone plans offer some of the most data for the lowest price in Canada. That deal can get even better when you split that data between two or more cell phones. Plans from Bell, Telus and Rogers allow adding lines for a small monthly fee.
Shared Data Plan from Rogers
The best sharing deal available in Manitoba is available at Rogers where you get unlimited data on two lines for $150/month.
Why we love it: Even if you're not a heavy mobile data user, this is a great deal for families. Rogers gives you unlimited talk, text and nationwide data with the first 90GB at full speed. On a 4G LTE or 5G network, that's fast!
Rogers features excellent coverage in Manitoba, but there are a lot of dead zones in Saskatchewan and northern Ontario. If you regularly travel to neighbouring provinces then you should consider Bell or Telus. All three carriers offer unlimited talk time on 4G LTE and new 5G networks.
Best Prepaid Plan
Prepaid talk and text plans keep you connected while on the road for not a lot of cash.
Lucky Mobile $25 Unlimited Canada-wide Calling plan
The best prepaid plan is the $25 Unlimited Canada-wide Calling Plan from Lucky Mobile.
Why we love it: Discounted plans in Manitoba are great, but this nationwide offer is so good it's still better than anything exclusive to the province. Sign up at $25 every 30-days and get unlimited talk and text with 1GB of data. Your connection is on Bell's reliable LTE network.
Lucky Mobile $25 Unlimited Canada-wide Calling Plan
| Carrier | Lucky Mobile |
|---|---|
| Data | 2GB Data |
| Type | Prepaid (1 Month) |
| Total Price |
$25 per month
+ $10 Upfront
|
| View Details |
Wireless Coverage in Manitoba
MTS and other smaller telecommunications companies built an advanced LTE network throughout the more heavily populated areas of the province. North of Winnipeg, coverage is mostly limited to the corridors that follow northbound highways 6 and 10 and a few northern cities and towns. Coverage is about the same for all wireless carriers, but neighbouring Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario have spotty service on the Rogers network.
Will BellMTS Plans Work Outside Manitoba?
Yes. Bell acquired MTS in 2017. All plans will behave the same as with other nationwide carriers when you leave the province.
Unlock and Bring Your Own Phone
Manitoba enjoys some of the best cell phone plans in the country, but the best deals are available when you bring your own phone (BYOP). Before 2018, cell phones in Canada have usually been locked to a single carrier. Even without a contract, you still couldn't use locked phones with other wireless providers. This made changing companies very expensive as you would need to buy a new phone, or at least pay $50 or more to have it unlocked.
Recent changes made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) require all new cell phones sold in Canada to be unlocked. Older devices may still be locked to your carrier but they must now unlock your cell phone for free if you request. There may be fees involved if you are breaking a 2-year contract or received a subsidized price when you bought your phone, and your account must be in good standing (i.e., no missed bill payments). Still, it means you may be now able to choose a different wireless provider and take advantage of discounted BYOP plans.
Check with your new wireless carrier to confirm that your device will work as the technologies may not be compatible. Once that's been confirmed and you cell phone is unlocked you can move your phone plan to wherever you find the best deal. You even get to keep your existing phone number.
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