topic Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors in Get Support

Data usage on PM vs competitors

buiya — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 13:45:05 GMT

Has anyone else noticed that their data usage is significantly lower than what it was when on a competitor service? For example, my mother has been on PM now for a few months with no phone change or behaviour with how she's using the phone and the data usage is significantly less than what it was when she was on TELUS. In fact, when she was on TELUS, she would frequently go over her data allotment and had to pay overages, yet on PM she doesn't even come close to what she was using before. I get that speeds are slower but it really shouldn't matter should it?

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

Dunkman — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 20:33:11 GMT

@buiya

It should not matter. Slower speeds should not affect data usage unless it is slow that customer stops using earlier.

The good news with public Mobile is no overages. Once you run out, the service just stops working.

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

buiya — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 20:35:56 GMT

@Dunkman wrote:
@buiya
It should not matter. Slower speeds should not affect data usage unless it is slow that customer stops using earlier.

The good news with public Mobile is no overages. Once you run out, the service just stops working.

Yup it's just bizarre why it's such a difference, consistently was going over her 5 GB a month but since being on PM, has yet to go over 2 GB. To me it's a little bit fishy because they could charge for overage.

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

Dunkman — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 20:39:48 GMT

@buiya wrote:
@Dunkman wrote:
@buiya
It should not matter. Slower speeds should not affect data usage unless it is slow that customer stops using earlier.

The good news with public Mobile is no overages. Once you run out, the service just stops working.
Yup it's just bizarre why it's such a difference, consistently was going over her 5 GB a month but since being on PM, has yet to go over 2 GB. To me it's a little bit fishy because they could charge for overage.

@buiya

That is indeed a big difference. I doubt a big company like Telus would over bill that much. Maybe keep track for the next few months

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

PAULRANG18 — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 20:54:23 GMT

There is no data overage with PM. When used up, data can be bought with an add on. Be sure to first have available funds in account to do so.

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

pmmobile — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 21:05:57 GMT

@buiya It's possible that if she's watching videos or streaming music that the website/app recognizes that PM is a slower connection and reduces the quality of the video; therefore consuming less data, but not having noticable effect since the difference between 480, 720, 1080 is not significant on a small cell phone screen.

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

totalUser — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 21:24:06 GMT

@buiya

Apparently apps check the data speed and when throttled data is detected they become much more prudent, I don't know the details but I was told after noticing the same

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

buiya — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 21:58:23 GMT

@totalUser wrote:
@buiya
Apparently apps check the data speed and when throttled data is detected they become much more prudent, I don't know the details but I was told after noticing the same

Ah ok, that makes sense! Thank you

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

geopublic — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 22:00:47 GMT

@buiya The only reason that I can think of is that PM uses LTE throttled to 3Mbps so if you use youtube or similar sites it will consume much less data than when using LTE.

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

Luddite — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 22:04:04 GMT

@buiya When I tested the 3G plans, during their introduction, vs LTE I found the same effect. I assume it is related to apps, especially video, adjusting quality to available speeds (Netflix for sure does this). Speed testing also uses more data for LTE than PM's throttled LTE (aka 3G).

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Share-Your-3G-Real-World-Experience/m-p/174974/highlight/true#M19036

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

computergeek541 — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 02:19:36 GMT

@Luddite wrote:
@buiya When I tested the 3G plans, during their introduction, vs LTE I found the same effect. I assume it is related to apps, especially video, adjusting quality to available speeds (Netflix for sure does this). Speed testing also uses more data for LTE than PM's throttled LTE (aka 3G).
https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Share-Your-3G-Real-World-Experience/m-p/174974/highlight/true#M19036

The differences in the amount of data used based on the connection speed can be startling. In addition to how Netflix and Youtube default to a different resolution based on the detected speed, I'll give an example of how faster speeds use more data. Running the speedtest.net app, a throttled LTE (advertised as 3g) used up 7.95MB. Using a full-speed LTE plan, running the same type of speed test used up 318.7MB when the download speed was higher than 200Mbps. The higher speeds themselves don't cause more data to be consumed, but the programming of the software can.

Re: Data usage on PM vs competitors

pmmobile — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 02:32:52 GMT

It's likely video streaming that will change the video quality from 1080p to 480p when it detects a slower connection that could account for a 3GB data usage difference