New Province-Wide Calling Plans + Limited-Time Offer on Canada-Wide Calling Plans

[Catherine_T]

[Edited: Feb 16, 3:45PM EST]

Hey Community, 

Public Mobile is introducing some changes to our suite of rate plans. Effective February 16, 2021, we will offer two types of plans: plans that include Province-wide minutes, and plans that include unlimited Canada-wide minutes. The Canada-wide calling plans will be priced at an additional $5/month, compared to the Province-wide calling plans.  All of our plans will continue to offer Canada-wide data and unlimited international texting.

We never take the decision of changing our plans lightly.  That's why, for a limited time, we’re offering our Canada-wide plans at a $5 discount. That means customers who value Canada-wide calling can still access these plans at the original prices before they change. 

The introduction of a Province-wide calling plan comes as a result of our commitment to give you more options on features and provide savings to help you create and customize the plan that’s right for you.  If you don't value Canada-wide calling, you can still access our plans starting at $15 per month.  If you value Canada-wide calling, it will continue to be available for an additional $5 per month. 

See below for more details on our new plans: 

New province-wide calling plans: 

Province-Wide Calling
Monthly Rate	Province-wide Minutes	Data (*with 500MB Autopay)
$15	100 Minutes	250MB
$25	Unlimited	1GB*
$35	Unlimited	2.5GB*
$40	Unlimited	5GB*
$45	Unlimited	6.5GB*
$50	Unlimited	8.5GB

For more information on how province-wide calling works, check out this Help Article.

Concurrent with this launch, we are offering $5 off all Canada-wide rate plans for a limited time. 

Canada-wide calling plans:

*Current promotion: $5 off Canada-wide plans for a limited time

Canada-wide Calling
Monthly Rate (*Promotion price)	Canada-wide Minutes	Data (*with 500MB Autopay)
$30 $25*	Unlimited	1GB*
$40 $35*	Unlimited	2.5GB*
$45 $40*	Unlimited	5GB*
$50 $45*	Unlimited	6.5GB*
$55 $50*	Unlimited + U.S. Talk	8.5GB

How to change your plan: 

1. Log in on Self Serve
2. Go to “Plan and Add-ons”
3. Select “Change Plan”
4. Select your preferred plan. You will have the option of changing your plan immediately or upon the next renewal date.

FAQ’s:

What happens to existing customers’ plans?

There is no impact to existing customers' plans. All customers’ plans will be grandfathered, including those who had scheduled rate plan changes before this update. Note, if you change your plan you may not be able to go back to your previous plan if it is no longer available on our website. 

What is happening to the $15 plan?

All plans in the Canada-wide suite have unlimited Canada-wide minutes. The $15 limited talk plan will remain in the Province-wide suite and will have 100 Province-wide minutes with 250MB of AutoPay data bonus.

Can I buy an add-on with Canada-wide calling?

Yes, we currently have a $5 for 500 Canada-wide minutes add-on available which you can purchase in Self-Serve.

How does Province-wide Calling work?

For more information on province-wideon how province-wide calling works, check out this Help Article. 

To learn more about Public Mobile plans, click here.

- The Public Mobile Team

[Michael6]

At this point, why not bring back the build your own plan with 90 day options?

It's getting complicated instead of simpler. 

[BearFBI]

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@mm80 wrote:

@BearFBI $40 for 2.5GB would be Canada-wide after the $5 increase

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 Oops. I gotta edit that post

[mobileguy]

@Korth @mm80 , thanks for your help.  Glad to hear that my current $15 plan will continue for now.  This plan is perfect for my needs so hope it doesn't stop.

[mm80]

@BearFBI $40 for 2.5GB would be Canada-wide after the $5 increase.

[BearFBI]

Man oh man. We've went from a 10$ plan with Canadian wide minuites to a 15$ plan with Canada wide minuites now a 15$ with province wide minuites. 

Also I remember PM offering a 3GB 35$ plan that was a while back, it had canada wide calling. Now PM makes you pay 40$ for 2.5GB. The more I think of that plan the more I wish I claimed it.

Downgrades people ! Downgrades !

[Korth]

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@mobileguy wrote:

Sorry if this has already been addressed.  I'm currently on the $15 plan.  Since it's changing to Province wide calling, does that mean I can only make calls to people in Ontario since I have an Ontario number.  Sometimes I make calls to Quebec.  Would this plan still allow for that?  And what about receiving calls?  Can people outside of my province still call me?  Thanks for the assistance.

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I think there's now two $15 plans. The Province-wide current plan. The Canada-wide legacy plan. (And, technically, another legacy version of the $15 plan - the original circa-2018 Canada-wide plan which had limited outgoing and limited incoming Talk minutes, if anyone who had it never bothered to upgrade it for free.)

Existing customers who have the $15 Canada-wide plan (like you and me) will still have that plan "grandfathered" until we change plans or we let the account expire. Or until Public Mobile decides to discontinue/change their traditional policy with legacy plans.

While new customers will only be able to choose the $15 Province-wide plan. Or choose to pay an extra five bucks for the Canada-wide version. Unless they can catch some kind of promo or special deal.

Province-wide calling lets you receive incoming calls from anywhere in Canada (or the world) to anywhere in your number's "home" province. You could receive calls from QC while in ON. You could dial from ON to ON. But you'd need a Canada-wide or Long Distance add-on to dial from ON to QC (or to any other out-of-province destination). Not that it matters if your Canada-wide version of the plan is grandfathered.

The conclusive answer will be whatever items are described in Self-Serve after our current billing cycles renew.

[mm80]

@mobileguy Your current $15 plan doesn't change.  You have Canada-wide calling.

[mobileguy]

Sorry if this has already been addressed.  I'm currently on the $15 plan.  Since it's changing to Province wide calling, does that mean I can only make calls to people in Ontario since I have an Ontario number.  Sometimes I make calls to Quebec.  Would this plan still allow for that?  And what about receiving calls?  Can people outside of my province still call me?  Thanks for the assistance.

[golfball]

Really frustrating that instead of improving things they purposely downgrade them instead because PM is "too good" for us. The Canadian mobile telecom market is lots of fun... 🙃

[gpixel]

@Asher2 when 5g is fully rolled out, maybe they will... pm should consider increasing the throttle limit to 6mb for the Canada wide plans to make them more enticing and add 'volte' hopefully they take my suggestion and add it in after this LTO is over 👍

[sunflowershine]

Although I don't call that much, some clients may have greater impact.

[HALIMACS]

@LurganIeUk 

The $15 Canada-wide plan will be no more.   If you've got it, and it works for you, keep it.  The understanding is that it will be grandfathered.

If you move out of it for whatever reason, you won't be able to get back to the version which includes Canada-wide calling.  

What remains UNCLEAR is how long the current Limited Time Offer is granting existing customers to make plan changes and when that capability will be permanently disabled.

Would be really nice if PM would just put a dang date on that.

[LurganIeUk]

Can some at PM make this clearer?

@Catherine_T 

FAQ’s:

What happens to existing customers’ plans?

There is no impact to existing customers' plans. All customers’ plans will be grandfathered, including those who had scheduled rate plan changes before this update. Note, if you change your plan you may not be able to go back to your previous plan if it is no longer available on our website. 

What is happening to the $15 plan All plans in the Canada-wide suite have unlimited Canada-wide minutes. The $15 limited talk plan will remain in the Province-wide suite and will have 100 Province-wide minutes with 250MB of AutoPay data bonus.

What does .... “All plans in the Canada-wide suite have unlimited Canada-wide minutes”....mean in reference to the old $15 plan.....is a  confusing statement. 

[will13am]

At least we have clarification on how legacy plans will be unaffected. We still don't know how much longer will the Canada wide calling plans will be maintained at the current price.  Will it be until the end of the month, end of the week?  

[Asher2]

@gpixel With more and more “High speed 5G” coverage coming out, I think that Public Mobile should maybe start lessening the limited speeds of 4G LTE slowly, maybe start with a limit of 10mbps instead of 3mbps . But to be fair, Public Mobile is a third tier company, and phone companies basically don’t care about their customers, so I don’t see better speeds. But I do hope for it.

Note: I do not see the point of 5G since I have been trying out 5G for a just a month, I do not plan on keeping it (different company/Telus and different phone) and 5G really doesn’t have a big difference compared to LTE. Sometimes even slower. It’s overated to be honest.

[Lowufo]

I hope they grandfather the Canada Wide $15 plan as some have indicated they will. I have 4 lines on that plan. If not Public Mobile has given us a alot of free minutes over the past few years so we have a ton of Canada wide long distance in the bank. I guess we will see what happens but I am still saving a ton overall compared to old TELUS plans we were on. 

[corryk2001]

Just signed up today and made it in under the wire for the Canada wide plan. Thank you.

[a4chiu]

Public Mobile, you are making things more difficult in this uncertain time. People are being laid off and on EI/CERB, and you are raising prices by 20%. 

[kaytus]

Thanks for the update. Always great communication! 

[Anonymous]

 @Rosguru : Go back to the first post at the top of this thread and look for the FAQ. Existing customers on existing plans and those new customers choosing one of the current plans will keep their plans. That's what grandfathering means in this context.

[Rosguru]

Can you clarify when you say first that there is no impact on all existing customers?  What about those who were on the $15 plan?  Are you cutting off their Canada Wide Minutes?  I seriously hope that they get to keep their Canada Wide calling as they were on that plan before your announcement on Feb 16 2021 Please clarify!!

[gpixel]

Dave 420

[Korth]

Existing plans for existing customers aren't impacted. Although (as always) if you change away from a legacy plan which is no longer being offered then you won't be able to change back.

But this is going to make it a little harder to score referrals. Public Mobile's biggest appeal was an immediate price advantage which no longer exists, along with a long-term price advantage which isn't so advantageous anymore. New customers were uncertain and apprehensive before but could still be hooked by the savings ... but now the plans offered by Lucky and Chatr and Koodo Tabs (and that Shaw/Freedom upstart) look like more appealing value in comparison.

Unless Public Mobile's strategy is to run an endless string of conditional "new customer only" promos which basically negate this price bump?

[coolcatz]

We are a retailer and I was so happy to be able to sell plans that were Canada wide, no confusion.  This is a terrible decision and will add to the confusion regarding plans.  It adds to retailers time to have to explain differences on sign up and then customers' usage questions that take time to look into.  Just an all round mean thing to do to those of us championing the brand.

[will13am]

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@BearFBI wrote:

Hmm. Now I wonder what's up with Lucky Mobile. They still show their original plans. 

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You are being too impatient.  Chatr has already matched the offer.  Lucky will soon follow.  I am sure the FOMO is getting to the decision makers.  

[darlicious]

@Asher2 

Be careful what you ask for.....how you like that for new plans? 

Thats ok there's lots of room in the bummer tent for everyone....

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/The-Lounge/Bummer-tent/m-p/422680#M2231

[BearFBI]

Hmm. Now I wonder what's up with Lucky Mobile. They still show their original plans. 

[esjliv]

Is this better for "us" existing customers?  NO.

Is this better for new customers thinking of joining?  NO.

Was it likely a change to benefit the "Mother-Ship"? Probably. 

I thought Provincial Wide plans were becoming a thing of the past; but I guess PM thinks this move is...beneficial? 

Sounds like a move to have customers drop off like flies to me. Maybe that is the master plan.

😡

[Spudster]

No matter how one slices or dices this, it's bad for the Public Mobile customer.

For BOTH current and prospective customers. 

Shame on you, Public Mobile (or TELUS) if behind this.

[BearFBI]

@Catherine_T Thanks for editing your post and clearing up some information 👍