4G on a 3G plan

[Clefort88]

Hello all! 

I have spent a few hours today talking to friends and family about the plans and services here at PM; I’ve even got a couple of them to consider switching as their contracts with other carriers are coming to an end. 

However I was asked a question that I couldn’t quite answer without likely putting my foot in my mouth. 

The example - my plan has 4GBs of data on 3G speeds. I have an iPhone, I am able to go into Cellular Data and turn on my LTE data. I’m assuming that it would still function like that, but I’d fly through my data much faster? 

How does that work for the 3G plans? 

I plan on staying on 3G; I have no issues with it and honestly, in the area I am living, the signal for calls/texts/data is far more reliable on 3G, haha 😆 

[Clefort88]

@will13am, that’s absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much.

I clearly created my Public Mobile, you beauty, post too soon, because since then I’ve learned an additional three things regarding the service and I am really just in awe haha.

[Michael77]

@will13am, 

Thanks for the explanation. 🙂

[will13am]

LTE, 3G or even 2G connectivity does not affect the amount of data usage.  The connection type only affect the rate at which data can be transmitted to/from the phone.  Data usage is purely a function of what the user is doing with their phone.  In the case of the throttled LTE data plans, the data connection is quite usable due to the fact that latency is unaffected by the throttling.  Only the maximum download and upload speeds are. 

[Clefort88]

Oh!!
So even having the LTE option clicked ON on your phone, doesn’t impact your data usage, because the plan in and of itself is throttled to a “3G” speed?

That’s ....that’s absolutely brilliant.

[Luddite]

Public Mobile's "3G" plans operate on both the LTE AND the 3G network. Speed is throttled on both to 3G speed.

[mattdxb]

The "3G" plans are simply a slowed down version of 4G LTE. They're not technically "3G" at all.

So, you can turn on the LTE option on your phone and it won't matter. It'll still just run at 2.5Mbps speeds