Data and Hot Spots

[lefty4666]

This post will display lack of awareness. Background - we have been burned in the past, before PM, as we stumbled around in "data". So...turned off by "data" , we have turned off "data" on our cells for many years. We have relied on wifi to get to internet, at home, at relatives, at motels, at Timmys, etc. As we returned from Indiana recently by car we needed to get on the Net to see if our PCR tests had been posted. We discovered that numerous places along the way either did not have wifi, would not let us access it or in one case did not seem to know what wifi is. At the Fort Erie border, we were startled to find no wifi. Finally one of the gals there let me connect to her system via hot spot, which we had heard of but did not understand. I discovered that my plan includes 500 MB + 500 MB @ 3G. Don't understand the difference but researched setting my cell as a "hot spot".....success while away from our home wifi, my wife was able to link her cell thru my hot spot. More on another post.

[darlicious]

@lefty4666 

Oh boy.....so much to explain sort of....

On the $25/1GB (500mb+500mb which is a misnomer) actually has 1024mb which you would see on your overview page in your data counter 36mb/1024mb for current usage. See more below on data usage.

1GB (or 500mb+500mb) at 3G SPEED actually refers to the data speed you and most pm customers recieve vs the network. Your phone settings for your mobile network will most likely be set at 4G LTE/3G/2G (autoconnect)or it may list them as LTE/CDMA/GSM. Only Rogers still operates a limited 2G network in Canada.

Public mobile offers its data and SMS/MMS (picture) texts on the 4G LTE network your phone automatically switches to the 3G network for voice calls. Or if you set your phone to 3G only all three of your services data/texts/calls will work on that network.

Full speed 4G LTE data reaches download speeds of up to 200mbps but on average users will find the data speed between 30mbps and 60mbps. However since pm is a prepaid provider all in market plans currently offer 4G LTE data throttled to 3mbps or "AT 3G SPEED". On the 3G network you can recieve data speed up to 20mbps+ but depending on network traffic the speed can vary wildly (latency) but will average around 12mbps.

When it comes to MMS texting you must turn your mobile data on to send and recieve these texts but they do not count against or "use" your plan or if you have it your data add ons. MMS are sent and recieved thru a separate data server. So even if you have no data left in your plan or account simply having your mobile data toggled on will allow you to send/recieve MMS texts.

As already mentioned there are no overages, extra billing or fees at pm so you should have no fear of getting "burned" by leaving your data on. If you run out your data will just stop working (but not your MMS as above.) Even the $15 plan with unlimited incoming calls, incoming and outgoing texts and 100 outgoing calls comes with 250mb of plan data. If you use as little data as you currently do you may want to consider this plan. 

You can supplement the $15 plan with the $5/500 min canada wide calling add on and if needed the $15/1GB data add on. All add ons at pm with the exception of the 10 day US roaming add ons do not expire and are one time purchases that roll over every 30 days until completely consumed. Add ons kick in to supplement your plan when data or minutes (if applicable) run out. Many of us on the $15 plan use add ons that often average out to only add on $1 or $2 extra to the $15 plan cost. ( It took me nearly 22 months to use up the first $5/500min add on I purchased!)

Downloading and using a voip app like textnow or fongo (which can also use mobile data for calls 0.5mb=1min/250mb=500min) while on wifi can be used for free long distance calls in North America and to call your voicemail to conserve your outgoing minutes. Just dial your phone number and when your voicemail picks up press "*" and enter your 4 digit voicemail pin # to access your voicemail services.

The "More is Merrier" campaign will give you holiday gifts of a 2GB data add on and 500 international minutes that can be used to call across Canada, to the US and the list of international destinations. Depending on the country called these are worth up to $0.05/min. Since Canada minutes are $0.01/min, the US/UK are $0.015/min and so on you may want to save them for other destinations countries.

If you are on the $15 plan purchasing the lower priced long distance add ons will ensure that if you do use all of your limited outgoing plan minutes for your 30 day cycle that your metered minutes will switch to using the appropriate lower priced long distance add ons.

Note: If you have an older grandfathered plan like the $10 50/50 plan some differences in data speed, texting and calling limits may apply. But even on these limited minute plans toll free calls to government agencies for example do not count against your minutes usage.

Pm also has a 5mb buffer when you connect to mobile data. This is reset to your plan data and/or data add on(s) each night or when you toggle airplane mode on/off.

Spoiler

Here is some more tips on data usage that can help you conserve data usage and/or find where high data usage is coming from.....

1. Turn your data saver on.*
2. Set your data tracker to the correct calendar dates of your 30 day cycle.
3. Set your data warning. ( I set mine to 25% of plan data**.)
4. Set your data limiter. (I set mine to 50%.**)
5. Turn off all background data in your app usage settings.***
6. Set video content to play on wifi only ( or off altogether) in each individual app's settings.
7. Turn off wifi assist for iPhone or the Android equivalent.
8. For low data plans turn off mobile data and turn on when needed or to download MMS.
9. Use free wifi when available.
10. Double check that your phone is connected to wifi. Your phone can sometimes not automatically reconnect to wifi after rebooting, resetting or leaving/entering a wifi area.

*Android and iPhone's data saver tools work differently it is prudent to check settings in each phone's apps for such things as your photo app for device syncing, backing up etc.... Note: viewing or searching for backed up/stored photos can use considerable mobile data.

**Public Mobile sends out a text from 611 giving a warning at 75% and 95% of total data usage. If you have data add ons these warnings include both plan data and add on data.

**So if you just have 1gb of plan data you will get a warning at 756mb/1024mb and 973mb/1024mb. However if you have 1gb of plan data and a 5gb data add on (1024mb+5120mb=6144mb) these warnings will recieved at 4608mb/6144mb and 5837mb/6144mb respectively.

**This is why setting your data warning and limiter is important so that an errant app's sudden usage can be noticed and/or stopped by your phone's data usage tools rather than relying on pm's limited warnings system.

***Background data can use up to 38% of your data that is pure wastage.

Get in the habit of taking screenshots of your overview page and payment history before and after renewal for record keeping and checking that your data and/or limited minute/text counter resets.

[esjliv]

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@lefty4666 wrote:

So....we have learned(?) how to get at the Net even when not within a wifi setup. The usage  shows data being used, approx 36 MB recently, presumably while we were fiddling with this hot spot stuff. Now...what does 500MB + 500MB@3G mean. It looks like we could use this hot spot when we really need it and briefly and stay within my plan. Is there 500MB available or 1000MB available? Remain very gun shy of "data" so it is normally "off". Advice please.

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@lefty4666 

I am a little unsure about your physical location. But is sounds like you may be looking for more data?

Regular Data Addons are for use whilst you are in Canada. Stays on your account until used up, but your Plan Data will always get used first each cycle

Data Roaming Addons are for use when you are in U.S.A. These only last for 10 days only, and start as soon as you add them to your account.

Note that purchasing an add-on is a two step process.

You should be able to use it instantly.

1-First you need to add the $ to your account and

2-then add the add-on to your account.

*You can make the purchase via self serve account or by calling 611 on your phone.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/HOWTO-Purchasing-Add-ons/m-p/198974

[Dunkman]

@lefty4666 

It looks like that you are on the $25 plan with 1GB data per payment cycle.  One good thing about Public mobile is that there are no extra charges or overages.  Once you run out of data, it just stops working.  You will not be charged extra.  So, if you wanted to, you could just leave your data on all the time.  

It does get trickier when you are traveling.  Your 1 GB data only works in Canada.  In the USA, you will need to purchase a 10 day roaming package to use PM services in the USA.  

With a hotspot,  by definition, 

A hotspot is a physical location where people can access the Internet

You can turn your phone to a hotspot, so other devices can access your data or Wifi.  For example, you can connect a lab top to your phone's hotspot and your lap top can use the internet via your phone's Hotspot/data.  

P.S. I merged your two posts since they were related.  

[Anonymous]

@lefty4666 

Edit: sorry for you just to know for existing customer; how redeem holiday gifts,

1. Between December 1st - 15th, we’ll send you a text message with your holiday gifts. 
2. To redeem them, just reply “YES” and your free data and international minutes will be automatically applied to your account. 

for more info visit here link

you will get SMS and if see 491-1 

Reply YES

[Anonymous]

@lefty4666 

yes you can use 

Mobile Hotspot (publicmobile.ca)

for more information about Managing Your Data Usage visit  Here link to save your data...

and turn off background data, to save your data.

when your data limit used all, is will be off until next renewal cycle,

at public mobile 30 day Prepaid Service No fees extra charges,

mean for your plan has 500MB + 500MB for Autopay and speed @3G and the total for your Data is 1GB is mean 1000MB.

[lefty4666]

So....we have learned(?) how to get at the Net even when not within a wifi setup. The usage  shows data being used, approx 36 MB recently, presumably while we were fiddling with this hot spot stuff. Now...what does 500MB + 500MB@3G mean. It looks like we could use this hot spot when we really need it and briefly and stay within my plan. Is there 500MB available or 1000MB available? Remain very gun shy of "data" so it is normally "off". Advice please.