Is it worth it to lose 4G LTE speeds for one of the newer plans?

[slint]

Hello, this is my first post so I apologize if this is in the wrong board. I am already with Public Mobile and currently have a build-your-own plan that has 3GBs at 4G LTE speeds. I was looking at some of the new plans and the $50 one is really tempting but that plan is at 3G speeds (albeit with signficantly more data).

I know that all the Public Mobile "3G" plans are actually throttled LTE plans. But the wording of my current plan implies that I have unthrottled LTE speeds. Would it really be worth it to lose my current plan at 4G LTE speeds (which get me about 25-42Mbps down and 8-18Mbps up) for one with over double the gigs but at 3G speeds (which are throttled at 3Mbps up and down)? Everywhere I've read online says good things and that Public Mobile's 3G speeds arent noticeable when using their phones but I just find that hard to believe with how much the new plan would be throttled compared to my current one. Thanks

[kfilipow]

In my opinion the simple answer is yes. I live out in the country where we are lucky to have 3G speeds. Just because my phone is capable of 4G / LTE doesnt mean I have access to it. So in my situation I would only be gaining

[GinYVR]

@slintYou will need a new SIM and account (use yourself as a reference for $10 off).. however do note throttling starts a while after activation. If you are happy with the speed, you can just switch to a 3G plan with your current account. This is the only way I can think of you can test out lower speed without loosing access to your 4G LTE plan.

[slint]

@GinYVRWouldn't I need a new sim and new phone number to make another account? And how would I transfer over my current number if I decided the 3G plan was fast enough me?

[GinYVR]

@slintIt really depends on what you do.. If you need to do a lot of high resolution video uploads.. then LTE makes sense. Anything else.. because the latency is the same between capped 3G and LTE, the difference is likely to be minimal. I would recommend as an experiment start another 3G PM account and just try for 1Gb and see if you can tell the difference.. if it doesn't then you get your answer. The reason why I tell you to start another account instead of switching right away is once you switch you can't go back to full speed LTE anymore at least with Public Mobile.

[slint]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

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@slint wrote:

Hello, this is my first post so I apologize if this is in the wrong board. I am already with Public Mobile and currently have a build-your-own plan that has 3GBs at 4G LTE speeds. I was looking at some of the new plans and the $50 one is really tempting but that plan is at 3G speeds (albeit with signficantly more data).

I know that all the Public Mobile "3G" plans are actually throttled LTE plans. But the wording of my current plan implies that I have unthrottled LTE speeds. Would it really be worth it to lose my current plan at 4G LTE speeds (which get me about 25-42Mbps down and 8-18Mbps up) for one with over double the gigs but at 3G speeds (which are throttled at 3Mbps up and down)? Everywhere I've read online says good things and that Public Mobile's 3G speeds arent noticeable when using their phones but I just find that hard to believe with how much the new plan would be throttled compared to my current one. Thanks

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Speeds are throttled with the "3g" plans when you are connected to the LTE network. I think that you need to ask yourself if you need more data, and how much you're willing to pay.  Your LTE speeds aren't that great, meaning that you'd be a losing a lost less speed than some other users would making this type of plan switch. 

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So in my case you don't think it would be a visible difference and just making my device feel way slower? In terms of loading/downloading times and streaming, etc.

It would be nice to get the extra couple gigs for cheaper then I'm currently paying but not if it slows everything down to an unbearable level switching speeds.

[GinYVR]

@slintThe "3G" speed is capped at 3Mbps. However to achieve the maximum speed with uncapped LTE you do really need to have one of the latest phones and at the right place (where you are close to towers that offer LTE+).

I think the "4G LTE" business at Public Mobile is an area that is overlapped with Koodo. With Koodo so agressive with giving away free phones and resellers topping off with $200 gift certificates, I think they are a better choice.

[computergeek541 · Accepted solution]

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@slint wrote:

Hello, this is my first post so I apologize if this is in the wrong board. I am already with Public Mobile and currently have a build-your-own plan that has 3GBs at 4G LTE speeds. I was looking at some of the new plans and the $50 one is really tempting but that plan is at 3G speeds (albeit with signficantly more data).

I know that all the Public Mobile "3G" plans are actually throttled LTE plans. But the wording of my current plan implies that I have unthrottled LTE speeds. Would it really be worth it to lose my current plan at 4G LTE speeds (which get me about 25-42Mbps down and 8-18Mbps up) for one with over double the gigs but at 3G speeds (which are throttled at 3Mbps up and down)? Everywhere I've read online says good things and that Public Mobile's 3G speeds arent noticeable when using their phones but I just find that hard to believe with how much the new plan would be throttled compared to my current one. Thanks

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Speeds are throttled with the "3g" plans when you are connected to the LTE network. I think that you need to ask yourself if you need more data, and how much you're willing to pay.  Your LTE speeds aren't that great, meaning that you'd be a losing a lost less speed than some other users would making this type of plan switch.