@gblackma
Yes, PM's "3G" is actually is 4G-based data service which is throttled by the network to 3Mbps.
Phone settings can force actual 3G connection. Not artificially throttled but also not as advanced as 4G. @sheytoon offers some maximum 3G speeds in ideal conditions, but actual 3G speeds are probably slower, and in some (a growing number of) areas native 3G not even approach or sustain 3Mbps.
4G at 3Mbps is overkill for mobile browsing and social media and audio streaming, adequate for 720/30fps or 1080/24fps video streaming. (Telus network also has "Wireless Video Optimization" which limits video to the max display resolution supported/reported by the device. It tends to substantially reduce data size of video frames, but also imposes some lossy compression artifacts. End-users have no choice, the feature is embedded in the network. Anyhow, it works quite fine with 3Mbps bandwidth.)
3G-based latencies are much worse than 4G-based latencies all across the board. Delayed network requests. Lightning page download speed doesn't help if page download request forces a half-minute wait every click, so "faster" 3G not always a better choice. 4G-based "3G" is much more responsive than 3G-based 3G.
PM does offer a $30 Data-only plan which is uncapped 4G. Data add-ons attached to that plan are also uncapped 4G. This is the only 4G option PM offers to customers at this time.
PM used to offer both 3G plans and 4G plans (and a plan building calculator to buy either option). Customers with "grandfathered" 4G legacy plans still get uncapped 4G indefinitely (until they change plans, they let their account terminate, or PM decides to discontinue the legacy).
It takes a little while - two or three business days - for PM's 3Mbps cap to be consistently imposed. Customers who activate new data plans and immediately start running speedtests can see some impressive numbers and burn through their GB very quickly, but this is not nominally part of the plan.
