Leaving PM - on the fence

[pav]

It is with a heavy heart that I write this... 

I have 2 active Public Mobile (PM) lines which have both received a solid level of LTE data support for almost a year now. For the most part, I have had no issues with the service , however I have recently found the need to upgrade my monthly data for one of my accounts. The 30-day data plans from PM are limited to 1GB, 4GB, and 6GB. I require a 2GB or 3GB monthly data plan. Unfortunately, these options are not currently available.  To be honest, the PM 30 day pricing is, in certain cases, cost prohibitive when compared to BYOD offers from competing service carriers - even those using the same (Telus) network.  I have reached out to PM but have been told there are no other data plans available at this time.

Given my limited options, I have temporarily signed up with another service provider and will be evaluating their services over the next 2 weeks. 

If the new service provider meets my needs, I will be faced with the decision of porting out my lines or remaining a loyal PM customer.  Admittedly, this will not be easy as I very much like being part of the PM family.

Will keep you posted on my decision.

[pav]

@youbme

Thanks for your comments.  One thing I forgot to mention about the "new" provider is that their market reach is limited to a specific part of Canada. They do maintain, however, national coverage for their subscribers through service agreements with other telcos. This would expain why my LTE data throughput readings at home are equivalent to Rogers (which is half of PM/Telus).

IMHO, PM's main challenge is to stay competitive under the restrictions of their parent company (Telus).  When Telus acquired PM, the Canadian mobile industry landscape was very different.  Telus is now likely finding market "overlap" with both Koodo and PM under its wing.  They are testing the market with PM - and trying to position accordingly.  This is probably one of the reasons PM's former CEO "jumped ship" to Wind/Shaw where he will have greater opportunity to grow the subscriber base.  It will be interesting to see how the Canadian mobile market space evolves once Wind/Shaw completes their LTE network expansion.

[youbme]

@pav, thank you for sharing and providing such a detailed analysis comparing PM with the mysterious "new" provider (I'm waiting for the reveal to happen when your analysis is complete maybe?). PM is still limited by its plan options, especially if you are a medium-duty data user, prefer 30-day plans, or looking for multiple account discounts (one reason I haven't switched my wife's phone to PM).

For me, PM is getting closer to perfect and much cheaper than anything else I've seen, but could certainly benefit from more options to satisfy diverse mobile needs.

[pav]

Now approaching day 4 of my evaluation of the "new" service provider. Here's what I've noted so far:

PLANS:

• PM plan is BYOD 1GB data month-to-month prepaid without a contract.
• "New" provider" plan is BYOD 2GB data month-to-month without a contract for the same price as PM.  In my case, it's actually $10 cheaper per line per month because I have a multi-line discount.
• Both plans include unlimited nationwide calling and text.

PLAN DIFFERENCES:

• As noted above, "new" provider plan provides an extra 1GB per month and includes unlimited music streaming  which is not deducted from monthly data usage.
•  Unlimited music streaming is not available from PM - an issue for me as it's resulted in exceeding  1GB monthly data.

SIGNAL QUALITY:

• PM signal is regularly 1 to 4 bars LTE with occasional drops to 4G.
• "New" provider overall signal quality is a mixed bag of 1 to 4 bars of LTE and 4G. Some occasional drops to 3G (when roaming). No extra charges for nationwide roaming.
  
  

DATA SPEED and CONNECTIVITY:

• Ookla speed test: PM data is faster at home (LTE) but loses signal at work in underground parking garage.
• Ookla speed test: "New" provider is slower at home (LTE) but no loss of signal in parking garage.

So far the "new" provider is holding up well. I'll be checking my invoice shortly to make sure there aren't any unexpected billing "surprises".

[pav]

@Luddite

I did explore the 90 day options.  It prices well for individual accounts but doesn't hold up competitively  when you have 2 or more accounts.

I was a former Wind client. I admire their willingness to do "more" for their clients (reminds me of the "old" customer service days of the big 3). Unfortunately, I found their network too "spotty" and unreliable. I signed up for PM back in March 2015 and was so pleased with the service, I opened a second account and ported over the Wind line. It's just unfortunate that PM doesn't offer incentives for multi-line clients.

I really appreciate all of your helpful comments and suggestions. It's a true testament to the value of this community. 

[makkahn28]

Hoping PM gets the ball rolling on the numerous reforms required to kick telecomic Butt, lol

[Luddite]

@pav You have not mentioned it, but I assume you did consider a 90 plan with 6 Gb? As I am no longer a heavy data user I do not know how such a plan compares to competitor 2 Gb/month plans.

I have noticed that data seems to be increasingly expensive except for Wind & Mobilicity; though I understand their service is throttled to 2G data speeds after a chunk of data has been used at 3G/LTE?

Even if you decide to switch you at least have no aggravation moving off PM since its prepaid.

I agree that PM seems to have an individual vs family focus. Just as well perhaps given some of the account bugs; it would be a disaster to have 5 phones crash because of 1 account renewal glitch!

Good luck.

[makkahn28]

For my account, I am on a 90 day, unlim Can-US talk, unlim global txt, 6 gig data and 6 gig add-on data, I am at least happy, for now, BUT, still, I yearn for more goodies from the stockings, not slice of roaming, I want everything. PM can sure use lots of extra goodies to help the medicine go down, so that we can say, salud PM, hip hip, hooray

[pav]

@makkahn28

Agreed. If PM also offered incentives to customers who have more than one PM line (such as a direct discount applied to each additional line you activate with PM), it would help to make their data plans more competitive against other "shared data" bundles offered by other carriers. 

From my understanding, PM is purposely limited by its parent company to be marketed strictly as a national low-cost BYOD mobile service for individuals and NOT multi-account holders.  These pricing plans are carefully structured to ensure there is no competitive overlap with their parent company and its subsidiaries (Telus, Koodo, PC Mobile etc).  Because of these limitations, PM can't offer agressive rate plans like those found in some lower-cost markets such as Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Also, the "community" mobile model is a new market concept for Canada and for Telus - who is keeping a close eye on its progress.  All of these issues combined, make it challenging for PM to stay competitive - hence the reason it's still in "beta".

[makkahn28]

That's understandable. PM should have a more palatable selection of data plans for 30 and 90

like 30 day, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and perhaps 4 Gigs for the 30 days, to be fair.

90 day requires more imaginative thinking

same as above, but on top of the 6 and 12, maybe add-in 5, 9, 15 and perhaps 18 Gigs as well. something to suggest that variety in the menu is just as tasty as looking at a menu from a gold-star restaurant

[pav]

Hi @Martin,

I explored many options - including those you mentioned, but the reality is the PM plans ended up being cost prohibitive.  As a last resort, I reached out to PM customer support but there wasn't much they could do. I currently have multiple mobile accounts with both Rogers and PM (Telus). Ironically, the service provider I am currently evaluating leases their LTE lines from both of these same carriers (at a considerably lower monthly cost for me).

So far, I have noted that in my household, the average LTE data throughput with the new provider is equivalent to Rogers (which is about half of Telus).  Signal quality is the same. This tells me that they are probably using Rogers towers.  For me, the true test will be signal reception behind concrete structures (buildings, parking garages etc.).

If I do decide to port out my lines - it will be from both my PM and Rogers mobile plans. To be honest, I won't be sad to say "goodbye" to Rogers, but doing the same to PM won't be easy. I truly appreciate the community here - a feature that is sadly lacking from other service providers in Canada. 

[Martin]

Hi @pav,

Have you considered purchasing a 1 GB of data add-on for $30? As an add-on, it expires only when the last bit is used; it's therefore not time-limited.

To offset the $30 charge, have you factored in discounts/rewards for auto-pay, loyalty, community involvement, and referring friends?

Regardless of your final decision, I wish you well.

Cheers.