I recently switched to Public Mobile after being with Fido for 10+ years. The promotional plan that sold me on switching was 50GB data in both the US and Canada, at 5G (which my new phone supported) for $36 per month. Overall the experience has been less than ideal so far.
The main issue is that I did not receive the Canada and US service that the promotion offered, according to the app and web page. I submitted a ticket and the reply simply confirmed that I do not have the US service feature, one of the prime motivators in switching to Public. I have replied asking if they can correct the issue and include Canada/US service as offered and am awaiting a reply. A quick google search led me to several other posts on these forums with the same issue https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/Did-not-have-correct-promotional-plan-act...
Since switching I have been contacted by Fido who are actively lobbying to get my business back. If Canada/US service is off the table, their offer is nearly identical but cheaper at $29 per month, nearly 20% lower than the $36 with Public. I do not need US service very often. I live near Vancouver and cross the border maybe once or twice every couple of months and have gotten by fine using a GPS for navigation and calling/texting off of Wifi with Skype or WhatsApp. The main reson for switching was a slightly lower price, 5G support for my new phone and the convenience of not having to find a Wifi in the US given that I am attending a couple of concerts in Seattle in September (Green Day!).
I researched Public before switching and anticipated there would be some compromises in a more self serve carrier in return for more data/features for less cost. So far these are some of the issues:
- Not getting the promotion I was offered as already described.
- The 5G speed has never exceeded on a speed test what I was already seeing in 4G, at home in New Westminster (Vancouver suburb) and outdoors in Vancouver itself. Not really worth it given that 5G can potentially consume more battery power https://www.androidauthority.com/does-5g-use-more-battery-3234940/ and honestly I've never found 4G too slow for my needs, it's not like I'm hotspotting to my phone to run Bit Torrent.
- I consistently see fewer bars connectivity on Public/Telus than I did on Fido/Rogers. In one room in my apartment a friend told me the call was breaking up, where I always had full bars with Fido. I work at Vancouver Shipyards and connectivity issues are common when you are deep inside a ship (essentially a big steel Faraday cage). Telus network users typically suffer from this worse that Rogers users. Banging away for a signal it can't find eats battery and results in a lot of time on airplane mode to avoid dying before lunch break.
- The switching process was somewhat glitchy. Once I received the SIM and activated it I started with a new number from Public so I could run both services on my new and old phone to compare the two carriers. After a day I ported over my original number to Public. However when I sign into this site it still sends the verification code to the original, now deactivated Public phone number. So now I can only access this site by having the verification code sent to email. A minor inconvenience for sure, but an annoying extra step.
In the end I was and am okay with these compromises to get the promotion I signed up for. The offer is pretty common and comes around from time to time https://mobilesyrup.com/2024/02/28/public-mobiles-34-50gb-canada-u-s-plan-is-now-available-to-all-us... . I can see no reason why tech support could not correct the issue. If so, Public will keep my business. Given my history of 10+ years with Fido I am demonstrably a long term, stable customer. If not, changing to Public will have been a bargaining chip that enabled me to get more savings from Fido, with the benefit of better live support and a stronger network.
The ball is in Public's court.
