We started our first Public Mobile account in 2016. A lot / most of the stuff that drew us here is long gone or on the way out. At the high point I helped manage about two dozen accounts. After May there will be two or three left.
Here's my list, in random order:
- The infamous 120/12GB/90day plan was innovative and disrupting the then status quo in this industry.
- The plan builder was awesome - one could literally mix and match features according to ones needs.
- If the plan builder (or later the fixed plan line-up) didn't offer enough choice, throw in a non-expiring add-on. (fun fact: on one of plans we still have a couple dozen minutes of the original 400 international LD minutes left).
- Hardly took a bite out of them on all but the $10 lines, but the later data and LD minute freebies were great.
- Unparalleled rewards program... RIP
- The feature that I haven't seen anywhere else in this form, without penalty or extra cost: letting the plan go into suspension when you don't need it. Then, as long as it's less than 89 days of inactivity, just resume where you left off. Or change to a current in-market plan that fits your needs even better.
- Up to 2022 or so, Public Mobile was THE provider for simple low cost prepaid plans (as opposed to pay-as-you-go, which was ok for what it was, but often exceded the budget quite fast in unforseen circumstances). IMHO it was the best possible way for marginalized low income people to be reachable. Public Mobile has changed tack on that social side completely, unfortunately.
- With all it's flaws, I really appreciate the self serve approach. Having direct control over all your account details at your fingertips was a breath of fresh air. Too bad that we had to trade some functionalities (removing cc number without replacement?) for others (change of e-amil address?). Not a fan of EverSafe login, though. Too much hassle and glitches for only a marginal upgrade in security, IMO.
I understand that 5G and US plans are all the rage now, and that adding those features keeps Public Mobile competitive. But most of our accounts don't have access to 5G network and don't really need 250mbps on their cell phones, they will unlikely burn through 10GB, let alone 50 or 60... I also can't think of a single account in our group that would benefit from a US plan. We'd rather go for that $24/4GB plan, which, of course, is not available to us. Oh, and VoLTE - just make it available to any phone that supports it (with the disclaimer that you can't provide technical support to devices that weren't aquired through Telus channels, if that helps?) - it's again the low income people that are punished by this stupid whitelist.
