Hello,
Unfortunately, the IMEI has a history of giving false positives.
If your account will Virgin Mobile is active with no unpaid bills, you can port your number to PM.
The best way to ascertain whether your phone is compatible or not is to check the frequencies used. Public Mobile and Koodo are daughter companies of Telus, and all three companies function on the same network and all the same frequencies.
You require a UMTS/HSPA compatible phone. The 3G frequencies are 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. The 4G LTE frequencies are 1700 MHz and 2100 MHz. The 4G LTE -Advanced frequency is 700 MHz, which is very new to the Canadian market, and, as a result, most phones are not configured for it. In addition, Telus, which shares its towers with Bell throughout Canada, has yet to transmit on the 700 MHz frequency.
If your phone meets all of the above, (excluding 700 MHz) it is perfectly compatible with Public Mobile.
Please note that your phone has to be either unlocked, or locked to Telus. In this case, since you're coming from Virgin Mobile, your phone will require unlocking. You can have your phone unlocked by Virgin Mobile, or unlocked by a reputable company on eBay called cellunlocker.net.
One last proviso: If you wish to use data, your phone must have the most recent operating system.
Though early, welcome to Public Mobile!
I hope that I have answered your question.
