- /month
- 20GB of data
- /month
- 4.5GB of data
- /month
- Unlimited international texting
Public Mobile is a discount prepaid-only carrier offering 3G service on the Telus network.
The best Public mobile plans include its plan if you’re seeking the best value option available. You can also pick up the plan if you use a ton of data or the plan if you’re just looking for basic talk and text service.
There are more ways to earn credit each month, including referrals, helping in the customer support forums, and annual loyalty bonuses. Let's check out the best plans Public Mobile has to offer.
Best Public Mobile phone plans
| Plan | Best for | Features | Shop this plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| plan | Power users | 20GB | Go to plan |
| plan | Average data users | 4.5GB | Go to plan |
| plan | No data | Unlimited international texting | Go to plan |
How we picked the best plans
- Price & value We ensured you’re getting the most bang for your buck without sacrificing on the essentials to keep you connected.
- High-speed data We looked at whether the amount of guaranteed “premium” data was reasonable for the plan price, and flagged if you’re being overcharged for data you likely don’t need.
- Coverage & network reliability We evaluated each carrier’s nationwide 4G LTE and 5G coverage to predict your service quality (no dropped calls allowed!).
- Plan extras and perks If you get free Netflix or a hefty hotspot, we factored those in relative to the cost of the plan.
You can read more about our detailed methodology below.
Best Public Mobile
Premium Smartphone Plan
Public Mobile offers a wide selection of affordable prepaid plans. If you've got an iPhone or premium smartphone and want the best choice without spending all day comparing deals, we suggest you jump on this option.
Public Mobile | Unlimited Canada-wide and U.S. Talk, Text, and 20GB 3G data | —Best plan for power users
This plan from Public Mobile is the perfect pick for anyone who wants to stream music, browse the internet, and stay connected under any conditions. For /month, it includes 20GB of 3G-speed data, which gives you hours of streaming Spotify. Additionally, Public Mobile's video experience optimization—a feature that reduces resolution to consume less data—ensures that you can easily stream video on this plan. We recommend you sign up with AutoPay pre-authorized payments to get an extra 500MB of data each month.
If you have loved ones in the United States, this plan is the best choice for staying connected with them. You get free long-distance calls to the U.S. from Canada, and unlimited talk time means you don't have to watch the clock while on calls.
- Pros: Plenty of data, easy to connect to loved ones in Canada and the U.S.
- Cons: Most expensive option
Use our best cell phone plans guide to compare all of your options and find the best plan for you.
Best Public Mobile Value Plan
If you’re not looking for a super premium plan, there are other options that have plenty of features at a very reasonable price. Paying for only what you need is a huge advantage of subscribing to Public Mobile, so take advantage of it here.
Public Mobile | Unlimited Canada-wide Talk, Text, and 4.5GB 3G data | /month—Best value plan
Sign up on this affordable plan from Public Mobile without sacrificing great features for just /month. The average Canadian mobile customer uses about 3GB of data every month, meaning that this plan’s 4.5GB of data offers a solid buffer for most users. You can also add 500MB of bonus data via AutoPay to score even more data every month.
You’ll also still get the unlimited Canada-wide calling and texting offered by the more expensive plan. And while you don't get unlimited calling to the U.S. on this plan, you do get unlimited international texting to keep in touch with loved ones around the world. If calling the U.S. is necessary, you can bump up to the $50 plan and get 10GB of data instead of 4.5GB.
Pros: Affordable, good features for many people- Cons: Data may not be enough for you
Learn more about data usage before choosing a plan to help you stay under your limit.
Cheapest Public Mobile Plan
Finding the right plan for an older family member or your child’s first phone can be difficult. You want to make sure they can be connected, but you don’t want to be paying too much for that connectivity. This plan is great for those people.
Public Mobile | 100 Minutes Canada-wide Talk plan | /month—Best cheap plan
As a base plan for /month, this option from Public Mobile is an attractive choice. You get 100 minutes of outgoing calls, unlimited incoming calls, no long-distance charges within Canada, and unlimited international text and picture messaging. If you subscribe with AutoPay, you’ll get 250MB of 3G speed data to chat on the go.
When you sign up for this plan, we recommend paying an extra one-time $5 fee to get 500 Canada-wide long-distance minutes. The 500 minutes add-on time doesn't expire, and you can use just a few minutes at a time. If you ever go over the 100 minutes included in the plan, you have extra time to fall back on. You can also add 1GB of data (which never expires) for .
- Pros: Cheapest option, add-ons provide flexibility
- Cons: Limited features, need add-ons for more flexibility
We have all the details on the cheapest cell phone plans in Canada. Compare them all before you buy.
Methodology: Selecting the best Public Mobile plans
To find the best Public Mobile plans, our experts compared all plan options. We looked at value, features, and flexibility in getting what you need from your plan. It’s also important to us that you can be confident in your plan, so we compare different use cases so that there’s a pick for your lifestyle.
Public Mobile's Network Coverage
Public Mobile uses the Telus Mobility network. Telus is one of Canada's fastest, largest, and most reliable cell phone networks.
Even though you will connect to a 4G LTE network, your downloads will not be full speed. Public Mobile plans include "3G speed" data, which is another way of saying your download speed will throttle to 3Mbps. That's still fast enough for premium-quality audio streams but might be a bit slow for customers who heavily rely on phone data. Video optimization services built into the Public Mobile network reduce image quality to ensure that Netflix and YouTube stream smoothly even over mobile connections.
While download speeds may be slow, Public Mobile has affordable plans. These plans include a solid amount of data, never lock you into a long-term contract, and include benefits like international texting that you expect from your phone plan.
Features on Public Mobile
No credit checks or contracts
Every Public Mobile plan is prepaid, so you won't need a credit check with your personal information and will never have to sign a contract. Pay for the minutes or data you intend to use, then cancel and walk away whenever you want. One SIM card. No cancellation fees. No problems. Plus, every cell phone plan with Public Mobile includes nationwide long-distance, unlimited international texting, voicemail, and caller ID.
Signing up with Auto-Pay nets you some extra data per month, which is a solid bonus.
Bring your own phone
Public Mobile doesn't sell phones. Period. You'll have to bring one when you sign up.
The good news is that Public Mobile runs on a modern 4G LTE network that supports most mobile phones. We recommend that you check if your device will work on Public Mobile by contacting a sales representative or entering your phone information on the Public Mobile website. Using an old phone can save hundreds of dollars compared to buying a new device.
If you bought your smartphone more than a few years ago, you'd want to confirm that it's not locked to another carrier. If it is, no worries, you can also get your phone unlocked for free.
Monthly rewards
Public Mobile plans are about the same price as its competitors but offer rewards that apply credits towards your next bill.
- You'll earn 5 points as soon as you subscribe.
- Points are generated every month, with 5% of your monthly cost rewarded as points.
- Earn 10 points on your anniversary.
- After referring a friend to Public Mobile, you earn 1 point per month that they stay with Public.
- By helping in the Public Mobile community, you can earn up to 20 points per month.
Public Mobile Cell Phone Deals
WhistleOut also tracks the best buys from all carriers every week, including Public Mobile. All phones sold in Canada today come unlocked (or can be unlocked for free), so you may be able to switch to another Canadian wireless carrier if you're not on a contract.
Methodology: How WhistleOut rates cell phone plans
WhistleOut evaluates phone plans based on the following criteria:
- Price & value: Not all cheap plans are “bad,” and not all expensive plans are worth it. We look at everything a plan includes and compare it both to other plans from the same carrier, as well as similar plans from competitors in the market, to determine whether the value is consistent with the price.
- High-speed data: Also called “premium” data, this is how much data you get at full 4G/5G speeds before they can or will slow down. The more guaranteed high-speed data the plan includes, the better experience you’ll generally have—but there’s also usually a limit to how much you actually need, and we ensure that you’re not overpaying for data that will go unused.
- Coverage & network reliability: The breadth of each carrier’s 4G LTE and 5G networks determines your reception and service. Particularly in the case of 5G, some carriers offer far more robust coverage than others, which affects how their phone plans perform in different parts of the country.
- Plan extras and perks: In addition to the basics—talk, text, and data—some plans throw in freebies like hotspot allowances, cloud storage, entertainment subscriptions, or service discounts.
Our mobile experts leveraged proprietary data and real-world customer feedback to evaluate Public Mobile's plans. We analyzed their coverage, cost, and plan options. We considered plan-specific elements, including perks, premium data allowances, and mobile hotspot allocations. After performing hands-on testing and extensive research, including customer feedback, we picked the options we feel meets the needs of most people.
Visit our guide to choosing a phone plan to evaluate a cell phone carrier or plan and find the one that best meets your specific needs.
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