Article Summary
Unlimited data plans have existed in Canada for years with smaller carriers. Now that Rogers, Bell and Telus offer unlimited plans consumers are starting take notice. Once you look into the details, you'll see that "unlimited" data has restrictions. We break it down as to what you get, what you don't, and how they compare with Unlimited data plans in the US.
In June 2019, Rogers launched their Infinite program which eliminates data overage charges on all new plans. Bell and Telus launched limited-time deals that matched the promotional plans from Rogers.
Along with smaller carriers, there are six cell phone companies offering unlimited data in Canada. How do you judge a plan that's "unlimited" as the best deal? Although they promote themselves as "unlimited" or "infinite", they come with data caps of 10, 20 or 50 gigabytes, so what's up?
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#1
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Rogers
Infinite 100GB - Student Plan
$50/mth
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#2
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Rogers
Infinite 100GB - Student Plan
$50/mth
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#3
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Bell
Promo 75
$60/mth
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#4
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Bell
Promo 75
$60/mth
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#5
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Rogers
75GB Non-shared Plan
$60/mth
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#6
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Rogers
75GB Non-shared Plan
$60/mth
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Is Unlimited Data Really Unlimited?
The numbers quoted in these "unlimited" data plans are the soft data caps. This is how much data you can download at full speed. Once you hit that data cap, all mobile uploads and downloads are "throttled".
Basically, you do get unlimited data, but not at full speed.
What are Throttled Data Speeds?
Throttled data speeds slow your data transfer resulting in a longer time to upload things like pictures and videos to your social media profile, and affecting how fast you can download or stream from the internet.
If you think of data downloads like water coming from a tap, then you can download like a fire-hose up to your monthly limit.
Once you reach your monthly allotment of fire hose water, you'll just get a trickle. You likely won't notice for small activities like filling your glass, but for bigger things like filling the bathtub it will take a very long time.
With unlimited data plans, once you reach your monthly full-speed data cap then your internet connection slows down. You likely won't notice for small activities like browsing web pages, but bigger things like downloading HD videos will take a very, VERY long time. Even checking your Instagram feed may be difficult.
What's unlimited is the data.
What's not unlimited is full speed data.
When comparing unlimited data plans, you should consider price, full speed data cap and unlimited data speeds.
Canadian Unlimited Data Plans
| Carrier and Plan |
Price Per Month |
High-Speed Data (GB) |
Unlimited Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rogers Infinite +10 | $75 | 10 | 512 kbps |
| Rogers Infinite +20 | $95 | 20 | 512 kbps |
| Rogers Infinite +50 | $125 | 50 | 512 kbps |
| Bell Unlimited 10 | $75 | 10 | 512 kbps |
| Bell Unlimited 20 | $95 | 20 | 512 kbps |
| Bell Unlimited 50 | $125 | 50 | 512 kbps |
| Telus Peace of Mind 10 | $75 | 10 | 512 kbps |
| Telus Peace of Mind 20 | $95 | 20 | 512 kbps |
| Telus Peace of Mind 50 | $125 | 50 | 512 kbps |
| SaskTel VIP90 |
$70 | 15 | 2000 kbps |
| Freedom Mobile 2GB* | $40 |
4 | 256 kbps |
| Freedom Mobile 5GB* | $45 |
7 | 256 kbps |
| Freedom Mobile 10GB* | $50 |
12 | 256 kbps |
| Freedom Mobile 15GB* | $65 |
15 | 256 kbps |
| Freedom Mobile 30GB* | $105 |
30 | 256 kbps |
| Chatr 1GB | $35 | 1 | 64 kbps |
| Chatr 4GB | $40 | 3 | 64 kbps |
| Chatr 8GB | $50 | 6 | 64 kbps |
For the purpose of equal comparison, data-only plans and geographically-limited plans are excluded from this list. Data accurate August 19, 2019.
* Freedom Mobile plans include limited time bonus data. Freedom Mobile High Speed data allotments are available on the Freedom Network with a limited amount of data (between 500MB-2GB depending on plan) while roaming nationwide.
US Unlimited Data Plans Get Full Speed
In the US, unlimited data is often handled differently. Some discount carriers throttle your downloads the same as Canadian carriers, but others slow down your data busy times. This makes US unlimited data plans much more "unlimited" than our Canadian plans.
What is Deprioritized Data?
Many unlimited data plans in the US can be slowed down at some point—usually whenever the network is congested. However, there's no hard high-speed data cap on the real unlimited plans. (There are some carriers that like to advertise "unlimited plans" even though they cap your high-speed data access, just like in Canada, but here at WhistleOut, we don't classify them as unlimited.)
You may continue uploading, downloading and streaming like before but during busy times (like rush hour) you may find that your speeds are slower. In the US, some unlimited plans actually come with "guaranteed high-speed data" which means even when the network is busy, you won't be slowed down unless you've used reached your high-speed data allowance for the month.
When you've still got guaranteed high-speed data to use, other customers will be deprioritized (i.e., slowed down) when the network is busy, while you'll continue to enjoy full-speed downloads and uploads.
US Unlimited Data Has Other Limits
There are a lot of differences between Canadian unlimited data plans. Some are prepaid, others are on post-paid monthly contract. Some include unlimited throttled data, others charge data overages. There's one thing all Canadian cell phone plans have in common:
In Canada, all data is equal
It doesn't matter if you're browsing the internet, listening to a music channel, sharing mobile data with a laptop, uploading to YouTube or streaming from Netflix. Canadian carriers will upload and download your data as fast as your plan allows.
In the US, some data is more equal than others
Many Unlimited Data plans throughout the US limit video streaming to "DVD-Quality". Unrestricted HD video may be unlocked if you pay more per month. They also put restrictions on data over USB or WiFi hotspot to your laptop, tablet or other smartphones.
Net Neutrality was repealed in the US which allows all this to happen. More nefarious consequences of losing Net Neutrality include censorship of data. Your data connection can be slowed down or cut off from any sources your internet provider doesn't like (including the competition). However, a more subtle use is that different kinds of data can be treated differently.
A mobile carrier can sell you "high speed data" for most uses, while hindering your video streaming quality. They can then ask you to pay more if you want that limit removed.
There have been efforts by Canadian media companies to eliminate Net Neutrality in the name of fighting internet piracy. Even so, Net Neutrality persists. That means your videos stream at full speed just like all your other data.
Unlimited Data Plans: Canada vs US
| Feature | Canadian Plans | U.S. Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Speeds available | 3G and 4G-LTE | 4G-LTE + 5G |
| Speeds after data cap | 2 Mbps or less | Occasionally slower |
| Average cost* (CAD) | $75.00/month | $79.80/month |
| Mobile Hotspot | Included | Included with some plans |
| Video Streaming | Full-speed | Speed capped with some |
| Availability | 6 carriers | 15+ carriers |
| Entertainment extras | No | Netflix, Apple Music, Hulu, etc. depending on carrier |
*Average cost calculated by median average from all unlimited plans found on WhistleOut Canada and WhistleOut US. Data accurate June 20, 2019.
While we see different limitations between Canada and US, what's particularly interesting is that pricing is comparable between the two countries. This is particularly surprising following our findings that high-data plans can cost 70% more in Canada. Since unlimited plans can be found in Canada for as little as $25/month, we have the advantage in pricing here.
Most Popular** Unlimited Plans in the U.S.
| Carrier | Plan | Speeds May Slow During Congestion | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | Unlimited Kickstart Plan | At any 50GB | $25/month |
| Sprint | Unlimited Plus Plan | After 50GB | $60/month |
| Verizon | Go Unlimited Plan | At any time | $75/month |
| Metro by T-Mobile | $50 Unlimited Plan | After 35GB | $50/month |
| AT&T | Unlimited &More | At any time | $70/month |
| Verizon | Beyond Unlimited Plan | After 22GB | $85/month |
| T-Mobile | Magenta Plus | After 50GB | $85/month |
| Sprint | Unlimited Basic Plan | After 50GB | $60/month |
| AT&T | Unlimited &More Premium | After 22GB | $80/month |
| Metro by T-Mobile | $60 Unlimited Plan | After 35GB | $60/month |
**Popularity judged based on WhistleOut US results. Data accurate June 20, 2019
Alternatives to Unlimited Data Plans
If you know how much data you use each month and can plan for it, you may find better savings with a carrier that doesn't even offer unlimited plans. Koodo, Fido and Virgin Mobile use the same nationwide networks that Telus, Rogers and Bell use but their plans are typically much cheaper.
Find Out How Much Data You're Using
Some carriers make it easy to find your monthly data usage. Some make it more difficult. For example, when you log into your account with Virgin Mobile you'll have access to a convenient bar chart showing off your typical data usage over the last six months (seen below). For some carriers like Rogers, you'll need to download all your previous bills and find the line that states how much data you used that month. Luckily, you can download third-party apps that help you track your data, regardless of your carrier's willingness to share info.
Armed with this information, you could find that you benefit from a $50/month plan that only includes 4GB of data. Compared to a $75/month unlimited data plan that's a savings of $300 a year.
Other Plans Without Data Overage Charges
Lower monthly fees are good, but if data overage charges still make you nervous you can opt for a prepaid plan that stops all data transfers if you accidentally hit that cap. When signing up to prepaid plans, confirm that data overages won't be charged against a registered credit card.
Koodo offers cell phone plans with Shock-Free Data which works much the same way. You'll receive text messages as you approach your monthly data limit (at 50% usage and again at 90% usage). Once you've used up your data allotment for the month Koodo will stop all mobile data flow to and from your device. You can then reach out to Koodo and authorize data overage charges, but it won't happen without your permission.
Picking a Canadian Unlimited Data Plan
Now that you understand all Canadian unlimited data plans give you a set amount of full speed data before throttling data overages, you're ready to pick the plan that's best for you.
"Full Speed Data" Speeds
Chatr Mobile and Lucky Mobile are the only prepaid mobile carriers that offers unlimited data plans. They're also the cheapest. However, their "Full Speed" data is limited to 3G (around 2-4 Mbps). If you don't stream a lot of videos or mind waiting a few extra seconds for your web pages to load then this is a great way to save money. Otherwise, stick with a plan that offers high speed LTE with 100 Mbps or more.
"Unlimited Data" Speeds
Though you're still connected, it doesn't mean it will be fast. Unlimited data speeds in Canada can range from as high as 2,000 kbps (fast enough to stream low-quality video) down to 64 kbps (that's dial-up speed for those of us old enough to remember). Most plans sit in the middle between 256-512 kbps which is good enough to keep Spotify streaming.
Where You Live
There are two carriers who provide great unlimited plans but you have to live in their primary region to subscribe.
Freedom Mobile offers some of the best-value unlimited data plans but they're only found in cities throughout Ontario, BC and Alberta.
SaskTel offers Canada's fastest Unlimited Data speeds, but you need to live in Saskatchewan to get it.
Bell, Rogers and Telus charge $10/month less on all unlimited data plans in Saskatchewan and Manitoba due to strong competition.
Shareable Data
Currently, Rogers is the only carrier offering the data caps as shareable data. That means you can put three family members on Rogers Infinite +10 plans and divide up 30GB of full speed data between you as you see fit. Rogers will also knock $10/month off every additional line, so the more Rogers Infinite plans you add, the more you'll save.
Bring Your Own Phone or Buy New
Rogers, Bell, Telus, Freedom Mobile and SaskTel all let you offset the cost of a new phone by subscribing to a two-year plan.
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