Bell has raised prices on its Lite and Plus plans by $5 per month across the board, and has hugely increased its BYOD (bring your own device) plans. The BYO plans now cost the same per month as a contract plan attached to a Lite phone (such as a Moto X), after paying the up-front fee.
Virgin Mobile, Bell’s subsidiary and BYO competitor of Fido (owned by Rogers) and Koodo (owned by TELUS), has also raise plan pricing by $5, making it now more expensive than its two main competitors.
The Big 3
Where before Bell often had identical pricing to Rogers and TELUS, it is now the most expensive. Taking a basic 1GB plan as an example, check out the new status-quo of nationwide calling plans.
|
|
1GB
Premium Plan |
1GB
Lite Plan |
1GB
BYO Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$90 $2160 over 24 months |
$80 $1920 over 24 months |
$80 $1920 over 24 months |
|
|
$85 $2040 over 24 months |
$75 $1800 over 24 months |
$65 $1560 over 24 months |
|
|
$85 $2040 over 24 months |
$75 $1800 over 24 months |
$65 $1560 over 24 months |
|
|
|
View the plans | View the plans | View the plans |
$5 per month may not sound like much, but over the 24-month life of a plan that comes to $120. If you can save $120 by going with Rogers or TELUS, and their coverage is comparable in your area, why wouldn't you opt to go for one of them?
In the BYO department, Bell can't even compete anymore. At $15 more per month, it comes to $360 more-expensive over two years. That's almost half the price of some high-end phones, and close to the full price of many "Lite"/mid-range smartphones.
Virgin vs Fido vs Koodo
It's the same story in the strictly-BYO leagues. Virgin, Fido, and Koodo are BYO carriers owned and operated by Bell, Rogers, and TELUS, respectively. Each gets to operate over its parent network, offering great coverage for a generally-lower price.
|
|
Entry plan
100MB + 200 mins |
1GB
Ultd nationwide mins |
|---|---|---|
|
$35 |
$60 |
|
|
$30 |
$55 |
|
|
Koodo |
$30 |
$55 |
|
|
View the plans | View the plans |
All three used to be locked in a battle of identical pricing; the only reason to choose one over the others was coverage in your area. Now you only have to choose between Fido (Rogers network) and Koodo (TELUS network).
After all, if you're looking at a BYO plan from one of these carriers, you're doing so because they themselves are a bit cheaper than their parent companies.
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