How Does Rogers, Bell and Telus Compare to Other Unlimited Data Plans?

By Stephen Clark

Last updated 21 August 2019

Text Comparing Rogers and Bell to Other Canadian and US Unlimited Plans over image of the Rogers and Bell infinity logos between Canadian and US flags

Comparing Unlimited Data Plans:

Rogers Infinite vs Canada
Rogers Infinite vs US
Should I Get Rogers Infinite?
US Unlimited Plans In Canada
Switching To Rogers

Article Summary

Canada has its first major national carrier plan offering an alternative to data overages. Smaller carriers already offer unlimited data, and US carriers have done it for years. Rogers Infinite is superior in some ways but has a long way to go before it can be considered truly Unlimited. Update: Including comparisons from Bell and Telus unlimited data plans.

Rogers Wireless offers talk and text, smartphone, and data plans for all Canadians. Their cell tower network provides 97% of Canadians with 4G-LTE data speeds, but like Bell and Telus they've been hesitant to offer unlimited data plans that are so common in the US. Just two years ago they claimed that their network "wasn't ready" for the demands of unlimited data plans.

Today they've launched three new plans that challenge the notion that major carriers in Canada can't support unlimited data plans. However, does it stand up to existing offerings from smaller Canadian carriers? Is it truly like the US Unlimited data plans?

Update: August 12, 2019

As differences in plans start to settle down, all three national carriers have adopted 512 kbps transfer speeds after your monthly data cap. All three major national carriers offer unlimited plans from 10GB to 50GB starting at $75/month. Prices in Saskatchewan and Manitoba are no longer cheaper than elsewhere in the country, but Quebec customers get the plans for $10/month cheaper. Rogers customers in Quebec can also get 15GB of full-speed data for the same price as 10GB with Telus or Bell.

Canadian Unlimited Data Cell Phone Plans

Carrier	Prices	Soft Data Cap	Full Data Download	Unlimited Download	Best Plan
Rogers	$75-125 ($65-115 in QC)	10GB-50GB	150+ Mbps	512 kbps	Ignite 50+$125/month
Bell	$75-125 ($65-115 in QC)	10GB-20GB	200+ Mbps	512 kbps	Unlimited 50 $125/month
Telus	$75-125 ($65-115 in QC)	10GB-50GB	200+ Mbps	512 kbps	Peace of Mind 50 $125/month
SaskTel	$70-130	15GB	150+ Mbps	2.0 Mbps	VIP 90 $70/month
Freedom Mobile	$15-105	250MB-30GB	100+ Mbps	256 kbps	Talk, Text and 10GB $60/month
Chatr	$25-50	500MB-6.5GB	3 Mbps	64 kbps	Talk, Text and 6.5GB $50/month

Canadian Unlimited Plans

While this is the largest roll-out of an unlimited mobile data plan in Canada, it's not the first. In fact, there are three other carriers in Canada that already offer unlimited data plans. Is Rogers Infinite better or should you consider a different cell provider?

Best Unlimited Data Coverage

Rogers, Bell and Telus: Rogers runs its own network of cell towers and boasts 4G-LTE coverage to over 97% of Canadians. Bell and Telus have larger networks and Rogers Infinite customers will hop on these networks at no additional cost.

Bell shares Canada's largest cell tower network with Telus and provides faster and more reliable service to 99% of Canadians.

Competition: SaskTel and Freedom Mobile use partner networks to provide service outside their home region, so they also provide nationwide coverage. However, if you spend most (or all) of your time outside their primary network they may shut down or throttle your account. Chatr offers the same coverage as Rogers (since Rogers owns Chatr), but extended coverage on partner networks is not available.

Winner: Bell and Telus feature fast high speed LTE service covering more of Canada than anyone else without limitations. Rogers is a close second place.

Best Unlimited Data Plan Availability

Rogers, Bell and Telus: All three major wireless carriers can be found in nearly every major urban centre across Canada. Storefronts are common in urban areas and the website also offers options for signing up to cell phone plans. You can also subscribe at a number of third-party providers like Best Buy.

Competition: Chatr sells phones and plans online. Their storefronts aren't as common as Rogers, but they offer a nationwide network of retail partners including parent company Rogers! Freedom Mobile sells through their web site or storefronts found in most major urban centres across Ontario, BC and Alberta. SaskTel sells online and in storefronts, but is only available to residents of Saskatchewan.

Winner: Rogers, Bell and Telus all have large networks of branded and third-party storefronts to set you up with a phone and plan.

Best Unlimited Data Speeds

Rogers, Bell and Telus: All three carriers offer a fixed amount of high speed 4G-LTE data. While using your monthly allotment you'll get download speeds of around 150 Mbps in most urban centres with average downloads around 41-57 Mbps (according to OpenSignal). Once you hit that data cap, Rogers, Bell and Telus all slow you down to 512 kbps.

Competition: SaskTel offers the fastest LTE speeds in Saskatchewan and partner networks continue to enable fast downloads (around 100 Mbps) throughout Canada. Once you hit your data cap, speeds are throttled to 2.0 Mbps. Freedom offers nationwide LTE, but throttled speeds are 256 kbps. Chatr offers 3.0 Mbps "full speed" downloads which are then throttled to 64 kbps.

Winner: SaskTel's unlimited plans also throttle your downloads after you hit the monthly cap, but it's 4x faster than anyone else's throttled speeds and fast enough to continue streaming Netflix.

Best Unlimited Data Value

Rogers: With three plans available, Rogers Infinite lets you dip your toe into the world of unlimited mobile data or jump in with both feet. Plans let you share data across multiple lines and even other devices including tablets, smartwatches and mobile internet. You save $10/month off every additional line.

#1	Rogers	Rogers Infinite 100GB - Student Plan 100GB full speed data at download speeds up to 250Mbps $50/mth Go	$50/mth	Go
#2	Rogers	Rogers Infinite 100GB - Student Plan 100GB full speed data at download speeds up to 250Mbps Contract (24 mths) $50/mth Go	$50/mth	Go
#3	Rogers	Rogers 60GB Non-shared Plan 60GB full speed data at download speeds up to 250Mbps Deal: Get $10/mo. off on this plan when you bring your own phone $50/mth Go	$50/mth	Go
#4	Rogers	Rogers 60GB Non-shared Plan 60GB full speed data at download speeds up to 250Mbps Contract (24 mths) $60/mth Go	$60/mth	Go

All plans are priced $10/month cheaper in Quebec. An additional "Speed Pass" of 3GB can be added for $15 if you need a bit more full-speed data in a given month.

Telus Peace of Mind: Telus matches Rogers unlimited data plans, although full-speed data isn't shareable with other devices on the same account. Two lines on the same account are discounted $5/month each, 3 lines are discounted $10/month each, and Telus knocks $15/month off every line when you have four on one account. Peace of Mind plans include unlimited, throttled data after you hit your monthly ca. Simple Share plans are not unlimited, but allow you to share data across multiple phone lines and internet devices.

#1	Telus	Telus Essential 50 5G 50GB at 5G speeds up to 250Mbps $65/mth Go	$65/mth	Go
#2	Telus	Telus Essential 75 5G 75GB at 5G speeds up to 250Mbps $70/mth Go	$70/mth	Go
#3	Telus	Telus Unlimited 100 5G+ Unlimited 100GB at 5G+ speeds up to 2Gbps $80/mth Go	$80/mth	Go
#4	Telus	Telus Unlimited 150 5G+ Can-US Unlimited 150GB at 5G+ speeds up to 2Gbps $95/mth Go	$95/mth	Go
#5	Telus	Telus Unlimited 150 5G+ Can-US Unlimited 150GB at 5G+ speeds up to 2Gbps $100/mth Go	$100/mth	Go

Bell Unlimited: Bell has three tiers for Unlimited data plans

Like Rogers, all three plans are $10/month cheaper in Quebec where there is more competition in the market.

Competition: Sasktel only offers one unlimited data plan with two price-points depending on additional services you have with the telecom and they start at $90/month. The plan occasionally goes on sale for as little as $70/month, and opens availability to all new customers.

Freedom Mobile offers data plans on the Freedom Network from $15/month, but unlimited data plans with national coverage start at $50/month.

Chatr offers nationwide unlimited data plans starting as low as $25/month, or $35/month with unlimited talk and text.

Winner: Freedom Mobile gets the win here. You get 10GB data on their home network (or 5GB with unlimited talk and text) and only 500MB nationwide full speed data. But then you have unlimited data and it's $50/month. Chatr is cheaper, but unlimited download speeds are far too slow to be of use.

Canadian Unlimited vs. US Unlimited Plans

Canada getting its first unlimited mobile data plans on major wireless networks is a big deal. It shows a shift in offering customers the plans they want. However, when you look at what the all carriers just one country away offer then you see how far we have yet to go. The US offers a wide variety of unlimited data plans on nearly every carrier. Data overages are still around, but prices are far lower and mostly a thing of the past.

The biggest difference between Canadian "Unlimited Data" and US "Unlimited Data" is what happens after you hit that soft data cap. In Canada, when you reach your monthly cap then your speeds are automatically throttled. Your download speeds might become so slow that it reminds you of the days of dial-up... seriously. Chatr throttles downloads to about the same speed as a 56K modem.

In the US, when you hit that monthly cap then many premium carriers let you keep downloading at full speed. If there's network congestion (like during rush hour or when the Raptors win the Championship) then your speeds may be slowed down to alleviate that crunch.

Two people looking at a smartphone while traveling

Best Unlimited Data Plan Full Speed Downloads

Rogers, Bell and Telus: With high speed 4G-LTE covering up to 99% of Canadians and speeds that rate in the top 3 worldwide (seriously!), Bell, Telus and Rogers have the exceptionally reliable high speed connections while you remain under that data cap.

The Competition: Verizon has already launched a next-generation 5G network in Chicago and will have up to 20 more regions covered by the end of the year and downloads can go well over 600 Mbps! Some of their Unlimited Data plans include 5G at no extra charge. Meanwhile, Rogers and Bell won't be getting 5G until at least 2020.

Winner: Verizon. Other networks in the US with unlimited plans are getting 5G, but Verizon is the fastest to roll it out. You can get a 5G unlimited data plan from Verizon starting at $85/month USD ($113/month Cdn).

Best Unlimited Data Download Speeds

Rogers, Bell and Telus: Once you hit your soft data cap of 10GB, 20GB or 50GB then all uploads and downloads are throttled to 512 kbps until the end of your billing cycle. You can still listen to high quality music, but videos won't play well at that speed. Paying $15 with Rogers will add an extra 3GB of full speed data in months where you need it.

The Competition: Premium US Unlimited Plans. Some plans have soft data caps guaranteeing full speed data while others don't. No matter which you choose, you get full speed data downloads while the network isn't too busy. It's called "data deprioritization" and it means your downloads might get slower when there are a lot of people on the network. Staff at WhistleOut US have gone over their soft data caps many times and still enjoy full speed downloads and video streaming most of the time until the end of the month.

Winner: Premium US Unlimited Plans. Some of them start as low as $25/month USD ($33/month Cdn). Canadian cell phone companies have a long way to go if they want to match the US plans for unlimited data speeds.

Best Unlimited Data for Streaming and Sharing

Rogers, Bell and Telus: It doesn't matter you're streaming high resolution music, 4K video, using your phone as a portable hotspot or just downloading a new game. You get full speed downloads no matter the content. After you hit the monthly soft data cap, your speeds are slowed to 512 kbps so music is still possible but streaming video is off the table. You can continue to share data and download at these speeds.

It might be because we still have Net Neutrality laws in Canada, but limiting our streaming speeds based on what we watch and how we download just doesn't sit right with Canadians.

The Competition: US Unlimited Base Plans. Most base plans that offer unlimited data will throttle streaming speeds for video. Even though you're paying for unlimited data, you're forced to watch YouTube and Netflix at a lower resolution. Mobile hotspot functions are also limited. Higher-priced unlimited data plans may offer HD video streaming but can cost $10/month or more on top of an already expensive plan.

Winner: Rogers Infinite allows you to share that data with other devices including a smartwatch, tablet, or other phone lines. It might be because we still have Net Neutrality laws in Canada, but limiting our streaming speeds based on what we watch and how we download just doesn't sit right with Canadians.

Best Unlimited Data Plan Price

Rogers, Bell and Telus: Plans start at $75/month for 10GB of full speed data and the premium plan is priced at $125/month for 50GB at full speed (all plans are $10/month less in Saskatchewan and Manitoba).

The Competition: Every US Unlimited plans. In the US there are Unlimited data plans that start at $25/month USD ($33/month Cdn). Most monthly plans start at $40-50/month USD ($53-66/month Cdn). Premium unlimited plans like Verizon's Above Unlimited costs $95/month USD which is almost the same price as the $125/month Rogers Infinite +50 plan. However, you get guaranteed full speed downloads for 75GB, you can use the plan in Canada and Mexico, 5G where it's available and they'll even throw in a free Apple Music subscription.

Winner: This is a slaughter. Literally any US Unlimited Data plan is a better deal than what is offered by Rogers Infinite or Bell Unlimited. We've recently looked at the price variations for mobile plans between the two countries and found that large data plans can easily cost 70% more on average in Canada. That steep difference continues to be reflected in unlimited data plans.

Canadian money flying out of a smartphone

Is Rogers Infinite, Telus Peace of Mind, or Bell Unlimited Worth It?

Short answer: Yes.

Even though Canadian "unlimited data" plans throttle upload and download speeds the moment you cross over the soft data cap, it still might be worth it depending on how much data you use each month. The CRTC has stepped in with the Wireless Code of Conduct in order to limit data overage charges, but having a plan where you'll never pay data overages is even better.

If you're currently on a two year plan with Rogers, they'll allow you to transfer the remaining balance over to a Rogers Infinite plan so you can continue paying off your device. Bell introduced pricing to help you get a new smartphone to use with their Unlimited plans.

Promotional pricing from both Rogers and Bell offer far better price-per-GB than any of their regular plans.

#1	Rogers	Rogers Infinite Essential Plan Unlimited 100GB at speeds up to 1Gbps $90/mth Go	$90/mth	Go
#2	Rogers	Rogers Infinite Essential Plan Unlimited 100GB at speeds up to 1Gbps Contract (24 mths) $90/mth Go	$90/mth	Go
#3	Rogers	Rogers Infinite Premium Canada+US Plan Unlimited 150GB at speeds up to 1Gbps Deal: Roam like Home at no additional cost in the US, Mexico and eligible destinations in the Caribbean with Infinite Premium plans $105/mth Go	$105/mth	Go
#4	Rogers	Rogers Infinite Premium Canada+US Plan Unlimited 150GB at speeds up to 1Gbps Contract (24 mths) $105/mth Go	$105/mth	Go

#1	Bell	Bell Essential 100GB Unlimited 100GB at 5G+ speeds $90/mth Go	$90/mth	Go
#2	Bell	Bell Ultimate 150GB Canada-US Unlimited 150GB at 5G+ speeds $105/mth Go	$105/mth	Go

Cross Border Shopping

A common question we get at WhistleOut is, "can I get a US plan and bring it to Canada?"

Many US Unlimited Data plans include travel to Canada but international data speeds will be slowed down to around 500 kbps. Also, they reserve the right to terminate the plan if they find you're mostly using it in Canada. You could find yourself suddenly without a phone line.

Guides for Switching to Rogers, Bell, Telus or Any Canadian Wireless Carrier

You don't have to wait for your carrier to offer a plan like this. Many cell phones already work on the Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility networks. If you bought a smartphone in 2018 or 2019 then it will already be unlocked (provided you bought it in Canada). Older than that, and your current carrier must unlock it for free upon request. It's your right, and we have a full guide to unlocking your cell phone to help you do it.

For over a decade, Canadians have had the right to change phone providers and while keeping their phone number. Don't cancel your old line, but instead read up on switching phone companies and keeping your number.