Telus Review: There's a Cost to Being on The Best Network in Canada

This year, I've been on an extensive mission, testing out Canada's biggest cellular providers, and I'm excited to have finally put Telus through the gauntlet. With Rogers and Bell now under my belt, it was time to sign up for Telus' 5G+ Complete Explore plan and put it to the test. 

Seeing as Telus has the largest network in Canada, reaching 99% of Canadians in every province, I spent the past month testing the services on a BYOD term to see if Telus is worth signing up for. I tested the reliability of the 5G+ network in the core of Toronto, as well as how far the reach extended into the rural areas of Ontario. Lo and behold, I discovered that the 5G connectivity and speeds were exceptional. Telus lived up to my expectations as far as connectivity went. If having stable 5G download speeds is a priority, I can suggest Telus as your provider. Just be aware you'll be paying higher monthly costs than the other carriers under the Big Three.

Telus plans and pricing

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Similarly to its competition, Telus supports a small handful of plans for Canadians to choose from. Ranging from the '5G Standard' plan through to the '5G+ Complete Explore' options, customers can choose between a two-year term and a BYOD option. All Telus plans come with unlimited data with no overages at reduced speeds after hitting the limit. Plus, you get unlimited calling, texting, and data in Canada. 

There are some notable differences between Telus' 5G Standard plan and the 5G+ Complete plans. As indicated by the name, 5G Standard only includes access to the 5G network, offering a max data speed of 250Mbps. In many cases, that’s plenty of speed for scrolling social media, answering emails, streaming short videos, etc. 5G Standard also supports Easy Roam when travelling for a daily rate between $16–$18. 

Alternatively, 5G+ Complete access to Telus' 5G+ network, granting up to 2Gbps speeds where applicable. Easy Roam rates are also more affordable at only $5 per day. The carrier also throws in unlimited long-distance calls to 27 countries.

Here are Telus' current mobile plan options:

Telus family plans

Telus provides up to $15 in savings per line when an account has four or more lines active. Customers can mix and match plans while stacking lines under a single account. Adding lines under the Telus Family Discount can reduce monthly costs overall.

Here's a breakdown of how Telus' additional lines operate when activating a new line.

1. Activate your first line under a plan that meets your usage needs.
2. Add a second line under an eligible plan to garner monthly savings on that line.
3. Add additional lines with each one given further discounted rates, up to $15/month.

Here's a breakdown of the Telus Family Discount program and monthly costs with four lines on an account.

• Note: Telus offers a $32.50/month reduction on a second line. When activating a third line, that person gets a $35/month discount. Once four or more lines are added, those receive $40/month discounts. Primary lines are unfortunately not eligible for any discounts from Telus aside from a $10/month Autopay discount.

Here's how the costs of the above family plan example would shake out:

• Line 1 (5G+ Complete Canada-US): $90/month
• Line 2 (5G+ Complete): $52.50/month
• Line 3 (5G Standard): $50/month
• Monthly total: $192/mo

Telus' ability to mix and match plans is a great perk for families. For instance, if a teen in your family only needs limited data, they can be placed on the 5G Standards plan. However, if you or another family member needs more data or access to Telus' 5G+ network, you can sign up for the 5G+ Complete plan. Alternatively, the 5G+ Complete Canada-US plan offers more flexibility when travelling to the US.

Additionally, bundling Telus mobility with internet or TV services can offer further discounts on your monthly bill.

How I rated Telus

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Price

There's no getting around it: Telus' plans are pretty expensive in the grand scheme of things. At the time of writing, the Big Three in Canada are in parity as far as pricing is concerned. Historically, however, Telus falls on the more expensive side of its competition as it's largely considered "the best" in Canada.

To get all the bells and whistles that Telus offers, you'll be spending over $100 per month on your smartphone plan. While it may not be out of the ordinary in Canada, it's still a sizeable amount to shell out every month to get reliable 5G+ network access as well as a large data pool to use for productivity and entertainment. The saving grace, however, is that Telus' plans could save you some money in the long term if you travel often or make international calls. If you don't travel, the clearest recommendation would be to sign up for the 5G+ Complete plan to save some money each month and still receive high-speed data.

Price score:  2.5 out of 5

Value

To justify its high prices, Telus does provide several attractive perks and benefits for its plans. For example, the 5G+ Complete Explore plan I have been testing not only includes unlimited data, talk, and text in Canada but also 68 international destinations. I also gained access to 250GB of 5G+ data to play around with and unlimited data at a reduced speed in the event that the cap was met. Of course, for many Canadians, the 5G+ Complete Explore plan is overkill with its perks. Though as someone who travels often and uses a ton of data, these options are invaluable for streaming and making calls. 

Telus' Stream+ service is also a major benefit for someone like me. As I already subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, being able to bundle them all together and save a bit each month is great. For the first three months, Telus offers Stream+ for $10/month. Afterwards, the bundled price is $23, which offers a considerable discount when taking into account what the services cost à la carte.

• Netflix Standard with Ads: $7.99
• Amazon Prime Video Only: $9.99
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle: $12.99
• Total: $30.97 ($7.97 in savings)

It's also worth pointing out that due to Telus' 5-year Price Lock policy, if you're happy with the current pricing model, you're guaranteed to them for five years without any surprise increases. 

Value score:  4 out of 5

Data speeds

Telus has the strongest and furthest-reaching network in Canada. As part of this, 99% of Canadians have access to the network. However, most access is relegated to its 4G LTE network. With this, Canadians can stay connected to friends, family, and coworkers on the network with clear video calls and audio calls. The 5G+ network also provides blazingly fast speeds for surfing the web and streaming content.

Telus’s 5G+ delivered strong results in my testing. In downtown Toronto, I saw sustained speeds in the 250–500Mbps range during off-peak hours. During peak hours in the afternoon, I saw speeds for 5G+ drop to around 120Mbps. These speeds are more than enough to allow me to stream a Netflix show during a commute or play a game via the cloud. Even inside buildings like a coffee shop or shared office space, I was able to power my workflow via a hotspot using the 5G+ service. This included being able to respond to emails, check social accounts, and transfer video files to and from Google Drive over a hotspot connection on my laptop.

Getting onto Telus' 4G LTE network organically was a little tricky. In Southern Ontario, Telus operates its 5G network pretty consistently throughout. It isn't until you hit Peterborough or Prince Edward County that the LTE network is seen more regularly. Thus, I had to manually flip my connection to LTE services on my iPhone 17 Pro. While on Telus' LTE network, download speeds fell to an average of 80Mbps. This was enough to respond to emails, access documents via the cloud and surf the web. However, it's not ideal if you're aiming to use your device as a hotspot or play a game via the cloud. 

Score:  5 out of 5

Coverage and network reliability

Telus primarily supports 5G+, 5G, and 4G LTE connectivity across Canada. The carrier has a comparable footprint to Bell within Canada since the two carriers use the same towers. However, Telus is considered to be the more reliable carrier of the two, providing coverage coast to coast. That said, the two have near-identical network architecture. With this in mind, Telus' 4G LTE network is accessible to the large majority of Canadians. 5G and 5G+, on the other hand, are more widely available in metro cities. 

In Ontario specifically, 5G+ is found throughout the southern areas. So, if you're in the province, you may feel compelled to get on the 5G network. In all my trips through the city of Toronto, to suburban Hamilton, and through rural Kitchener, coverage held up. In tricky areas. I was able to send texts, load email, and maintain calls. 

When looking towards the west of Canada, 5G connectivity is more commonly found within major cities and their respective outskirts. British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta all readily support Telus service. On the East Coast, 5G and 5G+ are less commonly found. In most areas, unless directly in a major city like Halifax, you'll likely be leveraging Telus' 4G LTE network.

Score:  4.5 out of 5

Customer service

Telus provides a small handful of ways to troubleshoot or find answers to a question, many of which are very hands-off. My experience with support was mixed overall. On its website, Telus supports community forums and the Telus Assist 24/7 virtual assistant. In some cases, these can be of great value to find info on common issues or FAQs. If I wanted to ask account-specific questions or speak to another human being, I found myself with a few options.

To speak with a representative over the phone for billing inquiries, I had to dig a little bit to find a phone number to call the department directly. Telus' phone support is open Monday through Sunday between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. It was fairly straightforward to speak to a representative and ask about autopay options. All-in-all, I spent around 20 minutes on the phone, including wait time. Thankfully, during that time, the representative was very informed and was able to answer my questions swiftly. Outside of billing inquiries, Telus tries its best to push all customers to use the My Telus app for support. 

The My Telus app itself is pretty clean and streamlined to use. A lot of the app is designed to assist customers so they can manage their accounts without having to contact Telus' customer service. I even had options to change my plan and get a new device through the app. The My Telus app also includes the Assist chatbot to help find topics and answers to questions while on the go. I find myself savvy enough to manage my account and plan, but I can recognize that the app may not be the ideal solution for everyone. Sometimes, speaking to a representative the old-fashioned way is preferred.

Score:  3.5 out of 5

Signing up with Telus

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Telus makes it easy to sign up for its services with its streamlined process. Over on the Telus website, I was able to shop through the company's plans to find one that encompassed all of what the carrier offered. Afterwards, I was able to choose between activating a number via eSIM or having a Telus SIM card shipped to my door. I opted for the eSI so I could be up and running that day. I simply had to provide payment information as well as the IMEI of the device I was using. From start to finish, the sign-up process took about 20 minutes.

When activating an account with a new carrier, keep in mind that you can transfer your existing number. If you are coming from a different carrier, have Telus handle the transfer process only if you haven't cancelled your existing services. Telus can transfer your existing number to a physical SIM card or eSIM, depending on your preference.

Managing my plan

Telus supports its My Telus app on iOS and Android. Here, you can manage your Telus phone plan, monitor your monthly data usage and billing. Additionally, the My Telus app makes it very easy to change plans mid-cycle or add lines to the account. 

With the ability to monitor and update my account, I was able to set up pre-authorized payments with my credit card to avoid any accidental late payments. There's also the ability to throw in add-ons in a flash before travelling. Easy Roam, international texting, and data top-up options are available if you need. 

My only issue with the app is that it can run pretty slowly at times. I'm not sure if it's the current version or if it's always been like this, but the My Telus app does chug slowly along at times when flipping through some of the menus and options.

Am I satisfied with the 5G+ Complete Explore plan?

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With everything taken into account, I've been pleased with Telus' 5G+ Complete Explore plan. As far as what I want to get out of a data plan in 2025, Telus is checking off all of the boxes. Over the course of a month, access to 250GB was sufficient during my testing. I had access to speedy data and networking to facilitate my workflow while away from Wi-Fi. I was also able to reliably download and upload video files to the cloud and stream content.

Data allotment

For most customers in Canada, Telus' 5G+ Complete Explore plan's 250GB data bucket is more than enough to get them through the month. 250GB is enough to upload daily Instagram Reels, stream a video or two on YouTube and power your workflow if you're off Wi-Fi for an afternoon. 

This month, I put Telus' data to the test by working a full day outside of my home office. At a nearby coffee shop, I set up my laptop and worked uninterrupted on Telus' 5G network. On my phone, I was streaming lo-fi tunes on Spotify while I created a hotspot for my laptop. Throughout the day, I was able to edit videos on my laptop and upload them to Google Drive and download them on my phone without any interruptions. 

If you are worried about your data allotment, Telus' plans are technically unlimited. This means that you get up to 250GB of 5G+ data on your monthly plan. However, once you go over that, data will still be provided. That said, speeds will be throttled to a maximum of 512Kbps, which is enough for basic web browsing and emails but not much more.

Gaming and streaming

Whether we're looking at Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna, or any other popular cloud-based gaming platforms, you typically only need download speeds of around 10Mbps to have an adequate experience. However, cloud gaming consumes upwards of 10GB per hour, so if you're expecting to be streaming a game consistently on Telus' network, you'll need a large data pool. 

5G and 5G+ connectivity can provide the required speeds as well as ultra-low latency during gameplay. Throughout my testing, I didn't experience any major hiccups when testing Telus' service via Xbox Cloud Gaming. While there were some notable dips in bitrate and resolution, I equate it more to the stability of the service itself than the network's reliability.

 

Telus' average of 250Mbps is more than enough to stream HD content from the major streamers. Over the month, I popped on the latest season of Gen V on Prime Video. While on HD settings, I never noticed a dramatic dip from 1080p. On occasion, it took a couple of seconds for a stream to reach its promised 1080p streaming quality. On Disney+, I tapped into the 4K resolutions while watching Only Murders in the Building and to my surprise Telus' network remained strong and consistent throughout my use while using more demanding settings.

Telus versus the competition

Historically speaking, Telus is usually priced a little above its competition. However, as of the time of writing, Telus and Bell are priced the same when we look at comparable plans to the 5G+ Complete plan. The $85 monthly cost for premium 5G+ data is still relatively pricey. So, while the price is nearly the same across the board, the details and perks are what really matter.

Telus' 5G+ Complete plan is very similar to Bell's Select plan. Both offer 100GB of 5G+ data for $80/month. Rogers, on the other hand, is modestly cheaper at only $75 for the same 5G+ data pool. Lucky Mobile also offers a comparable 80GB plan for substantially less. 

So, it becomes a question about the best network and speeds. On paper, Telus has the best network, providing up to 2Gbps speeds. Though it's unlikely you'll see those full speeds on average. As mentioned above, the top speeds experienced while on the Telus network were around 300Mbps, which is still better than the speeds I experienced while testing Bell and Rogers. Although Telus is substantially more expensive than Lucky Mobile, the latter only offers 4G LTE connectivity.

With the Big Three offering similar 5G services and pricing, the differences come down to the perks you get with the plan. Telus' 5G+ Complete provides 10% off its Stream+ service for three months, which is a great perk for anyone using Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. You'll be able to take advantage of Telus' 5-Year Rate Plan Price Lock, guaranteeing you the same price with no surprise increase. This is something neither Bell nor Rogers has committed to. 

For travellers, Telus offers Easy Roam for $5/day on its 5G+ plans. This enables your data, talk, and text perks to be used when travelling to the US and international destinations. Comparing this to Bell and Rogers, Telus' Easy Roam is substantially less than the $13/day rate in the US ($16/day internationally) offered by Bell. Rogers' Roam Like Home is slightly more with $16/day rates in the US and $18/day for international destinations. Thus, if you travel often to the US, Telus' plan could save your wallet over the long term.

Recap: Would I recommend Telus?

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After a month of putting the carrier's services through the paces, it's easy to recommend Telus' plans. If you’re a heavy data user, someone who depends on stable performance (like content uploads, remote work, gaming), and are willing to pay for 250GB of monthly data, the 5G+ Complete plan offers a ton of value. 

During my month on Telus’ network, I rarely felt constrained. I rarely worried about throttling. Streaming, gaming, and uploads all worked as intended. If nothing else, Telus is a premium and consistently dependable option for Canadians.

Though there are a few caveats, I can't help but point out. From a top-level perspective, Telus' 5G+ network is strong and reliable from coast to coast. Though customers will have to live around a major metro city to access the network and take full advantage of the plan. On the 5G+ Complete Explore plan, I gained access to 250GB of data to help power my workflow outside of my home. Though that's probably more than enough for most customers. What sets the 5G+ Complete Explore plan apart from the rest of Telus' core plans is the unlimited long-distance minutes for calls to international destinations or the use of data, talk, and text when travelling to the US or internationally. If you don't travel often, I'd recommend looking at cheaper plan options from Telus, like the 5G+ Complete plan.