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Old 03-07-2017, 08:36 AM   #1
ken0042
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Default All major U.S. wireless providers now offer unlimited data

The U.S. is in the midst of an unlimited data revolution. Its five largest cellular providers — AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular — all now offer phone plans with unlimited wireless data.

Prices range from $50 to $90 US a month, and there are some caveats. For example, you might not get high-definition video streaming. Also, data speeds can slow down after burning through 22 to 28 GB — still, that's a lot of data.

Meanwhile, in Canada no major provider offers a true unlimited deal. That's something that frustrates many Canadians, who have a growing appetite for it.


Figured this was worthy of a discussion- if nothing else to help create awareness. (Or to get some people's blood boiling on a Tuesday morning- save the cost of a coffee.)
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Old 03-07-2017, 09:23 AM   #2
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"We have found that Canadians don't use that much data and Canada is a large land and population is spread out and we are very competitive and have you seen our new Spend $1000 and get 100MB plan and Verizon coming to Canada is unacceptable and unfair!!"
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Old 03-07-2017, 09:49 AM   #3
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To be fair, the US phone companies have pretty much eliminated all of their cheaper plans that may have come with small amounts of data or other drawbacks that may not have mattered to some people. Now everyone is forced to subscribe to a much more expensive plan regardless of whether they want or need the data. For some (many?) the new plans are great, for others not so much. So yes, unlimited data is way more than we can get here but it does come at a cost.
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Old 03-07-2017, 09:57 AM   #4
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To be fair, the US phone companies have pretty much eliminated all of their cheaper plans that may have come with small amounts of data or other drawbacks that may not have mattered to some people. Now everyone is forced to subscribe to a much more expensive plan regardless of whether they want or need the data. For some (many?) the new plans are great, for others not so much. So yes, unlimited data is way more than we can get here but it does come at a cost.
What do they pay now for unlimited Data? 40 Bucks a month now? I have a hard time seeing that as being a bad thing for US customers in any way.

It's peanuts compared to us. My wife's cell phone is almost $100 a month and that's with only 1.5G of Data. I don't mind paying more up here given the network issues (big space, little population), but what we pay is absolutely criminal.
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Old 03-07-2017, 10:04 AM   #5
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I guess it depends on that value of those lesser plans. Pretty much the cheapest plan out there in Canada is $30 per month. Whereas the US carriers are offering plans around $40 per line when you add multiple lines. Most of the people I know with $30 plans have them for their kids. So even assuming 1 kid, you could have a family's cell bill stay the same at $150 ($60 per parent, $30 for the kid.) That would also bump everybody up from ~100 MB for the kid a 1 GB for the parents up to the unlimited data.
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Old 03-07-2017, 12:18 PM   #6
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Also to be fair the US has far worse speed than Canada. I am in Miami with 5 bars on LTE and I top out at 16mbps.

At home I am well over 25 even get over 30
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Old 03-07-2017, 12:49 PM   #7
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Also to be fair the US has far worse speed than Canada. I am in Miami with 5 bars on LTE and I top out at 16mbps.

At home I am well over 25 even get over 30
What do speeds matters when you can't over 1 G a month without a $1000 bill?
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Old 03-07-2017, 01:33 PM   #8
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My wife's cell phone is almost $100 a month and that's with only 1.5G of Data.
Who on earth are you with? I'm paying 2/3 that for 4G.

Even with Bell I was paying $100 but had 6G.
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Old 03-07-2017, 01:43 PM   #9
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What do speeds matters when you can't over 1 G a month without a $1000 bill?
Well I pay $120/month with Rogers on a share everything for 2 phone lines on 6GB shared.

I also get 2 spotify memberships thrown in for a $20 value. So it is costing me $100 for the phone and data service. Not great, but I also am with a premium brand, Koodoo and the like are cheper and dame speed.

All I am saying is that LTE in the US is a bit better than 3G in Canada in my experience. We do not get a deal here, but I really prefer our service comparatively. The cell service sucks down here for the most part.
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Old 03-07-2017, 01:46 PM   #10
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Who on earth are you with? I'm paying 2/3 that for 4G.

Even with Bell I was paying $100 but had 6G.
She's with Bell. It's close to $100 a month (which includes the Geek Squad fee or whatever it is for insurance).
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Old 03-08-2017, 02:39 PM   #11
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I don't get why people still go with Rogers or the big companies. Go with their discount brands, koodo, virgin, public mobile... they all offer the same thing but deeply discounted.

I used to have a koodo plan that cost $50 for 3 gigs of data. Now I'm with Public mobile that gives me 12gigs/3 months that cost me $40 a month. It's not unlimited but it's far from the $100 for 2 gigs of data.
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Old 03-08-2017, 05:54 PM   #12
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I don't get why people still go with Rogers or the big companies. Go with their discount brands, koodo, virgin, public mobile... they all offer the same thing but deeply discounted.

I used to have a koodo plan that cost $50 for 3 gigs of data. Now I'm with Public mobile that gives me 12gigs/3 months that cost me $40 a month. It's not unlimited but it's far from the $100 for 2 gigs of data.
If you can find 6GB shared for under $100/month then please let me know. I like the shared package as my wife and I switch usage amounts and it usually evens out to under 6GB.

If we could get 2 x 4GB that would be better. Just can't seem to beat my Rogers deal.
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Old 03-08-2017, 09:51 PM   #13
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I don't get why people still go with Rogers or the big companies.
Getting Gamecentre Live for free keeps me with Rogers. I end up saving money rather than going with another carrier and getting it separate.
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Old 03-09-2017, 08:13 AM   #14
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If you can find 6GB shared for under $100/month then please let me know. I like the shared package as my wife and I switch usage amounts and it usually evens out to under 6GB.

If we could get 2 x 4GB that would be better. Just can't seem to beat my Rogers deal.
How about 2 x 6GB for $49 each?
http://www.cellphoneman.ca/plans

As mentioned in the "Koodo MB/SK plan" thread, I used this guy for mine and my wife's phones. Basically for $100 he does most of the legwork on the Koodo side of things. You can also go to Koodo's site and look at the various provinces. I believe the plans he is currently offering are based out of Quebec.

Or if you don't want to jump through the hoops, Koodo is currently offering a 4 GB plan in Alberta for $60 per month.
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Old 03-09-2017, 08:16 AM   #15
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Wow, the North American data bills are ridiculous.
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Old 03-14-2017, 04:39 PM   #16
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I used to have one of those 6GB plans from Bell, but my parents switched carriers. Now I have to share 7GB among three people and deal with Telus' dog#### network.

Its kind will not pass this way again.
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Old 03-15-2017, 07:29 AM   #17
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Getting Gamecentre Live for free keeps me with Rogers. I end up saving money rather than going with another carrier and getting it separate.

This is a big reason I stick with Rogers. I used to use the app on my PS4 but found most/many games were blacked out but have since found out that I can sign in online and watch through my PC which has a VPN setup (for privacy purposes of course) and this allows me to watch all games. Just some food for thought for people like me that were frustrated with how many games are locally blacked out.

Back on topic, the wife and I pay about 190 on the Share Everything plan with Rogers and get 9GB. Absolutely flipping expensive but was cheaper than what we were paying for two separate lines and more than doubled the data we had between the two lines. The roam like home feature Rogers has is pretty handy when travelling too. Not cheap but really useful to be able to use your phone like normal in Mexico or the US and know it's not going to cost you a ton more than the arm and leg you're already paying.

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Old 03-15-2017, 07:56 AM   #18
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This is a big reason I stick with Rogers. I used to use the app on my PS4 but found most/many games were blacked out but have since found out that I can sign in online and watch through my PC which has a VPN setup (for privacy purposes of course) and this allows me to watch all games. Just some food for thought for people like me that were frustrated with how many games are locally blacked out.

I don't have blackout problems being in BC with the PS4 app but I do have a problem where it will randomly skip back 30 seconds so I use the Xbox One app.


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Old 03-15-2017, 08:02 AM   #19
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When people are quoting $100 plans they are including the device subsidy which due to the stupidity of the CRTC only can be two years. Instead they should have banned busking devices with plans and have financing a phone as a separate bill from service and no discounts for bundling the two together.

If you look at an $800 purchase price over 24 months $30 per month is going just to pay for the phone.
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Old 03-15-2017, 08:08 AM   #20
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When I lived in the USA, I had 25GB data with rollover, unlimited everything else, as well as free roaming in Mexico. All for $125/mo. Their Canada roaming was underwhelming and expensive though.

The only exception was LD calling to places outside of the EU, NA and certain major Asian countries but the rates were totally reasonable. And I never called those places anyway.

Canada just has the worst networks.
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