Just wanted to share some frustrations and open this up for discussion.

Unlike in Europe or parts of Asia, Canada has virtually no true pay-as-you-go (PAYG) mobile plans. Most so-called “prepaid” or “PAYG” options here are just monthly bundles with expiry dates — not actual usage-based billing. You’re often paying $15–30/month whether you use 100 MB or not at all.

To make things worse:

  • The minimum postpaid plan is now often 60 GB or more — which is total overkill for average users who don’t stream or game constantly.

  • Vacation suspensions are restricted or unavailable unless you upgrade to expensive plans and limited to a minimum of 30 days.

  • Text-to-911 is still not available to the general public, only for those registered as Deaf or hard of hearing — despite many emergency scenarios (hostage, abuse, low signal) where calling isn’t possible.

  • CRTC and CCTS don’t help. The CRTC says they can’t intervene in pricing or service terms, and the CCTS (per Section 4.3) won’t challenge carrier policies themselves.

Please note that I’m not asking for charity or free service — just fairer options that reflect actual usage, more flexible policies, and access to emergency support.

Has anyone here had better experiences with MVNOs or alternatives? And why do we seem so far behind compared to other countries?

  • Papamousse@beehaw.org
    6·
    2 days ago

    True, in Canada most plan suck if you are not a heavy user. I use maybe 20 minutes of call per month, some SMS for 2FA, and quite often less than 250MB of data per month…

    I know there is some 1 year plan sometimes that could be useful, check on RFD https://forums.redflagdeals.com/hot-deals-f9/?c=5121

    Else I recommend fizz in QC, or PublicMobile in ROC I guess.

    • Diyan Hu@discuss.tchncs.deOP
      2·
      2 days ago

      I agree that most Canadian plans aren’t great unless you’re a heavy user. I actually use very little talk and SMS — mostly just for 2FA and phone verification for apps.

      That said, Fizz didn’t work for me at all. They failed to initiate the porting process due to technical issues on their end. I never received a working eSIM, and even though I requested a refund (they allow it with limited cases, such as within the 15-day trial window and only once per year), it’s still pending ticket resolution. No service was ever usable.

      I also tried Public Mobile, and while it technically worked, the overall experience and value still didn’t meet my needs.

      Just putting this out there in case anyone else is considering these providers — your mileage may vary.