Public Mobile Plans Review

Review of Public Mobile Plans

Public mobile launched its network in Toronto on May 26^th and is planning to launch in Montreal on June 25^th.  Unlike Wind Mobile, Public mobile won’t be launching a national wireless network; it will more likely concentrate in the urban centres like Toronto and Montreal.

There value proposition seems very simple, unlimited plans with cheap phones targeted at the urban, ethnic communities.  Public Mobile paid the least amount for spectrum during the AWS spectrum auction in 2008 a mere $52 million (while the others paid 100s of millions) largely because they chose to go with the unpopular G-Block or unwanted PCS spectrum. Its seems that they were successful in sourcing inexpensive mobile devices for this unpopular spectrum.

What’s to like about their plans?

From the inception, Public Mobile has been talking about their $40 unlimited plans and true to their word, they launched with this plan, so here are the key things I like about Public Mobile:

• No SAF (system access fees), No 911 fees and no other hidden fees, no credit checks
• Unlimited plans at $40 which includes  unlimited local calling, unlimited US and CDN text messaging, Voicemail and caller id, call waiting, call forwarding and 3way calling
• For $45 you can have unlimited CDN long distance
• $55 for unlimited US and CDN calling
• their free unlimited CDN long distance for life on signup promotion when they launched, a $5 savings
• $32 Unlimited local calling ($24 + $8 for Caller ID and Voice mail) which includes call waiting, call forwarding and 3 way calling

What’s not to like?

As I stated in my previous blog on Mobilicity, I’m not a big fan of prepaid, if I’m one day late on my payment I shouldn’t lose my service, while I understand that there must be a balance for having no credit checks and flat unlimited plans – it doesn’t mean I must like it.

Here is my take on where Public Mobile needs improvement:

• As well as all the new start-ups coverage is going to be limited and given than Public Mobile ONLY bought spectrum in the Winsor – Toronto – Ottowa – Montreal corridor the service is likely to be limited to those areas, so it’s not designed for travelers. In Toronto,  their service runs from the 427 to the beginning of Pickering and goes as far as Steeles
• CDMA phones! To provide phones at a reasonable rate they used CDMA devices which were tuned to their spectrum which means other CDMA devices won’t work. I guess these devices are ONLY for Public Mobile
• No Smartphones! Well not as yet. Given that the industry is moving heavily in this direction I believe that in the future Public Mobile will have entry level data devices, in the mean time nothing here
• No roaming! They indicated that this may be coming; in the meantime don’t travel too far with these devices.

So what’s the bottom line?

Public Mobile doesn’t claim to be anything that it is not. Simple no frills phones targeted at those looking for fixed unlimited plans all within their local areas. And for this Public Mobile does its job. For those who are looking to Public Mobile to be a replacement for Bell, Rogers and Telus, I say, not quite yet. But I do expect that their flanker brands, Koodo, Fido, Solo and Virgin to respond to Public Mobile in the near future.

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