Rogers, Telus and Bell have submitted their proposals to the CRTC regarding lower-cost data-only plans, and they are now available for public comment.
@Bell, @Rogers and @TELUS submitted their proposal regarding lower-cost data-only plans. Tell us what you think about them! Help us better understand your needs for lower-cost #wireless services. https://t.co/dOqGjdfW2G #crtcConsults pic.twitter.com/nDQcF8JvML
— CRTCeng (@CRTCeng) April 25, 2018
Back in March, the CRTC called for cheaper data-only plans from our wireless incumbents, with initial proposals to be submitted by April 23rd. The proposals have now been posted online for public viewing and comment.
We’ve cut through the noise and extracted the plans offered and pricing proposals.
Rogers submitted a five-page document, detailing a proposal for a $25 plan with 400MB of LTE data, available for prepaid and postpaid customers. Their offer is
“The 400 MB bucket will complement this usage when out of Wi-Fi range. This mobile data allotment will enable approximately 1,200 minutes of voice calling, 40,000 text messages, 160 minutes of FaceTime calling, 4,000 emails, or some combination thereof,” explained Rogers.
Telus filed a lengthy 38-page proposal, offering a $30/500MB LTE plan through their flanker brand Koodo. The company also touted its prepaid data-only plans from Public Mobile, which are available at $20/250MB at 3G data speeds or $30/600MB at LTE speeds.
The company said “It is noteworthy that these rates of $20/month and $30/month are equivalent to $0.66/day and $0.99/day respectively, both less than the price of a daily coffee. TELUS also regularly offers promotions throughout the year that reduce the overall cost to the consumer (e.g. bonus data allotments, device discounts, etc.).”
In Bell’s 12-page submission, they proposed a $30/500MB LTE data plan through their flanker brand Virgin Mobile. Bell explained, “The price of our proposed plan is about $7 per week, or the same as a few cups of Tim Horton’s coffee. It is also about 1% of Canada’s Low Income Measure for Canadian Households.”
When we’ve seen $15 plans for 3GB of LTE data from Fido for tablet users, it’s tough to see these proposals for smartphones, offering less data for more money. In terms of price per gigabyte, Rogers’ proposal works out to $62.50 per gigabyte (or $6.25/100MB), while Telus and Bell are at $60 per gigabyte (or $6/100MB).
What do you think about these ‘lower-cost’, data-only plan submissions from Rogers, Telus and Bell?
Update: You can file a comment to the CRTC by clicking here.
