Unlimited Data

[ChrisZ]

With so much competition out there, including some providers offering truly unlimited data in Ontario, I am wondering when Telus will start to offer this type of service.   

[Nighthawk]

Competition? Unlimited data? In Canada? Are you sure you're really in Canada?

[xl]

What speed is that unlimited data?  Not likely 4g. Much of it is throttled after 10gb.

For me coverage is an issue for discount carriers. Unlimited data may mean I have to be outside.... not inside a concrete office tower or apartment building.

[mharkiss]

I hope Telus Mobility comes out with an Unlimited Data plan soon. MTS, SaskTel offer it if you're on their network in their respective province. Wind Mobile offers it too. I hope by the time my contract is over with Telus they offers a reasonably priced data plan otherwise I'm jumping ship to Wind Mobile. Unfortunately where I live they don't have service...yet.

[Nighthawk]

SaskTel and MTS are different because they are run as not for profit corporations (provincial crown corporations) and have lower rates as a result. Do not ever expect plans like those to be offered in the rest of Canada where there are no provincial providers as the big companies refuse to compete. (If you don't believe me ask Telus to match a Koodo or Fido rate plan.) Though I pay less with Telus currently than what SaskTel's basic plan offers.

[tsizzle · Accepted solution]

I wouldn't hold your breath, the economics don't support it. Some facts to consider:

Customer point of view:

-Carriers would no longer or invest less in their network, quality would suffer. (Why invest if you can't recoup the ongoing investment?)

-Congestion would immediately become a problem, speeds go down

Business point of view:

-If you price unlimited data at $100, how do you grow your revenue over the next 5 years? You have to do this, its not optional.

-US Carriers offer this then stopped, why do you think that is? See above. 

-You're using Wind as an example, are they considered a profitable and healthy company by investors? Do they invest in their network? Parent company wouldn't invest more money and they didn't buy spectrum. Notice how even the much beloved Videotron in Quebec no longer offers unlimited data?

Unlimited sounds great in theory but it doesn't work out in the long run, a minority will abuse the offer and ruin it for everyone.

[river]

they will never do it they have some fairly good data plans BUT when you go over

you get DRILLED  big time  my overage is $100 per gig  ill repeat that $100 per gig

and thats they way it is i was told harshly   😉   nice very nice

[river]

also anyone with a existing 3 year term with telus  after june 3 in null and void

meaning you can walk away with no penality of cancellation fees  😉

this is good  very good  as it works for me

[Nighthawk]

You seem to have no idea what the CRTC decision covers. You can still be on the hook for fees, especially if you have not paid off your phone yet.

[river]

my fone is fully paid for the original fone i got with my term was stolden so i had

to purchace another out of my pocket  and i do know a bit about the crtc coverage

and who has to pay the legal costs

[mharkiss]

Lately I'm getting the impression that all the big cell providers are having closed door private meetings together and ensuring that none of them will undercut each other, and figure out ways to take away value and quietly increase rates all in unison. 

I guess making customers happy isn't that much of a priority. They'll say that it is, but the moment it has an effect on profits, the said idea goes out the airlock.

In my little world, Happy Customers = Long Term Customers that require little effort to retain.

[xl]

fyi.... Telus is offering free data with the Telus Direct option.  Being wifi, I guess it will be faster than that unlimited 2G the competition is offering.

https://wififinder.telus.com/

[WestCoasterBC]

Telus direct is a joke there is practically no locations. They were bragging this spring how you can use it in a cab in Vancouver, BC really who cares.The majority don't use cabs.

There is almost zero presence on Vancouver island and only coverage is in Vancouver, Langley, Burnaby, Surrey area. I wouldn't even advertise that pathetic coverage. When you compare it to the other evil ShawGo they got coverage almost everywhere.

[Nighthawk]

I've actually seen Telus direct in quite a few places locally so far. I can never connect to the secure one though, only the unsecure version.

[tsizzle]

@WestCoasterBC you're comparing apples & oranges, Shaw has to offer a huge WiFi network because they don't have a mobile one.

[WestCoasterBC]

Not really, people want hot spots to get off the 3rd world data plans.

Why would Telus offer competition to shaw go when they can suck you dry. Unless you're in Vancouver area it's useless everywhere. 

Telus can easily offer the same, but refuse too. The shop we have Telus and shaw installed their shawgo. Telus could easily do the same with Telus direct.

But with zero presence of Telus direct on Vancouver island and focused only in Vancouver area it will never expand out.

I might go back to shaw for Internet for shawgo alone as it's everywhere I need it. Race track, parks everywhere.

There are many dead zones around here that Telus refuses to fix with a new tower. Guess how their data works on the cell phone. No service many times, and that tower is 8 blocks away.