Why don't you allow Cell Phones to have Data Only Plans?

[Greghimself]

So I have been trying to get an answer other than, "We don't allow that service". WHY doesn't telus allow smartphones to be used on a data only or tablet plan? I have a Samsung S6 I want to give to my daughter so she can use our shared data plan, I have been given the $0 Tablet plan option, but I already have the phone, it is small, it is free...why can't i hook it up to a data only plan? She does not need voice or texting as 90% of communication is done over facebook messenger, instagram, etc...

[Nighthawk]

None of the carriers offer data only plans on phones currently that I can find. They seem to be limited to tablets.

[Greghimself]

Agreed, I have checked with all the major carriers and none of them seem to offer it, my question is why? My cell phone is in essence a tablet, just smaller...Why can't it have a data only plan? My Issue is this, I went into a walmart with a cell phone sales department, I had the lady that was helping me contact telus to see if It would be possible to insert a data only SIM into a smartphone and have it connect to data only, telus service rep replied as yes. Now they are telling me I will get charged pay per use...it is all very confusing to me, I cannot fathom why they would not allow a smartphone to be used as a tablet, they are usually much higher priced devices that have the functionality.

[NFtoBC]

This Neighbourhood is inhabited by customers, just like you. We have no insight to Telus business plans, and no connection to the internal workings of Telus. We volunteer to share knowledge about Telus products and services which we have gained by experience or surmise. We are free to express our own opinions and comments, which may not always be in agreement with the ideals of Telus.  As such, **why** type questions are pretty much impossible for Neighbours here to answer.

That said, if you really want a data only plan for your phone, Public Mobile offers data only plans for phones. There are a number of users there who have shared their success with a data only plan in their discussion forum.

If you choose a regular Tablet SIM for your phone, any use of the telephone functions (calling, SMS) of your device would be at extortionate pay per use charges, which if I recall are 60 cents per SMS and 50 cents per minute calling. While I use the phone portion of my device rarely, I appreciate the convenience of easy use of voice and text when necessary, even though my most important contacts can and do use video calling and non-SMS based IM.

[Mobility_Princess]

Telus does offer this on prepaid only. 

http://www.telus.com/en/on/mobility/prepaid/add-ons/

Technically the rules are when you activate a prepaid phone you are supposed to activate with a rateplan of some kind. Not just an add on or dollar amount but, if you called in to activate I'm sure a rep wouldn't mind making an exception for you. 

[Lola]

Because they're phones.

[BillTelusCust]

Give her a tablet then.   The right tool for the job.  A tablet with a sim will have a "data only" plan.

[Mobility_Princess]

As long as it's on a tablet plan. If you put it on a prepaid phone plan and put the sim in a tablet, the charges will be charged at pay per use rates. So doing that and adding that on an existing phone account is always a good idea. 🙂