Public Mobile and Kini Mobile are both prepaid, no-contract carriers that run on the Telus network, so neither has an independent network of its own. Public Mobile is a Telus-owned, self-serve brand aimed at budget-conscious Canadians nationwide. Kini Mobile is a prepaid MVNO built for the Asian-Canadian community, with its full lineup sold in AB, BC, MB, ON, QC, and SK, and long distance calling and multilingual support built into its lineup. Since both share the same underlying Telus coverage, this comparison focuses on plans, pricing, roaming, and features rather than network reach.
Plans and pricing
Public Mobile offers 8 prepaid plans from $22 to $50 per month, all running on the Telus network nationwide. Kini Mobile also offers 8 prepaid plans, starting lower at $15 per month, with data tiers running from 250MB up to 30GB. Unlike Public Mobile, Kini's lineup isn't sold nationwide, but every one of its 8 plans, including the higher-data tiers, is now available across all six provinces it serves: AB, BC, MB, ON, QC, and SK.
Kini undercuts Public Mobile at the entry level, starting at $15/month versus Public Mobile's $22/month, and both of Kini's Basic tiers are cheaper than Public Mobile's cheapest plan. For 5G data specifically, Kini's 5GB All-in-One or Pinoy plan at $25/month beats Public Mobile's cheapest 5G plan, the 50GB Mobile Plan at $35/month, though Public Mobile delivers far more data at that price once you're on 5G (50GB vs 5GB). At the $30 price point, Kini's 15GB All-in-One or Pinoy plan runs on 5G with 1,000 long distance minutes bundled in, while Public Mobile's comparable 35GB 4G Mobile Plan at $30/month offers well over double the data but stays capped at 4G speeds. At $35/month, Kini steps up to 30GB (also 5G, with the same bundled minutes), still trailing Public Mobile's 50GB 5G Mobile Plan on raw data at that price. Public Mobile pulls further ahead once Canada-US-Mexico calling and data enter the picture: its 70GB, 100GB, and 150GB plans from $40-$50/month bundle unlimited calling to Canada, the US, and Mexico, along with 1,000 international long distance minutes, none of which Kini currently offers as a bundled roaming feature.
5G and network coverage
Coverage data is based on registered tower locations from the ISED tower registry and Statistics Canada 2021 census boundaries, updated March 2026. Both Public Mobile and Kini Mobile are MVNOs that run on the Telus network, so their coverage figures are identical to Telus' own network reach.
Since both carriers run on the same Telus infrastructure, there is no coverage advantage to choosing one over the other: both reach 93.0% of Canadians on 4G and 76.3% on 5G, from the same 16,007 towers. The one practical difference is where each carrier actually sells plans: Public Mobile sells its full lineup nationwide, including Atlantic Canada and the territories, while Kini's entire lineup is limited to six provinces: AB, BC, MB, ON, QC, and SK.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Public Mobile | Kini Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $22/mo (1GB, prepaid) | $15/mo (250MB, prepaid) |
| Cheapest 5G plan | $35/mo (50GB) | $25/mo (5GB) |
| Data at the $30/mo tier | 35GB (4G only) | 15GB (5G, with 1,000 LD mins bundled) |
| Data at the $35/mo tier | 50GB (5G, no roaming) | 30GB (5G, with 1,000 LD mins bundled) |
| Canada-US-Mexico calling included | Yes, from $40/mo (70GB+) | No (roaming variants discontinued) |
| International long distance minutes | 1,000 mins (bundled on $40-$50 CAN/US/Mex plans) | 1,000 mins (bundled from $25/mo, All-in-One/Pinoy) |
| Calls to Philippines/Middle East | Not offered as a dedicated add-on | Yes (Pinoy plan, 100 mins) |
| Dual home-country number | No | Yes (HK, CN, PH supported) |
| Loyalty rewards | 2% back in Public Points | Data Appreciation Rewards (bonus data grows with renewals) |
| 4G population coverage | 93.0% (Telus network) | 93.0% (Telus network) |
| 5G population coverage | 76.3% (Telus network) | 76.3% (Telus network) |
| Total towers | 16,007 (Telus network) | 16,007 (Telus network) |
| Availability | All provinces and territories | AB, BC, MB, ON, QC, SK (full lineup in all six) |
| Device financing | No (BYOD only) | No (BYOD only) |
| No credit check required | Yes (prepaid, no contract) | Yes (prepaid, no contract, no ID verification) |
| Multilingual support | English only (self-serve) | English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Filipino Tagalog, French |
| Customer rating | 4.5/5 (Topicks.ca) | No rating yet |
Roaming rates compared
Public Mobile bundles Canada-US-Mexico calling and data directly into its 70GB, 100GB, and 150GB plans, and sells standalone US-only add-on passes for its cheaper plans that don't already include roaming. Kini Mobile no longer bundles Canada-US-Mexico roaming into any plan, having discontinued its roaming variants, and instead sells destination-specific add-on packs for the US and a handful of Asian countries plus the UK.
United States and Mexico
| Option | Public Mobile | Kini Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Included in plan | Yes, on 70GB/100GB/150GB plans from $40/mo | No (roaming variants discontinued) |
| Entry add-on pack | $15 (US only: unlimited talk & text, no data) | $15 (US only: 2GB data, 50 mins, 50 SMS) |
| Mid pack | $30 (15-day pass: unlimited talk, text & 5GB data) | $25 (US only: 5GB data, 50 mins, 50 SMS) |
| Larger pack | $40 (30-day pass: unlimited talk, text & 5GB data) | N/A |
Asia and international destinations
| Option | Public Mobile | Kini Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Destinations covered | 1,000 intl long distance minutes bundled on $40+ plans; no separate data roaming pass | HK, Mainland China, Japan, Taiwan, Macau, UK, Philippines (add-on packs) |
| Entry pack | Not offered | $20 (1GB data, 20 mins, 20 SMS) |
| Mid pack | Not offered | $30 (2GB data, 20 mins, 20 SMS) |
For US travel, Kini's flat-rate data packs tend to offer more data per dollar at the entry and mid tiers, while Public Mobile's higher-tier plans bundle roaming in as part of the monthly price rather than requiring an add-on at all. For Asia and the UK, Kini is the only one of the two with a dedicated add-on pack; Public Mobile's international reach is limited to its bundled long distance calling minutes, with no separate international data roaming option.
Device financing
Neither carrier finances devices. Public Mobile and Kini Mobile are both bring-your-own-device (BYOD) prepaid carriers, so customers need an unlocked, compatible phone before signing up with either one.
Perks and add-ons
Public Mobile offers 2% back in Public Points on most plans, redeemable for bill credits or plan upgrades, plus unlimited international messages on every plan and 1,000 international long distance minutes bundled into its CAN/US/Mex plans from $40/mo. Kini Mobile includes long distance calling minutes on all All-in-One and Pinoy plans (5GB, 15GB, and 30GB tiers): 1,000 minutes of long distance calling from Canada to 15 destinations, including Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam. Pinoy plans add a further 100 minutes of calling from Canada to 5 destinations: the Philippines, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. A unique dual-number feature lets users simultaneously maintain a Canadian number and a home-country number (Hong Kong, Mainland China, or Philippines) on a single SIM. Kini also offers a Data Appreciation Rewards program: from the 3rd renewal onwards, customers receive an extra 10GB Canada data and 10GB Hong Kong data each month; from the 12th renewal, this grows to +20GB Canada and +20GB Hong Kong; and from the 24th renewal onwards, customers receive +50GB Canada and +20GB Hong Kong monthly. Kini support is available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Filipino Tagalog, and French, with no credit check or ID verification required to sign up.
Customer support
Public Mobile keeps support entirely digital and self-serve, through an account portal, online chat, and an active community forum, and has historically rated highly with customers on Topicks.ca despite the narrower channel list. Kini Mobile offers a broader mix of channels, including a toll-free hotline, email, and in-store support at select locations in Toronto, Vancouver, and Edmonton, plus multilingual service in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Filipino Tagalog, and French. No customer rating is available for Kini Mobile on Topicks.ca at this time.
Who should choose which?
- You want more data at the mid tier, like 50GB of 5G for $35/month
- You want Canada-US-Mexico calling and data bundled into your plan, from $40/month
- You live outside Kini's coverage footprint, such as Atlantic Canada or the territories
- You want to earn 2% back in Public Points on your monthly bill
- You're comfortable managing your account entirely online or through an app
- You want the higher-rated carrier of the two on Topicks.ca (4.5/5)
- You want the lowest possible entry price, starting at $15/month
- You want a cheaper way into 5G data, from $25/month for 5GB
- You are a newcomer or immigrant who wants to maintain a home-country number (HK, CN, or PH)
- You need long distance calling minutes to 15 countries, or Pinoy calling to the Philippines and the Middle East
- You prefer support in Mandarin, Cantonese, Filipino Tagalog, or French, or want in-store help
- You live in AB, BC, MB, ON, QC, or SK, where Kini's full lineup, including its higher-data tiers, is available
Public Mobile and Kini Mobile both run on the Telus network, so this comparison comes down to price, plan structure, and features rather than coverage. Kini Mobile wins on entry-level pricing, cheaper 5G access, and community-specific features, with plans from $15/month, 5G data from $25/month, dual-number support, and long distance calling built into its All-in-One and Pinoy plans. Public Mobile wins on mid-tier data value, bundled North American roaming, nationwide availability, and customer rating, with 50GB of 5G at $35/month, Canada-US-Mexico calling and data bundled in from $40/month, and a 4.5/5 rating on Topicks.ca. Budget-conscious users who want the lowest entry price or need calling minutes to specific countries will find better value with Kini, while users who want more data per dollar at the mid tier, bundled cross-border roaming, or nationwide availability should lean toward Public Mobile.
Kini's full lineup, from its 250MB Basic plan up to its 30GB tiers, is now available across all six of the provinces it serves, including Quebec. The remaining geographic gap is Atlantic Canada and the territories, where Kini doesn't sell plans at all; Public Mobile is the only one of the two available there.
