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 has moved to a smaller lineup of 4 prepaid plans, all 5G, running from 50GB to 120GB and starting at $27 per month. Unlike Public Mobile, Kini's lineup isn't sold nationwide, but all 4 of its current plans are available across the same six provinces it has always served: AB, BC, MB, ON, QC, and SK.
Public Mobile still wins on starting price, from $22/month versus Kini's $27/month entry point. But once you're comparing 5G data, Kini now pulls well ahead: its 50GB All-in-One at $27/month undercuts Public Mobile's comparably-sized 50GB 5G Mobile Plan at $35/month, and at the $30 and $35 price points Kini offers roughly double the data of Public Mobile's plans at those same prices, 75GB and 100GB versus Public Mobile's 35GB (4G only) and 50GB (5G). Public Mobile regains the edge at the top end: its 70GB, 125GB, and 175GB plans from $40 to $50/month bundle unlimited calling to Canada, the US, and Mexico plus 1,000 international long distance minutes. At $45/month its 125GB plan also out-sizes Kini's top plan (120GB at $45/month), which doesn't include any bundled roaming.
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) | $27/mo (50GB, prepaid) |
| Cheapest 5G plan | $35/mo (50GB) | $27/mo (50GB) |
| Data at the $30/mo tier | 35GB (4G only) | 75GB (5G, with 1,000 LD mins bundled) |
| Data at the $35/mo tier | 50GB (5G, no roaming) | 100GB (5G, with 1,000 LD mins bundled) |
| Data at the $45/mo tier | 125GB (5G, with CAN/US/Mex included) | 120GB (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 on every plan, from $27/mo) |
| 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) | 2.0/5 (Topicks.ca) |
Roaming rates compared
Public Mobile bundles Canada-US-Mexico calling and data directly into its 70GB, 125GB, and 175GB 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/125GB/175GB 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 1,000 minutes of long distance calling from Canada to 15 destinations on all four of its current All-in-One plans (50GB, 75GB, 100GB, and 120GB), including Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam, plus unlimited international messages on every plan. 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. Kini Mobile currently holds a 2.0/5 customer rating on Topicks.ca, well below Public Mobile's 4.5/5.
Who should choose which?
- You want the lowest possible starting price, from $22/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 most 5G data per dollar, like 75GB for $30/month or 100GB for $35/month
- You need long distance calling minutes to 15 countries bundled into every plan, from $27/month
- You want unlimited international messages included on every plan
- 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 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 now wins decisively on 5G data value, having moved to a smaller lineup of four higher-data plans: at the $30 and $35 price points it offers 75GB and 100GB, versus Public Mobile's 35GB (4G) and 50GB (5G) at those same prices, with 1,000 long distance minutes bundled into every Kini plan. Public Mobile wins on the lowest starting price, top-tier data with bundled North American roaming (125GB at $45/month versus Kini's 120GB), nationwide availability, and customer rating, starting at $22/month, bundling Canada-US-Mexico calling and data in from $40/month, and holding a 4.5/5 rating on Topicks.ca versus Kini's 2.0/5. Budget-conscious users who want the absolute cheapest entry price or need cross-border roaming bundled in should choose Public Mobile, while anyone who wants the most 5G data per dollar in the $27-$35 range should choose Kini.
Kini's full lineup, now its 50GB, 75GB, 100GB, and 120GB All-in-One plans, is 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.
