A side-by-side comparison of PC Mobile and Public Mobile across plans, pricing, 5G coverage, roaming, perks, and customer support. Both carriers are prepaid-only, no-contract MVNOs, but they run on different networks: PC Mobile rides on Bell's nationwide infrastructure with PC Optimum rewards built in, while Public Mobile runs on Telus and is owned directly by Telus, with a self-serve, points-based model of its own.
Plans & pricing
PC Mobile offers 4 prepaid plans with no contract, running on Bell's network nationwide. All plans include unlimited talk and text, with auto top-up data bonuses stacked into every tier's advertised data figure. Public Mobile offers 9 prepaid plans on the Telus network, starting slightly higher at $22/month but scaling up further, including bundled Canada-US-Mexico calling and data on its top four tiers. Below are all available plans for each carrier.
At the entry level, PC Mobile's $19/month plan undercuts Public Mobile's $22/month plan by $3, and both now bundle a base 1GB of data, PC Mobile via its auto top-up bonus and Public Mobile with it built directly into the plan. Moving into 5G, PC Mobile's $25/month plan (5GB total) beats Public Mobile's cheapest 5G option, the $35/month 50GB plan, on price, though Public Mobile offers far more data at that step up. In the $28 to $30 range, Public Mobile's 35GB 4G Mobile Plan at $30/month offers considerably more data than PC Mobile's $30/month plan (15GB total), but stays capped at 4G speeds while PC Mobile's equivalent tier runs on 5G. At $35/month, Public Mobile now offers a choice: the 50GB 5G Mobile Plan with no roaming, or the 25GB CAN & US & MEX 5G Plan, which brings Canada-US-Mexico calling and data down to the same price point. At the very top of its lineup, PC Mobile's $34/month plan (55GB total, 5G) now undercuts that same Public Mobile 50GB plan on both price and data, making it the single strongest value match-up between the two carriers. Beyond that point PC Mobile has nothing more to offer, while Public Mobile continues scaling well past $34/month, topping out at 175GB for $50/month with Canada-US-Mexico calling and data bundled in on its four highest tiers, something PC Mobile does not offer at any price.
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. PC Mobile runs on Bell's network; Public Mobile runs on Telus'. Unlike most carrier matchups on this site, the two networks land within a fraction of a point of each other nationally, making this one of the closest coverage comparisons available.
PC Mobile (Bell network) covers 92.8% of Canadians on 4G and 76.5% on 5G, from 9,986 total towers. Public Mobile (Telus network) covers 93.0% on 4G and 76.3% on 5G, from a larger base of 16,007 total towers, including 6,863 dedicated 5G towers versus PC Mobile's 3,972. Population coverage between the two is effectively a tie: Public Mobile holds a slight edge on 4G reach, while PC Mobile holds a slight edge on 5G reach. In Quebec specifically, Bell's network (PC Mobile) leads slightly on 4G at 98.8%, while Telus (Public Mobile) reaches 97.6% 4G and a strong 87.4% on 5G. Both networks reach into rural, northern, and Atlantic Canada, unlike urban-only regional carriers.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | PC Mobile | Public Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19/mo (includes 1GB via top-up) | $22/mo (includes 1GB) |
| Cheapest 5G plan | $25/mo (5GB total) | $35/mo (50GB, or 25GB with roaming) |
| Most data at top tier | 55GB ($34/mo, 5G) | 175GB ($50/mo, 5G, CAN/US/Mex included) |
| Plan type | Prepaid only | Prepaid only |
| eSIM support | Yes | Yes |
| Canada-US-Mexico included | No | Yes, on 25GB/75GB/125GB/175GB plans from $35/mo |
| International long distance minutes | No | 1,000 mins bundled on $40-$50 CAN/US/Mex plans |
| 4G population coverage | 92.8% (Bell network) | 93.0% (Telus network) |
| 5G population coverage | 76.5% (Bell network) | 76.3% (Telus network) |
| Total towers | 9,986 (Bell network) | 16,007 (Telus network) |
| Quebec coverage | 98.8% 4G (Bell network) | 97.6% 4G, 87.4% 5G (Telus network) |
| Nationwide availability | Yes, all provinces and territories | Yes, all provinces and territories |
| Device financing | No (prepaid only, no device sales) | No (BYOD only) |
| Loyalty rewards | PC Optimum points | 2% back in Public Points |
| Auto top-up / data bonus | Yes (up to 5GB bonus, all plans) | No |
| Customer rating (Topicks.ca) | 1.0/5 | 4.5/5 |
Roaming rates compared
PC Mobile does not offer any form of international roaming on its lineup. Public Mobile bundles unlimited Canada-US-Mexico talk and text plus data directly into its 25GB, 75GB, 125GB, and 175GB plans, and also sells standalone US-only add-on passes for customers on its cheaper tiers that don't already include roaming.
United States and Mexico
| Option | PC Mobile | Public Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Included in plan | No roaming available | Yes, on 25GB/75GB/125GB/175GB plans from $35/mo |
| Entry add-on pack | Not available | $15 (unlimited talk & text, no data) |
| Mid pack | Not available | $30 (15-day pass, unlimited talk, text & 5GB data) |
| Larger pack | Not available | $40 (30-day pass, unlimited talk, text & 5GB data) |
Public Mobile wins the roaming comparison outright, with no competing option from PC Mobile at any tier. Beyond the US and Mexico, Public Mobile's international reach is limited to the 1,000 bundled long distance minutes on its $40 to $50 plans; it does not currently sell a separate international data roaming pack for other destinations.
Device financing
Neither carrier finances devices. PC Mobile does not sell mobile devices at all, and Public Mobile is bring-your-own-device (BYOD) only, so customers on either carrier need an unlocked, compatible phone before signing up.
Perks and add-ons
PC Mobile includes PC Optimum rewards integration across all plans. New customers earn 20,000 PC Optimum points after two months of service. Every top-up earns 5% of the top-up value in PC Optimum points, and an additional 5% is earned when signing up for Auto-Allowance or Allowance paid with a PC Financial Mastercard or PC Money Account. All plans include unlimited international messaging and auto top-up data bonuses across the full lineup. PC Mobile supports eSIM. PC Mobile does not offer international roaming, device sales, or device financing.
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. Its 25GB, 75GB, 125GB, and 175GB plans bundle 1,000 international long distance minutes alongside Canada-US-Mexico calling and data. Public Mobile supports eSIM and is self-serve by design, managed entirely through its account portal and app, with an active community forum for peer support.
Customer support
Public Mobile scores dramatically higher in customer satisfaction, at 4.5/5 versus PC Mobile's 1.0/5 on Topicks.ca, despite having a narrower set of support channels. PC Mobile offers more traditional channels, phone, email, and in-store, while Public Mobile leans on self-serve tools and a community forum where users help troubleshoot each other's issues.
Who should choose which?
- You want the lowest possible entry price, at $19/month with 1GB included
- You want the cheapest way into 5G speeds, from $25/month
- You want an auto top-up data bonus stacked into every plan
- You shop at PC-affiliated stores and want to earn PC Optimum rewards
- You don't need more than 55GB per month or any roaming
- You need more than 55GB per month, up to 175GB at the top tier
- You want Canada-US-Mexico calling and data bundled in, from $35/month
- You travel to the US and want add-on passes even on cheaper plans
- You want the higher-rated carrier of the two on Topicks.ca (4.5/5)
- You're comfortable managing your account entirely online or through an app
PC Mobile and Public Mobile both run as prepaid, no-contract MVNOs on nearly identical national networks (Bell and Telus, respectively), so this comparison comes down to price ceiling, data volume, and roaming rather than coverage. PC Mobile wins on entry-level pricing and cheap access to 5G, undercutting Public Mobile at the $19 starting tier and the $25 5G tier, and now even at the top of its lineup, where $34/month for 55GB beats Public Mobile's $35/month 50GB plan on both price and data. Public Mobile wins on data ceiling, bundled roaming, and customer satisfaction, scaling up to 175GB with Canada-US-Mexico included from $35/month, and holding a 4.5/5 rating on Topicks.ca against PC Mobile's 1.0/5. Light users who just want the cheapest possible plan should lean PC Mobile; anyone who needs more data per month or travels to the US or Mexico regularly will get more value from Public Mobile.
