SaskTel and Public Mobile are both budget-friendly options for Canadians, but they come from very different backgrounds. SaskTel is Saskatchewan's provincially-owned telecom, operating its own home network across the province and offering both prepaid (noSTRINGS) and postpaid (totalSHARE/VIP) plans, with nationwide reach outside Saskatchewan provided through roaming agreements with Bell and Telus. Public Mobile is a Telus-owned, prepaid-only, self-serve carrier that runs on the Telus network nationwide. The two carriers overlap on budget-conscious pricing but differ significantly on plan variety, home-network coverage, roaming structure, and support model.
Plans and pricing
SaskTel offers 23 rate plans in total spanning entry-level noSTRINGS prepaid options from $10 to postpaid totalSHARE and VIP plans up to $115 per month, giving it a much wider price range than Public Mobile. Public Mobile offers 8 prepaid no-contract plans from $22 to $50 per month. The plans below show the most representative options from each carrier.
SaskTel's noSTRINGS prepaid lineup starts lower than Public Mobile's at $10 per month for a talk-and-text-only plan, and its $30 plan adds 0.5GB of data with unlimited calling to Canada and the U.S. included. Public Mobile's cheapest plans top out around 4G data with no roaming, but its $40 tier already includes 70GB on 5G plus Canada-US-Mexico calling and 1,000 international long-distance minutes - a stronger 5G-with-roaming entry point than SaskTel's cheapest 5G option, VIP 70 at $70. At the higher end, SaskTel's totalSHARE and VIP postpaid plans scale well past Public Mobile's $50 ceiling, topping out at $105/mo for 200GB with Canada-U.S.-Mexico calling and data included, and $115/mo for a 100GB 4G Complete plan.
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. Public Mobile runs on the Telus network, which provides nationwide coverage across all provinces and territories. SaskTel operates its own network concentrated in Saskatchewan; when SaskTel customers travel outside the province, they roam on Bell's and Telus's networks for nationwide wireless service, rather than SaskTel's own towers.
Within Saskatchewan, SaskTel's own network covers essentially the entire province - 100.0% of the population on 4G and 95.0% on 5G, from 1,072 towers including 284 dedicated 5G sites. Outside Saskatchewan, however, SaskTel has almost no towers of its own; nationally, SaskTel's own-network coverage is just 3.3% of Canadians on 4G (1.2M) and 3.1% on 5G (1.1M). SaskTel bridges that gap through roaming agreements with Bell and Telus, so customers still get nationwide service when travelling - but that reach comes from partner networks rather than SaskTel's own infrastructure, and coverage quality outside Saskatchewan depends on Bell's and Telus's own networks in that area rather than a percentage SaskTel controls directly. Public Mobile, by contrast, runs natively on the Telus network everywhere, giving it a direct 93.0% 4G / 76.3% 5G national population reach with over 16,000 towers.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | SaskTel | Public Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10/mo (prepaid) | $22/mo (prepaid) |
| Plan type | Prepaid and postpaid | Prepaid only |
| Cheapest 5G plan | $70/mo (VIP 70, 70GB) | $35/mo (50GB, no CAN/US/Mex) |
| Cheapest 5G plan with CAN/US/Mex | $70/mo (VIP 70) | $40/mo (70GB + CAN/US/Mex) |
| Data at $40/mo tier | Talk and Text 40 (no data) | 70GB 5G + CAN/US/Mex included |
| Highest mainstream plan | $105/mo (200GB + CAN/US/Mex) | $50/mo (150GB + CAN/US/Mex) |
| International long-distance minutes | Not listed as a bundled allotment | 1,000 intl mins (5G plans) |
| Unlimited domestic long distance | Included on most plans | Included on 5G plans (CAN/US/Mex) |
| International messages | Included on most plans | Included on all plans |
| Own-network 4G population coverage (national) | 3.3% (1.2M) | 93.0% (34.4M) - Telus network |
| Own-network 5G population coverage (national) | 3.1% (1.1M) | 76.3% (28.2M) - Telus network |
| Home-network coverage | 100.0% 4G / 95.0% 5G in Saskatchewan | Nationwide (Telus network) |
| Nationwide reach outside home network | Via Bell & Telus roaming | Native (runs on Telus everywhere) |
| Rewards / discounts | Family Discount, up to $45+/mo off for 4+ lines | 2% back in Public Points |
| Device financing | Yes, via Plus Pricing / phone financing | No - BYOD only |
| BYOD / full-price phone credit | $20/mo off Basic, totalSHARE & VIP plans | N/A (BYOD is the only option) |
| International roaming beyond US/Mexico | Yes, via Roam & Relax add-on passes | No pass available |
| Sub-brand | Lüm Mobile (self-serve prepaid MVNO) | None (Telus-owned directly) |
| In-store support | Yes | No |
| Phone support | Yes | No |
Roaming rates compared
SaskTel's top-tier totalSHARE Canada & U.S. and totalSHARE Canada, U.S. & Mexico plans, along with VIP 70 and VIP 125, include roaming data and calling built directly into the plan. Lower-tier SaskTel plans (totalSHARE Nationwide, noSTRINGS) don't include roaming and instead rely on Roam & Relax (R&R) add-on passes for U.S. or international travel. Public Mobile includes Canada-US-Mexico on its 5G plans starting at $40/mo, and offers standalone US-only add-on passes for plans that don't already include it, but has no roaming option for any destination beyond the United States.
United States and Mexico
| Option | SaskTel | Public Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Included on plan | VIP 70 (5GB US data), VIP 125 (5GB Mexico data), totalSHARE Canada & U.S. / Canada, U.S. & Mexico plans | All CAN/US/Mex plans from $40/mo |
| R&R U.S. 30 (7-day) | $30 - 3GB full-speed U.S. data + unlimited reduced-speed data, unlimited CAN/US calling & texting | No equivalent 7-day pass |
| R&R U.S. 40 (15-day) | $40 - 8GB full-speed U.S. data + unlimited reduced-speed data, unlimited CAN/US calling & texting | $30 15-day pass (unlimited talk, text & 5GB data) |
| R&R U.S. 55 (30-day) | $55 - 15GB full-speed U.S. data + unlimited reduced-speed data, unlimited CAN/US calling & texting | $40 30-day pass (unlimited talk, text & 5GB data) |
| US-only talk & text add-on | Not offered separately from data passes | $15 (unlimited talk & text) |
International destinations (beyond US/Mexico)
| Option | SaskTel | Public Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Included on plan | Not available | Not available |
| R&R International Voice Only 20 (30-day) | $20 - 100 mins calls worldwide, 100 sent texts worldwide | Not available |
| R&R International Data Only 50 (15-day) | $50 - 5GB international data | Not available |
| R&R International 40 (15-day) | $40 - 3GB intl data, 100 mins worldwide calls, 100 sent texts worldwide | Not available |
| R&R International 70 (30-day) | $70 - 10GB intl data, 200 mins worldwide calls, 200 sent texts worldwide | Not available |
For US and Mexico travel, SaskTel's higher-tier totalSHARE and VIP plans already bundle roaming data and calling, while lower-tier SaskTel plans and most Public Mobile plans rely on add-on passes or plan tiers that include CAN/US/Mex access. For travel beyond North America, SaskTel is the only option of the two, offering four Roam & Relax International passes covering voice-only, data-only, or combined voice/text/data bundles at 15- or 30-day durations. Public Mobile has no international roaming option outside the United States and Mexico.
Device financing
SaskTel offers device financing through its Plus Pricing program, spreading the cost of a new phone across the term of your plan when you purchase through SaskTel, and offers a $20/mo discount on Basic, totalSHARE, or VIP voice and data plans when you bring your own previously-loved phone or buy a phone at full price instead of financing it. Public Mobile does not sell devices or offer financing - all customers must bring their own unlocked phone. Customers who want a financed device as part of switching will find SaskTel the only option of the two.
Perks and add-ons
SaskTel offers a Family Discount for customers on eligible totalSHARE or VIP plans: save $15/mo with 2 lines, $30/mo with 3 lines, and $45/mo or more with 4+ lines on the same account, plus a separate $20/mo credit on Basic, totalSHARE, or VIP voice and data plans when bringing your own previously-loved phone or buying a phone at full price. SaskTel also operates Lüm Mobile, a self-serve prepaid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) launched as a separate SaskTel-owned brand; Lüm's own plans aren't covered in this comparison. Public Mobile offers 2% back in Public Points on most plans, redeemable for bill credits or plan upgrades, plus unlimited international messages on all plans and 1,000 international long-distance minutes on 5G plans. Public Mobile does not operate sub-brands of its own.
Customer support
SaskTel offers a broader support footprint than Public Mobile, including phone support, in-store assistance, and self-serve articles alongside live chat. Public Mobile is limited to online chat, a self-serve portal, and a community forum, with no phone or in-store channel - a tradeoff that keeps its costs (and prices) lower, and which its customers have historically rated highly despite the narrower channel list.
Who should choose which?
- You live in Saskatchewan and want near-complete home-network coverage (100.0% 4G / 95.0% 5G)
- You want the flexibility of both prepaid and postpaid billing, including device financing
- You have multiple lines on the same account and want the Family Discount (up to $45+/mo off)
- You travel internationally beyond the U.S. and Mexico and want Roam & Relax passes for worldwide voice, text, or data
- You want in-store or phone support rather than a self-serve-only model
- You want an entry-level plan starting as low as $10/month
- You live outside Saskatchewan and want a carrier that runs natively on the Telus network everywhere, not through roaming
- You want a cheaper entry point into 5G with Canada-US-Mexico included, from $40/month
- You want more data per dollar at the $40 tier - 70GB 5G with roaming versus SaskTel's voice-only Talk and Text 40
- You already have an unlocked phone and don't need device financing
- You want 2% back in Public Points on your monthly bill
- You're comfortable managing your account entirely online or through an app
SaskTel wins on plan flexibility, entry-level pricing, home-province coverage, device financing, multi-line discounts, and international roaming beyond North America - its Family Discount and Roam & Relax International passes are options Public Mobile doesn't offer at all, and its own network blankets nearly all of Saskatchewan. Public Mobile wins on nationwide own-network coverage, cheaper 5G entry pricing, and mid-tier data value, making it the stronger choice for anyone outside Saskatchewan who wants consistent Telus-network service without relying on roaming partners.
The deciding factor is largely where you live: inside Saskatchewan, SaskTel's home network and plan variety are hard to beat; outside it, Public Mobile's native Telus-network coverage is the more dependable option.
