Who are the Major Canadian Phone Companies, and who’s the best?

Canada is known for having very expensive phone plans, especially when it comes to data. One of the reasons Canadian phone service plans are so expensive is that there is not much competition between cell phone companies on the market.

The Three Tiers of Cellphone Plan Providers in Canada

The easiest way to understand Canada’s phone provider options is to understand them in three groupings or tiers:

• Big Three (Rogers, Bell, Telus): Best for newcomers who need unlimited data, family plans, or want to bundle with home internet or cable. These are the most expensive options, and you’ll need a credit history for postpaid plans, which can be a barrier as a new arrival.
• First-level brands (Koodo, Virgin, Fido): Best for newcomers who want mid-range data plans, decent customer service, and some perks. These brands don’t require a long-term contract for BYOP plans and offer reward programs. They offer both prepaid (pay-as-you-go) and contract (postpaid) plans.
• Second-level brands (Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, Chatr): Best for budget-focused newcomers who are bringing their own phone and want prepaid flexibility. These brands offer the cheapest BYOP options, no contracts, and are straightforward to set up. The trade-off is limited customer support and no phone financing.

The “Big Three”: Rogers, Telus, and Bell

In addition to being the companies that own the flanker brands, Rogers, Telus, and Bell also offer their own distinct telecom services. In each province, the Big Three offer a different range of telecom services, including phone services, internet, and television. The flanker brands are phone carriers exclusively and do not offer home internet or cable services. In this article, we are only focusing on mobile phone services.

Remember these three companies offer nearly identical services for nearly identical prices.

Winning Points

Big (and unlimited) data: The Big Three phone providers are the only ones to offer mobile plans with unlimited data in Canada. These plans give customers a limit of high speed data per month: usually somewhere between 20GB and 100GB, and once that limit has been reached, the customer can still use data, but the speed is throttled to a much slower rate.

These plans are on the pricier end. All three companies are offering promotions on large data bundles for BYO device, plus an additional cost distributed monthly if you choose to purchase a phone (please note that exact pricing may vary from province to province). For plans with higher amounts of unlimited data, you can expect to pay more. If you’ll be blasting through 30+GB of data per month, these plans might make sense — otherwise, the flanker brands might offer better deals for your needs.

Family options: All Big Three companies offer options for purchasing multiple phone lines and sharing data across multiple lines, so if you’re buying phone plans for your whole family, you’ll want to consider these companies. The discounts vary from company to company, but the flanker brands don’t offer many family plan options.

In Canada, these family plans often use “shared data,” which isn’t an option in all countries. Data-sharing allows multiple phone lines to be connected to the same shared pool of available monthly data.

Bundled Savings: If you want to add cable, home security, or home internet, you may receive better pricing for bundling your services.

However, even if you are purchasing phone plans for yourself and your family, you may be able to find cheaper options for talking, texting, and data. But, if you’re a family with big data needs, there’s a good chance that these are the phone carriers to shop with.

Losing Points

Bringing Your Own device: All three of these companies offer BYO options. But, unless you’re looking for an unlimited data plan, the best BYO options lie with the flanker brands.

Prepaid plans: Rogers, Telus, and Bell each offer prepaid plans, but the best prepaid plans are with the 2nd Level Flanker Brands. With the Big Three, you’ll pay more and get less if you decide to go the prepaid route.

1st Level Flanker Brands: Koodo, Virgin Mobile, and Fido

The 1st Level flanker brands are Koodo, Virgin Mobile, and Fido. A glance at the websites of each of these companies will show you a young, sleek design: marketing designed to appeal to younger buyers in the market (maybe that’s you!).

These three companies are owned by the Big Three:

• Koodo is owned by Telus
• Virgin is owned by Bell
• Fido is owned by Rogers Communications.

Again, the services provided by each of these phone carriers are very similar and are priced at nearly identical levels. Let’s look at how the 1st level flankers compare to the Big Three and the 2nd level flankers:

Winning Points

Mid-size Data: All three of these phone providers offer competitive plans when it comes to mid-size amounts of monthly data. From 2GB-20GB, it’s worth checking out the offers available in your province. s of July 2024, our research showed mid-size data plans available at as little as $40/month and 15GB for as little as $65/month — but pricing may change with time and could differ from province to province. As the Big Three don’t cater to these mid-size amounts of data, the flankers are the place to look.

Customer Service & Rewards: Koodo, Virgin, and Fido are known for their high levels of customer service, allowing you to communicate with a representative in-person, by phone, email, and livechat. In addition, they offer perks and rewards to their customers. Offers on exclusive plans, device upgrades, bonus data, and deals with other businesses in Canada are common examples of their perks, but you’ll have to check with each provider to see what options they have running now.

Neutral points

Purchasing a phone through your phone carrier provider? We used to rank these 1st-level flankers as the best option if you wanted to purchase a phone through your phone provider. But if you want to purchase a new phone through your provider, you’ll pay for that phone with a monthly fee through a financing plan. The financing plans are similarly priced across the brands that offer them (notably, you can’t purchase a new phone through the 2nd-level brands).

Losing Points

No Unlimited Data: None of the 1st level flanker brands offer unlimited data plans. If you’re an internet addict with a need for infinite data, your only options are to head to the top and sign up with Rogers, Bell, or Telus, or spend your life jumping from place to place looking for decent WiFi.

No Family Plans: Koodo, Virgin, and Fido are branded for younger, more independent customers, not so much for families. As such, none of these providers offer dedicated options for families. That said, depending on your needs, it may be more affordable to purchase your family individual lines through one of the 1st level flankers, as the majority of family plans offered by Rogers, Bell, and Telus, are expensive plans with lots of features, and maybe everyone in your family doesn’t need a plan that large.

BYO device & Prepaid Plans with 8GB of data or less per month: These phone providers offer BYO options and prepaid plans. However, the BYO and prepaid options for plans with 8GB or fewer of data per month offered by the 2nd level flankers are a little bit cheaper. That said, if you’re a fan of extra perks or you want to be sure about your customer service experience, Fido, Virgin, and Koodo are worth considering.

2nd Level Brands: Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, and Chatr Mobile

The last grouping, and the youngest to hit the market, are the 2nd level flanker brands.

Again, each of these brands is owned by one of the Big Three:

• Public Mobile is owned by Telus
• Lucky Mobile is owned by Bell
• Chatr Mobile is owned by Rogers.

As with the other two groupings, services provided by the 2nd level flanker brands are nearly identical and are priced at similar levels. Here’s how the 2nd level flanker brands compare to the others:

Winning Points

Cheapest Bring Your Own (BYO) device options : If you are considering a BYO device option for your phone plan, you should strongly consider these three phone providers. Public, Lucky, and Chatr provide the most affordable BYO options on the market. You can expect to pay around:

• $29/month for 30GB data, plus unlimited texting/national calling
• $34/month for 50GB data, plus unlimited texting/national calling
• $50/month for 100GB data, plus data, plus unlimited texting/Canada and US calling.

(exact prices may vary based on province or promos available).

Cheapest prepaid phone plan options: Public, Lucky, and Chatr offer the cheapest options for prepaid phone plans (in fact, they only offer prepaid phone plans!). If you’re looking into prepaid options, either because you prefer the control or because you aren’t prepared for a credit check, you’ll find the most affordable options with Public, Lucky, and Chatr.

Losing Points

Limited options for purchasing a new phone: When we say limited, we mean it. If you want to purchase a phone through any of these phone providers, we’re talking about the most basic models on the market. You have to pay the full price upfront, and don’t expect any fancy features or new technology.

Really, if you want to purchase a new phone, either do it directly from the manufacturer and then bring it to one of these companies, or do it through one of the 1st level flanker brands, and pay it off through a long-term contract.

No unlimited data: If you want a plan without a cap on data, your only options are the Big Three.

No family plans: These phone providers offer the bare bones only. There are no options for family plans, but if you plan right, you can purchase separate plans for each of your family members and still keep it in the affordable range.

Limited customer support: These companies skimp on customer service to bring you these low prices. This can pose challenges if there are issues with your bill or service. 

No contract phone plans: Some people prefer the monthly contract for their phone plan. There’s no need to worry about topping up your plan if you hit your limit (though watch out for those overage charges!), plus with postpaid plans you often get access to bonus perks and rewards. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll have to look elsewhere. 

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Which Network is Best and Cheap in Canada?

The cheapest networks are the 2nd-level flanker brands (Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, Chatr), which use the same physical infrastructure as their parent companies (Telus, Bell, Rogers respectively). You’re getting the same towers at a lower price, with less customer service and fewer features.

The cheapest plans often come with coverage limitations that matter in specific situations, such as:

• Rural coverage: If your priority is coverage, Bell and Telus (and their flanker brands) share a rural network, giving them the broadest reach outside of major cities.
• International roaming: Second-level brands rarely include US roaming in their base plans, and international roaming add-ons may be more limited or more expensive than what’s available from first-level or Big Three brands.

If you’ll be travelling frequently across the Canada-US border for work, or spending time outside major cities, a slightly more expensive plan from a first-level brand may save money on add-ons in the long run.

Provincial considerations

If you live in one of these provinces, you should check out the province-specific competitor who’s on the market.

Saskatchewan: Home of the SaskTel network. SaskTel is government-owned and helps keep the market more competitive with some of the best prices in the country.

Quebec: Home of Videotron, a privately owned telecoms carrier. Though Videotron has limited wireless coverage, mostly in southern Quebec and neighbouring provinces, it does provide some additional options worth pursuing if you’re in the French-speaking province.

Ontario, Alberta, & British Columbia (cities only): Freedom Mobile offers cell phone plans with coverage mostly limited to major cities. West of Ontario, Freedom only has coverage in Edmonton, Calgary, and the Greater Vancouver Area. Freedom Mobile has competitive rates, for those who spend most of their lives in the major cities covered. Freedom also has exclusive deals with public transportation companies in Toronto and Vancouver, allowing users to access data while underground on the subway.

Which Carrier Serves My Area? Comparing Coverage

Every major Canadian carrier publishes a coverage map on their website. Before committing to a plan, enter your home address and any areas you travel frequently to confirm service is available.

For rural areas, Bell and Telus (and their flanker brands) generally offer stronger coverage due to their shared rural network. Rogers and its brands have strong urban coverage but are less consistent in smaller communities and remote areas.

Regional providers are worth checking if you’re settling in specific provinces:

• Saskatchewan: SaskTel is government-owned and often offers competitive pricing with solid provincial coverage 

• Quebec: Videotron offers an additional option, primarily in southern Quebec

• Ontario, Alberta, BC major cities: Freedom Mobile competes in urban centres with competitive rates, and has partnerships with transit systems in Toronto and Vancouver

Frequently Asked Questions

Which phone company is Canadian?

The major Canadian phone companies are Rogers, Bell, and Telus — all three are Canadian-owned and headquartered in Canada. Rogers is based in Toronto, Bell in Montreal, and Telus in Vancouver. Most other carriers operating in Canada, such as Koodo, Fido, Virgin, Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, and Chatr, are flanker brands owned by one of these three companies.

What are the best phone carriers in Canada?

The best carrier depends on your budget and needs. For unlimited data and family plans, Rogers, Bell, and Telus are the top options. For mid-range data with good customer service, Koodo, Virgin, and Fido are strong choices. For the lowest prices on prepaid BYOP plans, Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, and Chatr offer the best value, with plans starting around $29/month for 30GB.

Does Rogers have a plan for seniors?

Rogers does not currently advertise a dedicated senior-specific plan, but discounts may be available through its flanker brand Chatr or through bundle promotions. Seniors looking for affordable options are often better served by prepaid plans from second-level brands, which have no contracts and straightforward pricing. It’s worth calling Rogers directly to ask about any unpublished senior discounts.

Is TELUS a Canadian brand?

Yes, Telus is a Canadian company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is one of Canada’s Big Three telecom providers and also owns flanker brands Koodo and Public Mobile. Telus operates its own national network infrastructure and shares rural tower coverage with Bell, giving both carriers a broad reach outside major cities.

Is Bell a Canadian phone company?

Yes, Bell is a Canadian company and one of the oldest telecommunications brands in the country, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. It operates under the parent company BCE Inc. and owns flanker brands Virgin Mobile and Lucky Mobile. Bell shares rural network infrastructure with Telus, making both carriers strong options for coverage outside major urban centres.

Is Rogers a Canadian phone company?

Yes, Rogers is a Canadian company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It is one of Canada’s Big Three carriers and owns flanker brands Fido and Chatr Mobile. Rogers operates its own national network, which all Rogers-owned brands run on. In 2023, Rogers completed a major merger with Shaw Communications, further consolidating its position in the Canadian telecom market.

Who owns cell towers in Canada?

Cell towers in Canada are primarily owned by Rogers, Bell, and Telus, as well as independent tower companies such as Vertical Bridge and SBA Communications. Bell and Telus share rural tower infrastructure through a long-standing network-sharing agreement, which is why both carriers offer stronger rural coverage than Rogers. Flanker brands like Koodo, Fido, Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, and Chatr do not own towers — they operate on their parent company’s network.