WIND Mobile’s pricing plans brought a breath of fresh air to the Canadian wireless landscape last December, but customers have been asking for less expensive data. WIND offered a great $35/month unlimited data add-on, but nothing below that for general purpose data.
Well, today, WIND announced new data add-ons. Just like their voice plans (and unlike what I was used to with Rogers), WIND’s data add-ons are brilliantly simple and easy to understand.
Here’s my take:
| Add-On | Social | Charged | Infinite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $10/month (+ overage) |
$20/month (+ overage) |
$35/month. Period. |
| Data Included | 50 MB/month |
500 MB/month |
unlimited |
| Overage rate | 20¢/MB $10 / 50 MB |
4¢/MB $20 / 500 MB |
n / a |
| Monthly break-even | 100 MB x 20¢/MB = $20 |
875 MB x 4¢/MB = $35 |
n / a |
| My Thoughts | Makes sense if you only use mobile data occasionally, or for mostly text.
e.g. My mom, who uses mobile data mostly for email, and occasionally to browse the web |
Makes sense if you browse the web regularly, and stream/download audio or video sometimes.
e.g. My fiancée, an average web user (email, social networking sites, chat, photos, maps, the occasional audio/video stream) |
Makes sense if you stream/download audio or video a lot, or if you want to tether your mobile device with your laptop.
e.g. A geek like me, especially if I’m tethering, though I might even consider downgrading to Charged. |
The monthly break-even point is not necessarily the long-term break-even point. Even if you go over the monthly break-even point occasionally, a smaller plan might be less expensive on average over time.
Pay Before to cap spending. If you’re concerned about overage charges, you can go Pay Before and only put in as much money as you’re willing to spend each month. Unlike other carriers, WIND offers Pay Before customers access to the same plans and add-ons.
Although these rates only apply in Home Zones, WIND is expanding it’s Home Zones daily, with the ambition of building a national 3G network. Right now, the Home Zones are Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa and Edmonton.
No More Getting Ripped Off
Coming from a family that’s been ripped off by Rogers for way too long, this is a breath of fresh air. Working through a Rogers bill involves a labyrinth of plans (fixed versus flex rate, Pay-As-You-Go versus regular wireless), vague details, ridiculous contracts, outrageous early cancellation fees, and sales reps who don’t understand half of it. The game is to do a detailed analysis of your usage and their offerings (including the fine print and hidden costs), and try to match them up as best you can. Otherwise, Rogers will happily take as much of your money as it can. Bell and Telus are hardly different.
I’m thankful for a wireless company that is trying to earn money by making things easy to understand, rather than profiting from confusion.
5 thoughts on “WIND Mobile Launches Reasonable Data Plans In Canada”
Thanks a bunch for the comparison chart, it really helps a novice understand usage.
Glad to be of service 🙂
Hopefully we’ll get more Wind Home zones around here in Canada. Waterloo, Ontario would be a great place for us university students. Go Wind!
i delt with FIDO ROGERS AND BELL and i can say i will spear that i will never hopefully need to dfeal with thlos companies again, i found them to be big rip offs, confusiion is really part of there business tactics to make money, they ad in so many confusing charges and give you the intormations that deals with paying them. i find them corrupt and should be investigated and charged if they were in europe with european standards they would be in charged for frudulence. Wind so far seems like an ethical company for a comany that is. i have to say so far anyway i have not had any serious problems with them and the egyption customer service people are so polite i can t say much for the canadian workds or canadian customers services workes. but the egyptions working there are too nice.
i delt with FIDO ROGERS AND BELL and i can say i will spear that i will never hopefully need to deal with those companies again, i found them to be big rip offs, confusion is really part of there business tactics to make money, they ad in so many confusing charges and give you the intormations that deals with paying them. i find them corrupt and should be investigated and charged if they were in europe with european standards they would be charged for fraud. Wind so far seems like an ethical company for a company that is. i have to say so far anyway i have not had any serious problems with them and the egyption customer service people are so polite i can t say much for the canadian workers or canadian customers services workes. but the egyptions working there are too nice.