Public Mobile vs Fizz (2026): Which Value Carrier Wins?

Public Mobile and Fizz are the two cheapest mainstream ways to get a phone plan in Canada. Both are digital-only, both skip stores and phone support to cut costs, and both regularly undercut the Big Three by $20+ a month. But they run on completely different networks, and that single fact decides which one is right for you.

The short answer

If you live in Quebec or the Ottawa area, Fizz is usually the better deal — it’s typically 10–20% cheaper for a comparable plan and includes data rollover. Everywhere else in Canada, Public Mobile wins by default, because Fizz’s network coverage is concentrated in Quebec and Ontario while Public Mobile runs on Telus’s nationwide network.

Current plans

Coverage: the deciding factor

This isn’t a close call, and it’s the first thing to check.

Public Mobile is owned by Telus and runs on the Telus network — one of the strongest in Canada, including rural areas and the mountain parks. If you travel across provinces or live outside a major city, this matters a lot.

Fizz is owned by Videotron and runs on Videotron’s network in Quebec and the Ottawa region, with roaming arrangements elsewhere. Coverage is excellent in its home territory and thinner outside it.

So: Quebec resident who rarely leaves the province? Fizz. Anyone who drives across Canada, lives rurally, splits time between provinces, or lives outside Fizz’s five — Public Mobile.

Where Fizz is genuinely better

• Data rollover. Fizz carries your unused data into the next month on all plans. Public Mobile doesn’t — unused data expires at the end of your cycle. If your usage varies month to month, this is real money.
• Price. Fizz is typically 10–20% cheaper for a comparable plan, and its plan range runs unusually low (from around $10/month for minimal plans).
• Rewards. Fizz’s My Rewards program gives perks that grow with how long you stay.
• Bundles. Fizz also sells home internet, so you can consolidate if you’re in its territory.

Where Public Mobile is better

• Nationwide coverage on the Telus network — the single biggest advantage.
• Public Points, which give you a percentage back to reduce future bills.
• Availability. This is the big one, and it’s not just about price. Public Mobile sells anywhere in Canada. Fizz sells in five provinces only — Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec — so in Saskatchewan or Atlantic Canada it isn’t an option at all rather than a pricier one.
• Network generation. Fizz’s offering isn’t uniform across those five. In Manitoba it is 4G only — no 5G option appears anywhere on its Manitoba page, where Ontario shoppers get an explicit 4G/5G choice. Check what you’re actually buying in your province.

The trade-off both share

Both are self-serve only. There are no stores to walk into and no phone support — help comes through apps, chat, and community forums. If you want someone to hand your phone to when something breaks, you want Koodo or Fido instead, and you’ll pay roughly $15/month more for that.

Before you switch: check your address on both carriers’ coverage maps. A cheap plan on a network that doesn’t work where you sleep is not a bargain.

Who should pick which

• Quebec or Ottawa, cost-focused: Fizz — cheaper, with rollover data.
• Anywhere else in Canada: Public Mobile — the coverage difference decides it.
• Rural or frequent traveller: Public Mobile, without much debate.
• Want stores and support: neither — look at Koodo or Fido.

Prices update from our plan database. Always confirm on the carrier’s site before signing up.