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Unlimited talk/text/data for $29/month

14K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  indexxx 
#1 ·
http://www.windmobile.ca/en/Pages/talka-texta-data-holics.aspx

Wind has a new plan that includes unlimited local calling, unlimited Canada-wide text, and unlimited data for $29/month with no contract.

This is not an introductory offer where the price goes up after a while, this is $29/month for life.

Where else can you get unlimited data for $29/month with no contract? What do Bell/Rogers charge, like $80 for 6 gb/month with a 3 year contract? Sorry for all you people who live in towns where Wind doesn't have coverage yet, but they're quickly adding more towns. Kingston, Barrie and Windsor were recently added.
 
#2 · (Edited)
You have to decide whether you want great phone selection and crappy plans or a great plans and crappy phone selection. The upfront hardware costs at the new carriers can weigh much heavier than the big 3. The $29/mo Wind plan for example is only eligible for a 200$ tab, so a SGSIII that retails at 650+tax full price will cost 450+tax upfront using a tab (basically still a 3 year contract anyway). Not everyone remembers to take that into account. However either way you pay at least half as much than with any comparable offers from the big 3.

I saw Rogers started a $60/6GB promotion last month and the other big 2 followed. None of those plans have more than 200 local minutes or any call control features - i.e. Caller ID is $7-$12 extra, forwarding is $3 extra. And you have to fight to get feature credits. If you can put up with less phone selection and the growing pains of a new carrier Wind is still kind of a nice alternative.

I hate to say this as Wind's biggest fan but I noticed service reliability kind of deteriorating in the spring, particularly data speed in the GTA. Also with T-Mobile's recent decision to change up their frequency allocation to support the iPhone it's going to be more difficult for Wind Canada (the only other carrier in the world running HSPA on AWS) to secure the latest and greatest phones. Everything kind of hinges on whether or not they get a good deal at the 700MHz/LTE auction next year, that would give them access to all of AT&T's phones. For now thankfully it looks like Wind are still expanding, and hopefully congestion issues will be resolved in time.
 
#4 ·
Still haven't sprung for a cell phone here in Ontario, but $29 a month sounds decent!

I did pick up a Tracephone last month in the states. $14.95 for the phone at the drug store, a $100 card ended up giving me double points yada yada. Bottom line 1220 minutes good for 425 days (1.15 years!). Data use mind you sucks up the minutes fast.
 
#6 ·
I'm very tempted, but concerned about the coverage area. No whistler, no kelowna, and even greater Vancouver isn't fully covered....

Any BC Wind users here who can weigh in???? (29+8 voicemail is almost too hard to pass up...but not if the coverage is too limited or the service shaky).
 
#7 · (Edited)
Look at coverage mapper http://www.coveragemapper.com/map.p...3742&long=-95.39103887812502&zoom=4&netType=0

And if you already have Wind download it from the Android market and help keep the map updated

Wind has Whistler covered, and phoning Vancouver to Whistler counts as local calling. Kelowna is not...

Wind started going downhill when they started charging $8 for voicemail. IF you have an answering machine at home or external voicemail (office etc), just forward calls to that number and save your money. All plans include free call forwarding.
 
#8 ·
Are you sure about Whistler? Per my reading of this: http://www.windmobile.ca/en/pages/storesandcoverage.aspx it's not part of the Wind Network. It's considered "Away Coverage" -- so you can use your phone, but you get charged $0.20/minute? I think I could phone Toronto/Vancouver or Calgary/Vancouver under the plan....but not Whistler -- and possibly not even some parts of Vancouver without additional cost.

But maybe I'm wrong??? You happy with Wind?
 
#9 · (Edited)
You're reading that map wrong. The areas circled by a thick dark red border are Wind's coverage area. They have Whistler. The light red outside the thick dark red border are roaming areas (they have a roaming agreeement with Rogers) where you pay 25c/min.

Use coverage mapper, it's 99% more accurate than the maps Wind draw on their website.

The $29 plan is only for *local* calling, so you can't call Toronto/Vancouver. That would be 15c/min long distance... These are their local calling areas http://www2.windmobile.ca/en/pages/unlimitedlocalcellplan-east.aspx

My Wind line is suspended right now so I can't comment since I'm not around.. I keep up to date on howardforums and mobilesyrup. Their subscriber growth slowed a lot last quarter, Q2 from the parent company is due in a couple of days.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Np. Highway coverage generally sucks everywhere on Wind. If you do a lot of car travel I would just stick with the big 3 a few more years. Canada is Vimpelcom's most profitable market but they don't seem they are putting as much effort as they should to stay in business. I get these are austere times but by not holding upto promises it's a dangerous game they play..
 
#13 ·
thanks again dd. I really appreciate the time you've taken here. These are questions I should ask a rep...but they tend to be rather slippery.

What happens with data outside the zone? Is it still accessible at a charge?

One other good think I noticed....while I can't call Vancouver/Calgary.....I can use the phone in Calgary for local calls there...even if it's not my home base. I'm almost sold....I think.
 
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