Canadians are finally getting more options for mobile plans thanks to the national expansion of Fizz.
Four months after its beta launch in several communities in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia, the 100% digital mobile carrier announced on Wednesday that the beta test was successful and that it’s ready to bring its services to more Canadians in the coming months.
Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor, which owns Fizz, thanked the thousands of beta testers.
“They have influenced the development of our plans, our technology and our services, enabling us to bring Fizz at its best to more consumers across Canada,” he said in a statement.
“I thank our many testers for being part of this exciting development in the telecom industry.”
This announcement comes almost a year after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) implemented mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) agreements that allow regional wireless providers to access the networks of the country’s telecom giants, such as Rogers, Bell, and Telus.
This access was meant to enable smaller wireless brands to offer inexpensive phone plans to Canadians, and with the expansion of Fizz, it looks like it could be working.
How does Fizz work?
The digital mobile carrier is now available to over 21 million Canadians in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.
The whole process of signing up with the carrier happens online.
The first step is ordering a SIM card on its site. You can use your own phone or buy one with Fizz. The company is also making its SIM cards available at selected Circle K locations in its service areas in BC or Alberta.
Once you secure a SIM card, you can then customize your mobile plan to suit your needs. The carrier currently has an introductory offer with plans starting as low as $14 a month.
“They will be able to keep their plans and rates for as long as they like — no end dates, no haggling!” reads a news release.
Additionally, there’s a tool on a site that estimates how much your plan would be depending on the amount of data, texts, minutes, voice mail and international calls you need. For example, a 40 GB mobile plan with unlimited text, minutes and voicemail would cost $29 a month.
Fizz also provides benefits like data rollover, which automatically transfers the mobile data you don’t use to the next month; free data offered through the carrier’s loyalty program; the ability to gift data to other Fizz members; and no fixed-term contracts.
What do you think of this new carrier’s mobile plans? Let us know in the comments.