Link: https://shop.freedommobile.ca/en-CA/prepaid-plans?planType=Prepaid+Multi-Month

Requires activation via customer service, we set it up through online chat. We were already Freedom Customers and asked them to create a 2nd line on the account with this offer and transfer our number over.

Requires a 6-month prepay during set up and a $10.00 activation fee. After the 6 months, you prepay another 6 months at the same price. The plan is similar to their 25GB $35/mo plan without the Mexico data and without the 1GB Roam Beyond. You still get the 25GB in Can/US.

Plan Details ($120/6 months)

Data:

• 25GB per month for 6months (CANADA + U.S)

Talk (Canada + U.S.):

• Unlimited calls to Canada from Canada and the U.S.
• Unlimited calls to US from Canada and the U.S.
• Unlimited domestic calling while in the U.S.
• Unlimited incoming calls

Text (Canada + U.S.):

• Unlimited global text, picture, and video messaging

Additional Features

• Standard Voicemail
• Call Control (Caller ID, Missed Call Alerts, Conference Calling, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting)
• $1.50/min. for calls to other international destinations

This happened in South Korea on May 11, 2026.

My Galaxy S24 suddenly emitted smoke, extreme heat, and exploded in my hand while I was using it normally to search the internet.

Important details:

The phone was NOT charging

No drop damage

Never repaired or opened

Fire department responded

Signs consistent with lithium battery ignition were identified on site

I am currently receiving medical treatment for smoke inhalation symptoms and anxiety/insomnia after the incident

Samsung told me they would collect the device for internal investigation, but I have not received further explanation yet.

Photos, medical records, and incident evidence have been preserved.

For privacy and safety reasons, I would prefer to remain anonymous publicly.

If media outlets are interested, I am willing to provide additional photos and videos.

---

UPDATE1: 26.5.13

Thank you for all the concern, advice, and support.

This incident did actually happen, and many of my coworkers witnessed it as well. I also have video footage related to the incident, and I have already informed outlets such as BBC and CNN that I am willing to provide additional evidence if requested.

At the moment, I have not been contacted by any Korean media outlets.

I was actively using the phone in my hand for normal web searching when it suddenly began swelling very rapidly before exploding. Thankfully, the lower part of the phone split open during the incident, which likely reduced the severity of the injuries. I only suffered minor burn blisters instead of more serious physical harm.

(Additional Information) The device was purchased as an official unlocked Galaxy S24 through Samsung Partners in South Korea on June 11, 2024, and was received and activated on June 12, 2024. Since then, it had been used normally without any repairs, modifications, or internal opening.

I originally switched from Apple iPhones to Samsung years ago, and honestly, this experience — along with the response afterward — has changed the way I feel.

Please stay careful and safe with your devices as well.

I will continue updating this post if there are any major developments or investigation results.

---

UPDATE2: 26.05.13

I was just contacted by the director of a local Samsung service center. According to what I was told, employees from Samsung headquarters became aware of this Reddit post and instructed the local service center to respond. I am still recording and preserving all communication related to this incident, and if major media outlets request it, I am prepared to provide those records as well. I once again requested direct communication from the appropriate department at Samsung headquarters. To be clear, I have never demanded financial compensation during this process. What I truly want is for Samsung to recognize the seriousness of this incident and respond with transparency and sincerity. Experiencing something like this has honestly changed the way I think about battery fire situations and consumer safety. I hope companies learn to take these incidents seriously before they become larger public safety issues.

I’ve honestly realized how powerful Reddit can be.

Thank you everyone. The support and attention from people here have genuinely helped someone like me feel less alone while dealing with this situation.

If more people become aware of battery safety risks through this post, I think that alone would already mean a lot to me.

And seriously, for everyone reading this on their phones right now — please stay safe and pay attention to unusual heat or warning signs 😅

Google I/O 2026 felt less like a product launch and more like Google rewriting the job description of the internet.

The big shift is simple: Gemini is no longer just the box that answers. Google is pushing it into Search, YouTube, Workspace, shopping, developer tools and smart glasses so it can organize information, draft documents, monitor the web and take action with permission.

The scale is already massive. AI Mode in Search has passed 1 billion monthly users, the Gemini app has passed 900 million monthly users, and more than 8.5 million developers are building with Google’s AI models every month.

The interface is starting to dissolve. Ask YouTube jumps into relevant video moments, Docs Live turns spoken thoughts into drafts, Google Pics lets users edit image objects directly, and Gemini powered audio glasses are coming this fall.

This is not just another AI keynote. It changes how people search, shop, work, create content and verify what they see online.

Rural Fibre Gets Public Money

Ottawa is putting more than $73 million into rural New Brunswick broadband, with Rogers and Xplore receiving federal funding to bring high-speed internet to over 27,600 households in more than 500 rural and remote communities.

The deeper story is not just “more internet.” It is that rural connectivity still often needs public money before it becomes a normal consumer market.

Rogers and Xplore are both building fibre, with expected completion in December 2028. That means the infrastructure may be coming, but the consumer question remains: what will people actually pay once the line reaches the house?

Canada is closing the rural gap, but slowly. The cable may be fibre, but the policy problem is still copper-wire old.

• Rogers is receiving $40.7 million to serve 15,254 households.
• Xplore is receiving $32.4 million to serve 12,393 households.
• Both projects use fibre and have an expected completion date of December 2028.
• New Brunswick currently has 95.6% household access to 50/10 Mbps high-speed internet, with 97.8% projected by the end of 2026.
• The Universal Broadband Fund is now a $3.225 billion federal program aimed at reaching 98% of Canadian households by the end of 2026 and 100% by 2030.

Source : Canada

I have been with Fizz for less than 2 months and I'm already enjoying the perks. I picked a budget plan ($15.75/2GB of monthly data) and I wasn't sure how it would go but between my referral bonus and these extras it's working out so far. I've recommended Fizz to several people already, this seems like a very consumer friendly carrier.

The Clicks Communicator Brings Back the Phone Keyboard for People Who Miss Typing Without Staring at a Giant Screen

Clicks Is Making a BlackBerry Style Android Phone for Messaging, Shortcuts and Fewer Distractions

A New Android Phone With a Real Keyboard Wants to Be the Anti Doomscrolling Device

The Clicks Communicator Looks Like a Modern BlackBerry, But It Might Be More About Focus Than Nostalgia

A $499 Android Phone With a Physical Keyboard Is Coming for People Tired of Glass Slab Phones

Chatr has a weekend flash sale: 50 GB for $29/month when you activate online with Auto Pay.

Good one to check if you want prepaid data without jumping into a long commitment.

AST SpaceMobile just turned a satellite demo into a telecom warning shot.

The company says it reached 98.9 Mbps peak download speed from an in-orbit Block 1 BlueBird satellite directly to an unmodified smartphone over international waters. No special satellite phone. No extra hardware. Just a standard device talking to space.

That matters because satellite-to-phone service has mostly been framed as emergency texting, basic messaging or “dead zone” coverage. A near-100 Mbps test changes the imagination. Suddenly, this starts to look less like a backup signal and more like a future layer of mobile broadband.

The angle is extra interesting. AST says its commercial partner ecosystem now includes Telus, in addition to existing partner Bell Canada. The company also names Canada as one of the markets where scaled ground integration is beginning.

The caveat: this is still a peak test, not a normal consumer plan. The real questions are coverage, pricing, latency, capacity and whether this becomes a premium add-on or part of regular mobile plans.

Space is not replacing towers yet. But it is starting to knock on the network door.

Source

Hey there!

Rogers now has the new Ultimate Plan for both devices financing and BYOD for RPP.

Still waiting for my plan section for my plan to get the Ultimate plan.

At PlanHub, we help Canadians compare internet and mobile plans. But comparing prices is only part of the story.

Today, consumers do not just want to know which plan is cheaper. They want to understand what is really happening behind their bill, their internet speed, their network coverage, unexpected fees, service interruptions, and suspicious messages.

That is why PlanHub is also active on Reddit.

Not just to share links. Not just to talk about plans. But to listen to what people are actually experiencing.

Reddit is where the signal starts

Telecom problems do not always begin in press releases. Very often, they begin with a simple post:

“My internet has been down all morning.”

“Did anyone else get this increase on their bill?”

“Why did my price change when my promotion was supposed to last two years?”

“Does this message look like a scam?”

These signals often appear first inside communities. Reddit makes them visible quickly, directly, and without the usual corporate filter. It is where users compare experiences, confirm whether an issue is bigger than one isolated case, and sometimes realize they are not alone.

For PlanHub, that matters.

A good comparison platform should not only display prices. It should also help consumers better understand the market they are paying into.

What we are watching for

Our presence on Reddit helps us spot several types of issues that directly affect consumers.

Billing errors, for example, when a discount disappears too early, an unexpected fee appears, or a customer does not receive what they were promised.

Network outages and service interruptions, especially when an entire region seems affected and official information is slow to arrive.

Scams and suspicious messages, particularly when fraudsters imitate known providers to collect personal information.

Good deals too, because users sometimes find local offers, hidden promotions, or better alternatives before they become widely known.

And finally, changes in provider behaviour: new price increases, new policies, removed fees, changing promotions, or rules that become harder to understand.

When a local discussion becomes a public signal

A recent example in British Columbia shows why these conversations matter.

In northwest B.C., a major TELUS outage affected several communities after vandals cut fibre lines while attempting to steal copper cables. Internet, TV, home phone, and wireless services were disrupted in areas including Masset, Prince Rupert, Terrace, Hazelton, Smithers, and Burns Lake.

On Reddit, discussions helped gather reactions, follow the situation, and give more visibility to what could otherwise have remained a regional issue.

This type of signal can help draw attention from the public, journalists, and local media. In this case, the conversation around the outage helped push the story beyond the people directly affected.

That is the kind of role PlanHub wants to play: helping useful signals rise to the surface.

Why this matters for consumers

Canada’s telecom market is complex. Plans change quickly. Promotional prices expire. Fees are not always easy to understand. A network can be strong in one city and unreliable in another.

A single consumer can feel like they are facing a wall.

But when several people share the same experience, that wall starts to show cracks.

That is where communities become important. They help people compare realities, ask better questions, and sometimes make things move.

At PlanHub, we believe comparison should not only help people save a few dollars. It should also give consumers more power.

A place to report, compare, and understand

Our presence on Reddit follows that logic.

Yes, we want to help people find better mobile and internet plans. But we also want to support a space where consumers can report what is not working, spot patterns, and better understand their options.

If you see a billing error, an unusual outage, an interesting offer, a suspicious message, or a practice that deserves attention, sharing it can help others.

Sometimes, one post can help someone avoid overpaying.

Sometimes, it can confirm that a problem affects an entire area.

And sometimes, it can help a local story come out of the shadows.

Having just burned the last of the previous 10*10GB paid (from BF and Christmas?), today they announce another set.

I'm only seeing 2*10GB in my account now, with 89 days to redeem, but I'm sure the others are coming. :)

TELUS and the Government of Canada have announced work to expand Canada’s sovereign AI infrastructure, including a B.C. AI cluster built around an expanded Kamloops data centre and two new Vancouver facilities. The project is expected to use an initial 85 MW of clean, renewable power secured from BC Hydro.

The surface story is “more data centres.” The bigger story is control: Canada wants more AI compute built on Canadian soil, with Canadian infrastructure, Canadian power and fewer dependencies on foreign cloud capacity.

TELUS says its first Sovereign AI Factory in Rimouski, Quebec, is already sold out, which suggests demand for domestic AI infrastructure is no longer theoretical.

This is a major shift. Networks are no longer just about connecting people. They are becoming the physical backbone for AI, cloud, data sovereignty and national digital strategy.

Photo: A rendering of the proposed, 400,000-square-foot AI factory that would be located at 150 West Georgia—adjacent to Vancouver’s BC Place stadium. Feature image courtesy Telus.

Junk fees find new names

The CRTC has warned Bell over a new $40 “device handling charge” applied when customers buy a phone with a wireless plan. In a May 6 letter, the regulator said the fee may be considered an activation fee, which is the type of charge new federal telecom rules are set to prohibit starting June 12, 2026.

The deeper issue is not just the $40. It is whether carriers can remove one unpopular fee, then reintroduce a smaller one under a different name.

Bell’s position, reported by iPhone in Canada, is that the one-time fee covers fulfillment costs and applies only to optional device purchases, not bring-your-own-phone customers. The CRTC’s counterpoint is simple: a phone is required to use wireless service, so a fee attached to providing one may not qualify as an optional product exemption.

This is exactly where telecom affordability gets slippery: the monthly plan price can look cleaner while the checkout process quietly grows extra teeth.

The company says it completed a $22 million 5G+ network build around BMO Field and key Toronto fan areas ahead of the tournament. A crew of 30 spent almost 40,000 hours planning and installing the new infrastructure.

The upgrade is not just about people posting goal videos from the stands. Rogers says the work includes in-stadium wireless improvements, extra 5G+ spectrum, temporary cell sites, and upgrades around fan zones, hotels, Pearson, Union Station and some TTC subway stations.

The bigger consumer angle is simple: major events expose how fragile mobile networks can feel when everyone connects at once.

Toronto gets the spotlight, but Rogers is also investing $5 million in Vancouver for World Cup connectivity, including upgrades around BC Place, fan zones, hotels and SkyTrain stations.

The World Cup may be a soccer event, but for Canadian telecom, it is also a giant public speed test.

Source

Speed now has price tiers

Public Mobile’s current plan lineup makes the choice pretty clear: 4G plans start lower, while 5G plans add bigger data buckets and Canada-U.S.-Mexico coverage.

On the 4G side, the plans shown range from $22/month with talk and text add-ons to $30/month for 20GB. On the 5G side, the lineup starts at $35/month for 25GB and goes up to $50/month for 175GB.

The interesting angle is not just the pricing. Public Mobile is separating customers by real usage: light users can stay cheap on 4G, while heavier users and travellers are nudged toward 5G.