Freedom Mobile rolled out its 5G network in April 2023 following the industry-wide transformation of the Rogers-Shaw merger. Thanks to that partnership, Freedom now offers 5G in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, offering affordable 5G for customers looking for an alternative to the big three. We offer several 5G plans.
We reviewed Freedom’s 5G plans to calculate their speeds, assess their coverage, and determine their value. Read this article to learn everything you need to know about Freedom Mobile 5G.
Freedom Mobile 5G Speed
Freedom Mobile’s top 5G plans
5G is the fastest wireless service available in Canada, but not all 5G services are the same. Freedom Mobile 5G speeds range from 50Mbps to 225Mbps, which is slower than the 5G coverage offered by Bell, Rogers, and Telus. Freedom’s 5G is also only available in some city centers, and you can only access these super-fast speeds if you’re in one of these 5G coverage areas.
Additionally, all of Freedom’s 5G plans come with full-speed data caps. Once you exceed your monthly allowance, your speed will drop to 256Kbps. This is extremely slow. You can browse the web, check email, and stream music, but you won’t be able to stream video.
5G bands and frequencies
5G will be delivered through three different frequency bands: low, medium, and high. Freedom Mobile 5G will be deployed over the n71 (600 MHz) band, which is considered low-band. That means it’s slower than mid-band or high-band 5G. However, lower bandwidth also means that its services can be extended further. Freedom says it chose accessibility over the highest possible speeds, claiming the choice was “to ensure we deliver 5G to as many Canadians as possible as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, Bell, Rogers, and Telus are using multiple bands to deliver 5G. All three carriers use high bands in metropolitan areas to provide some of the fastest wireless service in the country.
Free 5G coverage area
Freedom’s 5G service reaches 31% of Canadians, but that number pales in comparison to the Big Three’s 5G, whose networks reach more than 70% of Canadians. The difference is due to concentration. While Bell, Rogers, and Telus offer pockets of 5G in most provinces, Freedom’s 5G network is limited to densely populated urban areas in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
western canada
In British Columbia, Freedom 5G is available in the southwestern part of the province, with strong coverage in and around the greater Vancouver region, including eastern outposts such as Maple Ridge, Langley City, and White Rock.
In Alberta, 5G coverage is available in Calgary, Edmonton and Sherwood Park, but not yet in the province’s smaller cities such as Lacombe and Red Deer.
Eastern Canada
Freedom Mobile’s 5G coverage in Ontario is less concentrated, with several areas spread across the southern part of the province. As you might expect, 5G is available in metropolitan areas like Toronto and London, but smaller cities like Windsor and Barrie can also enjoy Freedom’s fastest service.
Similarly, Freedom 5G has expanded across Quebec, thanks in no small part to the carrier’s partnership with Videotron. Most are concentrated around the urban centers of Ottawa, Longueuil, and Quebec City, but coverage of Quebec residents extends from Rouyn-Noranda in the west, Alma in the north, and Rimouski in the east.
Freedom Mobile 5G plan
Freedom Mobile offers a number of different 5G phone plans aimed at different types of customers. Let’s take a look at some of the best plans currently available.
bargain
The 5G Unlimited 50GB CA-US plan is one of the best cell phone plans in Canada. This plan offers 50GB of full-speed 5G data at a lower price than most 4G flankers offer. With BYOD, this deal becomes even better. Not only will you save money by avoiding paying your monthly phone bill, but you’ll also get an extra $5 off your monthly bill.
best unlimited
Freedom offers several 5G plans with unlimited data, but they all come with an asterisk. All unlimited plans in Canada are just unlimited in name. We don’t expect that to be an issue with this plan. It’s pretty much the same as the previous plan, but offers 60GB of full-speed 5G data. This is 10 times the amount of data used by the average Canadian.
If you’re looking to pair your new phone with a new plan, we recommend checking out some of the best deals on Freedom Mobile phones available right now.
Perfect for roaming
This makes sense to snowbirds. With Freedom’s Roam Beyond, you can access your plan from outside the country at no additional charge. That means you get 60GB of data and unlimited calls and texts wherever you go.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean you’ll have 5G everywhere. To use Freedom’s 5G service, you must be in one of Freedom’s 5G coverage areas.
Freedom Mobile 5G: Verdict
5G is not a must for everyone. For people who use their phones primarily for calling, texting, and browsing, it won’t have much of an impact on their daily experience. However, if you love streaming, gaming, or FaceTime, we think it’s worth the extra money to avoid the horrible slowdowns associated with previous generations of wireless technology.
Canada has no shortage of carriers offering 5G. Currently, you can activate his 5G services for Bell, Rogers, Telus, Public, SaskTel, Koodo, Virgin Plus, Eastlink, Videotron, and of course Freedom. Compared to its competitors, Freedom’s 5G plans can’t offer fast speeds like Bell, Rogers, or Telus. In some cases, its low-band service doesn’t seem all that different from other carriers’ 4G LTE services.
With that in mind, if you’re looking for reliable, fast 5G service, we recommend Bell, Rogers, or Telus. However, if you are comparing Freedom 5G and 4G flankers, we recommend Freedom as its plan reaches 225Mbps, which is faster than what 4G carriers can offer.
