Public Mobile warns network upgrades might degrade service for some

Public Mobile is texting some customers to warn them of potential lost or degraded service starting June 3, 2025.

According to the text messages, which some customers posted online, the Telus-owned wireless provider is upgrading its network, and those upgrades might cause problems for some customers.

“We are making upgrades to our network that may impact your connectivity with Public Mobile,” reads part of the message. “After June 3rd, your device may lose or experience a degraded connection.”

Update June 3, 2025, at 9:07 a.m. ET: In a statement to MobileSyrup, Telus said:

“Starting June 3, we’re upgrading one of our 3G network bands to 4G LTE to enhance the customer experience, supporting faster speeds and improved network reliability across Atlantic Canada. While our 3G network will continue to be operational in the region, a small number of Public Mobile customers may experience service degradation or loss of voice, SMS and 3G connectivity in certain areas.

“We’ve proactively notified impacted customers and offered solutions to help them plan ahead and avoid service disruptions. This includes the option to upgrade to TELUS, where customers can take advantage of $0 devices when activating a new line starting at $35/month, or enjoy exclusive savings on 5G rate plans starting at $29/month when they bring their own device. Customers can visit our website for more information.”

The link Telus provided goes to a Public Mobile support page with more details. According to the support page, Telus is “refarming the 850MHz band 5 spectrum to enhance [its] 4G and 5G network.” The support page warns that people in areas where the 850MHz spectrum is being refarmed (a process involving repurposing the spectrum to work with newer technologies) may have issues with calling, texting, and/or data use, and potentially have slower or no data connectivity.

The change will impact people with devices that aren’t voice over LTE (VoLTE) certified with Public Mobile. Public notes in the support document that it introduced VoLTE capabilities in 2022. However, some devices that are technically capable of VoLTE might not work with Public’s VoLTE for various reasons, such as brand-specific restrictions. It seems like the change isn’t related to an impending 3G shutdown as was widely speculated.

The rest of the original story continues below.

It’s not immediately clear what network upgrade will cause this issue, but speculation from customers points to the impending 3G network shutdown and the impact on older devices. While Telus hasn’t yet shared a date for its 3G network shutdown, the company said on a support page that it plans to decommission its 3G network “in the future.”

Public Mobile customers posted on Reddit that the network upgrades will impact people with phones that aren’t certified for use with Telus’ voice over LTE (VoLTE). These devices typically fall back to 3G connections to handle things like phone calls, whereas certified VoLTE devices will, as the name implies, use LTE instead.

According to a Public Mobile support page for VoLTE, not all VoLTE-capable phones are certified on all service providers. Public then provides a list of VoLTE devices that are certified to work with the provider, which includes the iPhone 8 and newer, the Pixel 4 and newer, several Samsung and Motorola phones, and more. (Curiously, the Pixel 8 and 9 series aren’t listed, but I’ve been using a Pixel 9 Pro with Public for months without issue and haven’t received the network upgrade text message.)

The text message says Telus is offering impacted Public customers “exclusive 5G plans from $35/month when you activate on a new device with the autopay discount.” It then suggests there are devices available upfront for $0 down and $0/mo financing, such as the Moto G Play. It doesn’t list any other phones, and it’s not clear what other discounted devices are available for customers looking to make the jump. Moreover, the text doesn’t specify what’s included in the $35/mo Telus plan.

If you receive one of these messages, you should consider your options. While the message isn’t entirely clear on this, some people will be able to continue using their existing device after June 3, though it’s possible the phone will stop working entirely.

If your phone does keep working, it’s not clear how long it will continue to work for. So, it’d be a good idea to look at what special plans and phones Telus has on offer and consider upgrade options for your smartphone. However, I’d advise looking beyond Telus’ offerings — it might make more sense to pick up a new device outright and hold on to your existing Public Mobile plan.

I wouldn’t recommend trying to switch providers, as Telus isn’t the only company with an impending 3G network shutdown. Rogers is shutting down its 3G network in July, and Bell plans to do so starting with Manitoba at the end of October. In other words, switching providers won’t let you use an ageing phone any longer.