Everyday Questions

Plans & Features


Question Will the name and number of incoming callers appear on my Public Mobile phone?
Answer Yes, if you subscribe to call display, the number of the incoming caller will appear on your phone.
The caller's name will not appear unless you have added their name and number to the address book in your phone.

Question Does my Public Mobile phone number and name appear on the phone of the person I am calling?
Answer When you place a call from your Public Mobile phone your number will appear on the phone of the person you are calling by default. Your name will not appear unless your name and number have been entered into their address book. You can restrict your phone number from appearing on the display of a phone you are calling on a per call basis by doing the following:
  • Before you make your call, press *67# followed by the 10 or 11 digit number you are calling, then press SEND.
    For example *67#4165555555 SEND

Question How can I tell if I have received a text or picture message?
Answer Many phones display an envelope icon, but different phones notify people in different ways. Check your phone's User Guide for specific information about text message notification.

Question How many messages can my voicemail hold?
Answer Your voicemail box can hold up to forty, one-minute long messages.

Question How long are messages stored in my voicemail box?
Answer Messages are stored for a maximum of two weeks and you have the option to save them again.

Question What should I do if I forget my voicemail password?
Answer You can call us by dialing 611 from your Public Mobile phone or 1-855-4PUBLIC from any other phone to have a temporary password sent to you in a text message.

Question Can I call 411 (Directory Assistance) from my Public Mobile phone?
Answer Yes, you are able to make calls to 411. The cost to search one listing is $1.00 and is deducted from your Public Mobile wallet.

Our 411 service allows you to search for residential and business listings in Canada and the U.S.A. while you are within our Public Mobile network area. When your listing is found, you will receive a text message with the listing information.

If you want to make calls to 411 be sure to top up your wallet by calling 611 or visiting a Public Mobile store.

Question How is long distance charged?
Answer
  • There is no charge for incoming calls
  • Public Mobile’s unlimited plans include province wide calling. This allows you to make calls from within the Public Mobile unlimited coverage area to anywhere within the province without incurring any extra charges.
  • When calling outside of your province you will need a long distance plan. Currently Public Mobile offers long distance plans that provide calling to the following areas:
  1. Unlimited Canadian long distance
  2. Unlimited US long distance
  3. US & Overseas long distance (45 countries)
  4. Per use overseas long distance (37 countries)
  • If you are using per minute overseas long Distance, your calls will be charged per minute. The cost of the per minute charge will depend on the country and type of phone number you are calling.
  • Public Mobile also sells pre paid long distance cards as another option for making long distance calls.
  • When you are outside Public Mobile’s unlimited coverage area and are roaming, you can call anywhere in Canada and the US for $0.20/min.
  • While roaming, the charge for incoming calls is always $0.20/min.

Question Do I need to dial 1 when placing a long distance call?
Answer No. Public Mobile supports 10 digit dialing within Canada.

If you are calling an international number, you will need to dial 1 (i.e. the US, Jamaica, etc.).
If you are calling a country considered overseas you will need to dial 011 before the number (i.e. Europe)

Question Does Public Mobile block access to any US phone numbers?
Answer Yes, in order to offer our unlimited US long distance feature at the best possible price, we have blocked access to a few, premium numbers in the USA. These numbers are typically conference lines, radio stations, contest lines, etc. and are inconsistent with the nature of our service. In order to keep our costs low, we are forced to block access to these numbers.

Question Do you have international long distance calling?
Answer Yes we offer two different ways of making overseas long distance calls with Public Mobile:

A) US and overseas long distance – calling to 45 countries. (Please see our terms of service for details)

B) Per Minute long distance – pay per use calling to 37 countries.

When you are within our unlimited coverage area any type of incoming call, even long distance calls, are unlimited and included in your plan.

Question If the country of my choice is not on the U.S. and overseas long distance list or offered under the per minute overseas long distance calling option, is there any other way to make phone calls there on my Public Mobile phone?
Answer Public Mobile also sells long distance cards which can be used to call overseas to a number of countries. Each county has a different rate and is charged per minute. You can visit a Public Mobile store for more information or to purchase a long distance card.

Question Can I send International text messages?
Answer Yes, you can send international text messages to 190 countries.

Question Can I change my current plan to another plan?
Answer Yes you can change your plan. The change will not take effect until your next payment cycle.

Question What if I paid several months in advance and switch to a less expensive plan?
Answer Your account balance will be carried over and applied to your monthly balance.

Question How do I add per minute overseas long distance calling to my account?
Answer If you would like to make calls to the countries on the per minute overseas long distance calling option, we can help you make a top up to your Public Mobile wallet to get you started.

Question How do I add roaming to my account?
Answer Before you leave Public Mobile’s Unlimited Coverage Area, here are some simple steps you need to complete:
  1. Make sure your phone is set to enable roaming.
  2. Top up your wallet.
Now you are ready to talk and text within our Roaming Coverage Area.

If you plan on sending emails or data while outside of our Unlimited Coverage Area, you must:
  1. Ensure data roaming is enabled on your phone and account. Visit a Public Mobile store or dial *611 to ensure the feature is enabled on your account.
  2. Make sure you have money in your wallet.
When you return to our Unlimited Coverage Area, set your phone back to “home only” or “no roaming” depending on your phone to avoid accidental roaming charges.

TIP: If you ever need help when you are outside our
Unlimited Coverage Area, you can press *611 in Canada or call 1-855-4PUBLIC from the U.S. at no charge.

Question If I don't subscribe to Canadian or US long distance, can I still make long distance calls while I am roaming?
Answer Yes. Our roaming rate of $0.20 per minute includes long distance calls to both Canadian & US numbers, even if you do not regularly subscribe to one of our long distance features. The only long distance phone calls you are unable to make while roaming are calls overseas.

Question If I don’t subscribe to text messaging, can I still send and receive texts while I am roaming?
Answer No. You can only send and receive text messages if you subscribe to unlimited text messaging.

Question If I don’t subscribe to data, can I use data services while roaming?
Answer No. You can only use data services while roaming if you subscribe to  a 3G data plan and have and Android Smartphone. 



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