Story

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down and I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there, I’ll tell you how I fucked by Canadian Telcos.

Me sitting here writing this story, (Canadian Telcos) *SLAP to my face*.

Wow, dude! I didn’t tell a telco joke.  What’s the most annoying about all this is just how little time they have provided affected people to take action… the first news on this was only from Aug 12th of this year on mobile syrup (SpeakOut wireless, other MVNOs struggle with Rogers amid 3G shutdown).

Backstory

If you’re not familiar with SpeakOut it’s a cell service provider offered by 7eleven. They used to provide good PayG option to Canadians.

While I was looking for alternatives (since they didn’t make it clear that SpeakOut was going away, and all they did was offer people the option to get a Lucky Mobile Sim for free [$5 value, Oooooeeee]), the only other option that AI managed to tell me about was good2gomobile (previously Petro Mobility, offered by Petro-Canada), however if you check out their site they say the same thing!  (Important Update: Network Changes and Free SIM Option with Lucky Mobile – Action will be needed by August 31, 2025 | Good2Go Mobile)

“As part of a national modernization of wireless networks, The retirement of the 3G (HSPA) infrastructure will be starting August 31, 2025. This will affect Good2Go customers who rely on that network.

To help you stay connected with your current phone, we’ve partnered with Lucky Mobile to offer affected customers a free SIM card and an easy option to move to a new, reliable 4G LTE network.”

Also, both SpeakOut and Good2GOMobile are backed by Ztar Mobile, and that connection explains a lot about their shared fate in Canada’s shifting wireless landscape.

Who Is Ztar Mobile?

Ztar Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) enabler. That means:

1. They don’t own their own network infrastructure
2. Instead, they lease access from major carriers like Rogers
3. They create branded services like SpeakOut (via 7-Eleven) and Good2Go (formerly Petro-Canada Mobility)

This explains why both PayG providers are saying the same thing in verbatim.

Who’s affected?

1. People with old phones that are 3G only.
   – While is number maybe small, they will be out there and mostly people with lower income thresholds.
   – This is bad for e-waste as now old phones that were perfectly useable will have reduced functionality.
2.  People who are on PayG plans.
   -While SpeakOut has just announced that they will still offer plans and they are in-fact not being discontinued, they are still forcing people to get new Sim Cards and thus[1}, change of available plans, and you guessed it the old PayG with roll over is not among the new plans[2], or it is? [3].[1] 7-Eleven SpeakOut Wireless Confirms it’s Staying—Free 4G SIM Cards Coming | iPhone in Canada
   “A new option posted in stores and sent by email obtained by iPhone in Canada confirms customers no longer have to switch to Lucky Mobile if they want to stay. Instead, they can stay with SpeakOut Wireless. How? They can soon pick up a free migration SIM card at 7-Eleven stores beginning the week of September 8, 2025.Customers with a VoLTE-compatible phone can activate new SpeakOut plans, with more details coming by email soon. SpeakOut warns that if no action is taken, phone numbers will eventually be lost. “Important: SpeakOut is not going out of business—but you must choose one of these options to keep your number active,” the company told customers. The deadline to switch to a new SpeakOut SIM or move to Lucky Mobile is October 31, 2025.”

[2] 30 Day Cell Phone Plans | SpeakOut Wireless
[3] Talk & Text Cell Phone Rates | SpeakOut Wireless

“*Valid 08/27/25 – 10/28/25 at participating locations. $50 top up must be included with phone purchase to receive discount. While supplies last. Cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Speakout reserves the right to terminate or change the rates of this plan at any time. ©2025 7-Eleven Canada, Inc. All Rights Reserved.”

OK now I’m super confused… are they still offering the PayG on the new network? It seems they still have this offer up for PayG, but the astrix at the bottom seems to imply it’s only good till Oct. Which seems to match the news articles final comments. So I’m still assuming that they won’t offer the PayG when they finish their “transition” to 4G/LTE. *Cough* Ztar basically getting a new agreement (buying a section of bandwidth and numbers) on the new network, hence the requirement to get a new SIM card.

Once I get this all figured out I will update this blog post…

What has the CRTC said about this?

Nothing they have always been a bunch of useless turds, and in this case they are no different here’s a summary AI has provided me:

CRTC’s stance has been notably hands-off, which has left many Canadians frustrated.

🏛️ What the CRTC Has Said

The CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) has acknowledged the 3G network phase-out on its official site, but its messaging is mostly informational, not regulatory:

• They confirm that 3G networks are being retired across Canada, and that VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is now the standard for voice calls
• They advise consumers to check with their provider to see if their phone and SIM are compatible with newer networks
• They note that some affiliate brands (like SpeakOut, Good2Go, Chatr, Lucky Mobile, etc.) may be affected, but do not mandate any specific protections or timelines

⚠️ What They Haven’t Done

• No requirement for minimum notice periods to customers
• No mandate to preserve account balances during forced migrations
• No enforcement of grace periods for porting numbers
• No public comment on Ztar’s dispute with Rogers, which is central to the SpeakOut/Good2Go crisis

3G network phase-out: essential information for cellphone users | CRTC

Wow, useless as always, why do they even exist?

What can I do right now?

Option 1 – Lucky Mobile

Take their terrible offer to move to Lucky Mobile, that doesn’t have PayG options (not to be confused with prepaid, which is available)

Cost: $228 per year.

Considering if you managed a low usage on SpeakOuts old PayG plan, it was less than $30 a year (if you saved your amount and topped up in time). This is a $200/year increase. Now if you actually use your phone alot, this makes sense, but not for the emergency user or those using it for simply MFA purposes.

Option 2 – Wait till September 8th, and get a new SpeakOut SIM.

AFAIK, you won’t get your usual top up (since that service type will be phased out, I presume).

Cost:  $180 per year.

Again, considering the old PayG, this is again a $150 increase from before.

Are you starting to see a trend here? Seems a bit sus.

Option 3 – Freedom Mobile

I had a friend mention the moved someone to Freedom Mobile and somehow got a plan with data for $140 a year. I can’t seem to find this on their site and I’ve asked them to provide more information, plans for Freedom mobile can be found here:

Cell Phone Plans – Unlimited 5G Mobile Plans | Freedom Mobile

The cheapest I saw was $20 a month. so again $240 a year.

So a $210 increase from my previous PayG plan I was on.

Option 4 – Fizz

Fizz, originally Quebec-based, has expanded to Manitoba and other provinces like Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.2. That means Winnipeg residents can now sign up, and yes—you can get a SIM or eSIM directly from their website. No need to visit a store; everything is done online.

🧾 Fizz Plans: Prepaid, Customizable, and Wallet-Friendly

Fizz offers prepaid plans that are:

• Contract-free and fully customizable
• Include data rollover, data gifting, and loyalty rewards
• Can be tailored with or without minutes, texts, or data
• Allow wallet top-ups for pay-per-use calling if you skip minutes in your plan

So while Fizz isn’t “classic PAYG” like SpeakOut used to be, it does let you:

• Build a barebones plan with no minutes or texts
• Add funds to your wallet for per-use calling (e.g., $0.25/min)
• Skip monthly data if you want a minimalist setup

🛒 Where to Get Fizz SIMs

• Online at Fizz.ca – Order a SIM or activate an eSIM instantly
• Circle K stores – Available in some provinces, though not confirmed in Winnipeg yet (Spoiler they are)

Fizz is actually one of the few carriers still offering true customization and no surprise fees. If you’re looking for flexibility without being pushed into a full monthly bundle, it’s a solid contender.

So now I managed to pick up a Fizz SIM card, I will blog about the process of number porting and getting the account setup. However, I want to publish this as is right now and will update this blog with all steps I took and headaches along the way, stay tuned!

I will blog about my migration to Fizz, I just recently had some other home issue crop up that has taken priority. I’m hoping I still have till end of Oct to transfer my number. Sorry for the delay in updates to this post.