Koodo Mobile
Encyclopedia
Koodo Mobile is a mobile brand
in Canada
started by Telus
in 2008. Koodo differs from its parent Telus by not requiring a fixed term contract. Koodo offers all its services on a month by month basis. Koodo uses the concept of a Tab which allows customers to build credit towards new phones. Being a subsidiary of Telus, Koodo has been able to offer extensive coverage and a strong presence in mobile retailers. This allowed Koodo to gain a presence nationwide.
's competitor, Bell Mobility
, had an MVNO
partnership with Virgin Group
to create Virgin Mobile Canada
. This brand was in operation since 2005, and it mainly targeted high school, college and university students. They also had another youth-targeted brand, Solo Mobile
, since the summer of 2000. In response, Telus Mobility had a similar but much shorter partnership with the American Amp'd Mobile
in 2007 to create a Canadian MVNO. It was ended because the Amp'd Mobile operations in the United States
suffered from poor customer service and bankruptcy. This meant that unlike Bell, Telus no longer had a mobile brand targeting students.
keyboard devices to facilitate text input for SMS
and Internet-based tasks such as email
and social networking services. On May 25, 2010, Koodo launched their first smartphone, the BlackBerry Curve
8530. The following month, Koodo released the Nokia 3710 as their first HSPA+
device on June 28, 2010. After this date, the company gradually started to discontinue sales of CDMA devices.
of HSPA+ smartphones were released so far in 2011. The first was the LG Optimus One
, launched on March 2. Later that month, the BlackBerry Curve
9300 was available starting March 23. The Nexus S
was added to Koodo's lineup on April 12, 2011. In order to prepare for the back-to-school season, Koodo discontinued sales of all CDMA devices near the end of June 2011, less than a year after the carrier launched their first HSPA device. Shortly thereafter, they were replaced by the iPhone 4
and two low-cost Android devices.
In addition to revamping their device lineup, Koodo also improved their monthly plans throughout the year. The “City Koodo” plan, which is nearly identical to the CityFido plan offered by Fido
, was introduced on March 14, 2011 in select cities. On July 21, 2011, Koodo eliminated all their previous plans, except for City Koodo which is still available in certain cities. Five new Canada-wide plans were launched instead, featuring no long distance charges when a Koodo customer located in Canada calls another standard Canadian landline or mobile phone number.
and HSPA+
networks. CDMA devices, however, have been discontinued by Koodo outside of Northern Ontario and Manitoba. For the HSPA+ network, the maximum theoretical download speed is of 21 Mbit/s, but such devices sold by Koodo have hardware modem limitations, preventing them from downloading at this speed.
s using the CDMA
technology. On May 25, 2010, the BlackBerry Curve
smartphone
was added to the device lineup. When Koodo started selling HSPA+ products and services on June 28, 2010, they slowly discontinued the sale of all CDMA devices over the following twelve months. Such brand new devices are currently only available in regions where Telus' HSPA network is unavailable. The use of HSPA+ also allowed Koodo to carry less feature phones and to carry more smartphones.
, Koodo carries a total of sixteen devices, including nine smartphones and seven feature phones. All devices carried by Koodo are, or at least previously were, also available at Telus Mobility
.
The Samsung Evergreen is an environmentally friendly phone with a low power consumption and built with 70% recycled plastic. Previously, the INQ Chat 3G
feature phone was available, but it was eventually superseded by the INQ Cloud Touch
smartphone
.
Telus has not deployed an HSPA+ network in Manitoba and Northern Ontario, so only CDMA devices can be used and purchased in those regions. Koodo currently has a total of four CDMA phones:
The U410 can be purchased and activated wherever Telus CDMA coverage exists, while all other phones can only be purchased in CDMA-only regions.
s:
Koodo Mobile carried no smartphones until May 2010, when they released the BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone. It was Koodo's only smartphone to use the CDMA network, as all of the carrier's other smartphones use the HSPA+ network. The BlackBerry Curve 9300 was launched on March 23, 2011 to replace the older, discontinued 8530. A refurbished version of the 8530 remains available exclusively for CDMA markets in Manitoba
and Northern Ontario
.
, Koodo has released five Android smartphones. Their first was the LG Optimus One
, released in February of 2011.
On June 15, 2011, Koodo Mobile released the iPhone 4 in their metropolitan Toronto
and Vancouver
boutiques. It was released on July 15, 2011 to other Koodo boutiques, and to Future Shop
and Best Buy
at the end of July 2011. They now also have the iPhone 4S.
All smartphones currently sold by Koodo are also available at Telus Mobility
.
and Solo Mobile
with no "system access fee
" or carrier-charged "911 fee". As of July 21, 2011, the following Koodo plans are available for customers:
For "evenings and weekends", a yellow check mark indicates that calls to a Canadian number made from 7pm to midnight and from midnight to 7am every day are included at no additional cost. In addition, there are no fees for Canadian calls made on Saturday or Sunday. The same rules apply for a green check mark, with the exception that the 7pm requirement is 5pm instead. This table excludes City Koodo plans, which are similar to CityFido plans and only available in select cities.
All plans listed in this table include the call waiting
and conference call
features. Family Calling is also included, which allows unlimited Canada-wide calls to other people on the same account, with up to a total of five people per account.
Those wishing to add unlimited sent SMS
and MMS
can add this to their plan for an additional $5 per month. With or without this plan, standard incoming text messages are free. It is also possible to add a $10 value pack which bundles unlimited sent SMS, plus the caller ID
and voicemail
features.
Internet data options of $10/month for 100 MB and $25/month for 500 MB, these have been eliminated in favour of a Data Saver add-on. This plan was later updated on November 21, 2011 in French markets and November 28, 2011 in English markets. The updated Data Saver removed the $25 tier, while including greater data allowances on all other tiers except for the $10 one which remained at 100 MB. Customers using the older data options now receive the latest Data Saver instead, which costs the same price for the same or even a greater amount of data . The pricing tier starts at $5/month for up to 25 MB, and it is automatically adjusted to the customer's usage:
These data allowances can also be used for tethering. Starting in the Christmas and holiday season of 2011, Koodo's older Data Saver, with lower data allowances, has been copied by Virgin Mobile Canada
and automatically added to all its new postpaid talk and text plans. It is called "Commitment-free data", and there is a tier that costs $0 if 0 MB of data is used.
Another option available is a Data Connect plan. This costs $25/month and includes up to 2 GB of data.
Koodo does not offer Data Saver for BlackBerry
smartphones, who must subscribe to different BlackBerry Internet Service
(BIS) data add-ons instead. All of them include access to BlackBerry Messenger
(BBM):
Note that those with the grandfathered "Stay Social Combo" monthly plan already have BlackBerry Social or 100 MB of mobile Internet, depending on the device, included at no extra charge.
Data Saver, Connect and Connect Plus customers using more data than they are entitled to will pay a fee of 2¢/MB (equivalent to $20.48/GB) for additional data. If any unused data allowance is left, it cannot be carried over to the next month.
Only one data add-on can be added per device. All features included can only be used on the Telus Mobility
or Bell Mobility
networks in Canada.
Once the phone has been paid off, the Tab begins to accumulate a positive balance up to a maximum of $150, allowing customers to apply that toward Koodo phones in the future. This is similar to the FidoRewards system used by competitor Fido
.
. This team developed the El Tabador character, used since March of 2010, to promote the Koodo Tab. The character is a masked lucha libre
wrestler, who has been featured in billboards and also on animated TV ads. The advertising uses a neon colour palette.
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
started by Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
in 2008. Koodo differs from its parent Telus by not requiring a fixed term contract. Koodo offers all its services on a month by month basis. Koodo uses the concept of a Tab which allows customers to build credit towards new phones. Being a subsidiary of Telus, Koodo has been able to offer extensive coverage and a strong presence in mobile retailers. This allowed Koodo to gain a presence nationwide.
Amp'd Mobile (2007)
Telus MobilityTelus Mobility
Telus Mobility is a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. They currently have three different networks based on three different technologies: CDMA and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks, plus iDEN via its Mike division...
's competitor, Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility is a CDMA and HSPA+ based wireless network and the division of Bell Canada which sells wireless services in Canada...
, had an MVNO
Mobile virtual network operator
A mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
partnership with Virgin Group
Virgin Group
Virgin Group Limited is a British branded venture capital conglomerate organisation founded by business tycoon Richard Branson. The core business areas are travel, entertainment and lifestyle. Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as a holding...
to create Virgin Mobile Canada
Virgin Mobile Canada
Virgin Mobile Canada is a cellular telephone company that was launched on March 1, 2005 as a joint venture between Virgin Group and Bell Canada. Since May 7, 2009, it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Mobility. - Pre-launch :...
. This brand was in operation since 2005, and it mainly targeted high school, college and university students. They also had another youth-targeted brand, Solo Mobile
Solo Mobile
Solo Mobile is a mobile brand in Canada started by Bell Mobility in 2000. Solo is considered a discount wireless brand, offering low price monthly plans with some unlimited options in certain cities...
, since the summer of 2000. In response, Telus Mobility had a similar but much shorter partnership with the American Amp'd Mobile
Amp'd Mobile
Amp'd Mobile was a mobile phone service launched in the United States in late 2005, and shortly in Canada in early 2007. The company was a Mobile Virtual Network Operator.Its primary non-Venture Capital investors were MTV Networks and Universal Music Group...
in 2007 to create a Canadian MVNO. It was ended because the Amp'd Mobile operations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
suffered from poor customer service and bankruptcy. This meant that unlike Bell, Telus no longer had a mobile brand targeting students.
Koodo Mobile launches (2008-2009)
Nearly a year after the launch day of Amp'd Mobile in Canada, Telus launched Koodo Mobile on March 17, 2008 in Canada. This mobile brand provided services at a lower cost than most other companies.BlackBerry and transition to HSPA+ (2010)
Many customers at Koodo requested the addition of full QWERTYQWERTY
QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
keyboard devices to facilitate text input for SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
and Internet-based tasks such as email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
and social networking services. On May 25, 2010, Koodo launched their first smartphone, the BlackBerry Curve
BlackBerry Curve
BlackBerry Curve is a brand of entry level smartphones manufactured by Research In Motion since 2007.-Curve 8300 Series:The BlackBerry Curve brand was introduced in 2007 with the Curve 8300 series...
8530. The following month, Koodo released the Nokia 3710 as their first HSPA+
Evolved HSPA
HSPA+, or Evolved High-Speed Packet Access, is a technical standard for wireless, broadband telecommunication. HSPA+ was first defined in the technical standard 3GPP release 7....
device on June 28, 2010. After this date, the company gradually started to discontinue sales of CDMA devices.
HSPA+ smartphones and Canada-wide monthly plans (2011)
Half a dozenDozen
A dozen is a grouping of approximately twelve. The dozen may be one of the earliest primitive groupings, perhaps because there are approximately a dozen cycles of the moon or months in a cycle of the sun or year...
of HSPA+ smartphones were released so far in 2011. The first was the LG Optimus One
LG Optimus One
The Optimus One with Google is a family of entry-level, touch-screen smartphones manufactured by LG Electronics, Inc. Initially released running the Android 2.2 Froyo software stack, LG plans to release software to upgrade the many variants to Android 2.3 Gingerbread...
, launched on March 2. Later that month, the BlackBerry Curve
BlackBerry Curve
BlackBerry Curve is a brand of entry level smartphones manufactured by Research In Motion since 2007.-Curve 8300 Series:The BlackBerry Curve brand was introduced in 2007 with the Curve 8300 series...
9300 was available starting March 23. The Nexus S
Nexus S
The Nexus S is a smartphone co-developed by Google and Samsung and manufactured by Samsung Electronics. It was the first smartphone to use the Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" operating system, and the first Android device to support Near Field Communication in both hardware and software...
was added to Koodo's lineup on April 12, 2011. In order to prepare for the back-to-school season, Koodo discontinued sales of all CDMA devices near the end of June 2011, less than a year after the carrier launched their first HSPA device. Shortly thereafter, they were replaced by the iPhone 4
IPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling , consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail...
and two low-cost Android devices.
In addition to revamping their device lineup, Koodo also improved their monthly plans throughout the year. The “City Koodo” plan, which is nearly identical to the CityFido plan offered by Fido
Fido Solutions
Fido Solutions is a Canadian cellular telephone service provider currently owned by Rogers Communications. It was formerly owned by Microcell Telecommunications. Fido does, however, remain a separate entity from Rogers...
, was introduced on March 14, 2011 in select cities. On July 21, 2011, Koodo eliminated all their previous plans, except for City Koodo which is still available in certain cities. Five new Canada-wide plans were launched instead, featuring no long distance charges when a Koodo customer located in Canada calls another standard Canadian landline or mobile phone number.
Networks
Mobile services provided by Koodo use Telus Mobilty's CDMACDMA2000
CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards, which use CDMA channel access, to send voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. The set of standards includes: CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A, and CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. B...
and HSPA+
Evolved HSPA
HSPA+, or Evolved High-Speed Packet Access, is a technical standard for wireless, broadband telecommunication. HSPA+ was first defined in the technical standard 3GPP release 7....
networks. CDMA devices, however, have been discontinued by Koodo outside of Northern Ontario and Manitoba. For the HSPA+ network, the maximum theoretical download speed is of 21 Mbit/s, but such devices sold by Koodo have hardware modem limitations, preventing them from downloading at this speed.
Products
When Koodo Mobile was launched in March 2008, they originally only sold feature phoneFeature phone
A feature phone is a mobile phone that, like smartphones, combines the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone.Today's models typically also serve as portable media players and camera phones with touchscreen, GPS navigation, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband access.Feature phones is...
s using the CDMA
CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards, which use CDMA channel access, to send voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. The set of standards includes: CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A, and CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. B...
technology. On May 25, 2010, the BlackBerry Curve
BlackBerry Curve
BlackBerry Curve is a brand of entry level smartphones manufactured by Research In Motion since 2007.-Curve 8300 Series:The BlackBerry Curve brand was introduced in 2007 with the Curve 8300 series...
smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
was added to the device lineup. When Koodo started selling HSPA+ products and services on June 28, 2010, they slowly discontinued the sale of all CDMA devices over the following twelve months. Such brand new devices are currently only available in regions where Telus' HSPA network is unavailable. The use of HSPA+ also allowed Koodo to carry less feature phones and to carry more smartphones.
, Koodo carries a total of sixteen devices, including nine smartphones and seven feature phones. All devices carried by Koodo are, or at least previously were, also available at Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility is a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. They currently have three different networks based on three different technologies: CDMA and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks, plus iDEN via its Mike division...
.
Feature phones
Three HSPA+ feature phones are currently available for Koodo at retail stores:- LG BreezeGW525-Main Features :The LG GW525 is a basic slider phone. The key features are:*QWERTY keypad*2.8" Touch Screen*Accelerometer*3 Megapixel camera*WAP*Video Calling*Speaker Phone *2.0 Java Support*In-built Games*Customisable widgets...
- LG GB-255G
- Samsung Evergreen
The Samsung Evergreen is an environmentally friendly phone with a low power consumption and built with 70% recycled plastic. Previously, the INQ Chat 3G
INQ Chat 3G
The INQ Chat 3G is a fully featured, 3G enabled "Candy Bar" smartphone created by INQ with "social media baked in". Dubbed the 'Twitter phone', the INQ Chat 3G features integrated Twitter, Facebook, Skype and Windows Live Messenger applications...
feature phone was available, but it was eventually superseded by the INQ Cloud Touch
INQ Cloud Touch
The INQ Cloud Touch is the first Android mobile phone from London-based mobile phone manufacturer INQ. The phone features a Facebook application as the main aspect of the phone, with multiple entry points from the home screen.-History:...
smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
.
Telus has not deployed an HSPA+ network in Manitoba and Northern Ontario, so only CDMA devices can be used and purchased in those regions. Koodo currently has a total of four CDMA phones:
- LG Banter
- Samsung Intensity
- Samsung U410 (clearance)
- Samsung U430
The U410 can be purchased and activated wherever Telus CDMA coverage exists, while all other phones can only be purchased in CDMA-only regions.
Smartphones
Koodo's device lineup currently includes nine smartphoneSmartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
s:
- BlackBerry BoldBlackBerry BoldThe BlackBerry Bold 9000 is a line of smartphones developed by Research in Motion. The family includes the 9000 , the 9700 , the 9650 and 9780, both of which were released in 2010, 9788 released in 2011 and the 9900/9930, the first touchscreen Bold, released in August 2011...
9790 - BlackBerry CurveBlackBerry CurveBlackBerry Curve is a brand of entry level smartphones manufactured by Research In Motion since 2007.-Curve 8300 Series:The BlackBerry Curve brand was introduced in 2007 with the Curve 8300 series...
9300 - BlackBery Curve 9360
- GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
Nexus SNexus SThe Nexus S is a smartphone co-developed by Google and Samsung and manufactured by Samsung Electronics. It was the first smartphone to use the Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" operating system, and the first Android device to support Near Field Communication in both hardware and software... - INQ Cloud TouchINQ Cloud TouchThe INQ Cloud Touch is the first Android mobile phone from London-based mobile phone manufacturer INQ. The phone features a Facebook application as the main aspect of the phone, with multiple entry points from the home screen.-History:...
- iPhone 4IPhone 4The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling , consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail...
- iPhone 4SIPhone 4SThe iPhone 4S is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fifth generation of the iPhone, a device that combines a widescreen iPod with a touchscreen, mobile phone, and internet communicator. It retains the exterior design of its predecessor, iPhone 4, but is host to a range...
- LG Optimus ChatLG Optimus ChatThe Optimus Chat is an entry-level, touch-screen smartphone with keyboard manufactured by LG Electronics, Inc. While it is very similar to the LG Optimus One, the main difference is that it includes a smaller touch screen but has a slide-out keyboard instead...
- LG Optimus OneLG Optimus OneThe Optimus One with Google is a family of entry-level, touch-screen smartphones manufactured by LG Electronics, Inc. Initially released running the Android 2.2 Froyo software stack, LG plans to release software to upgrade the many variants to Android 2.3 Gingerbread...
- Samsung Galaxy AceSamsung Galaxy AceThe Samsung Galaxy Ace, is a smartphone manufactured by Samsung that runs the open source Android operating system. Announced and released by Samsung in February 2011, the Galaxy Ace is the successor to the Galaxy 3....
Koodo Mobile carried no smartphones until May 2010, when they released the BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone. It was Koodo's only smartphone to use the CDMA network, as all of the carrier's other smartphones use the HSPA+ network. The BlackBerry Curve 9300 was launched on March 23, 2011 to replace the older, discontinued 8530. A refurbished version of the 8530 remains available exclusively for CDMA markets in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
.
, Koodo has released five Android smartphones. Their first was the LG Optimus One
LG Optimus One
The Optimus One with Google is a family of entry-level, touch-screen smartphones manufactured by LG Electronics, Inc. Initially released running the Android 2.2 Froyo software stack, LG plans to release software to upgrade the many variants to Android 2.3 Gingerbread...
, released in February of 2011.
On June 15, 2011, Koodo Mobile released the iPhone 4 in their metropolitan Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
boutiques. It was released on July 15, 2011 to other Koodo boutiques, and to Future Shop
Future Shop
Future Shop is Canada's largest consumer electronics retailer. Future Shop currently operates a total of 146 stores across all of Canada's provinces as of December 2008....
and Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
at the end of July 2011. They now also have the iPhone 4S.
All smartphones currently sold by Koodo are also available at Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility is a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. They currently have three different networks based on three different technologies: CDMA and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks, plus iDEN via its Mike division...
.
Services
As a discount carrier, Koodo's plans tend to cost less per month than the traditional carriers.. Plan features can only be used within Canada in locations served by Koodo. The Koodo Tab allows customers to receive a subsidized phone, while the Data Saver add-on is designed to simplify the purchase of mobile Internet services.Voice plans
Koodo is a discount wireless brand, offering plans similar or identical to those of FidoFido Solutions
Fido Solutions is a Canadian cellular telephone service provider currently owned by Rogers Communications. It was formerly owned by Microcell Telecommunications. Fido does, however, remain a separate entity from Rogers...
and Solo Mobile
Solo Mobile
Solo Mobile is a mobile brand in Canada started by Bell Mobility in 2000. Solo is considered a discount wireless brand, offering low price monthly plans with some unlimited options in certain cities...
with no "system access fee
System access fee
The System access fee is a non-governmental surcharge imposed by most Canadian telephone companies on their customers' monthly bills . Although it is normally charged for wireless services, Rogers Communications and the now-defunct Sprint Canada also charged its home phone customers a System Access...
" or carrier-charged "911 fee". As of July 21, 2011, the following Koodo plans are available for customers:
| Monthly cost | Canada-wide minutes | Sent international SMS SMS SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :... |
Evenings and weekends | Incoming calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15 | 50 | 50 | ||
| $20 | 100 | |||
| $25 | 150 | |||
| $35 | 250 | |||
| $45 | Unlimited |
For "evenings and weekends", a yellow check mark indicates that calls to a Canadian number made from 7pm to midnight and from midnight to 7am every day are included at no additional cost. In addition, there are no fees for Canadian calls made on Saturday or Sunday. The same rules apply for a green check mark, with the exception that the 7pm requirement is 5pm instead. This table excludes City Koodo plans, which are similar to CityFido plans and only available in select cities.
All plans listed in this table include the call waiting
Call waiting
Call waiting , in telephony, is a feature on some telephone networks. If a calling party places a call to a called party which is otherwise engaged, and the called party has the call waiting feature enabled, the called party is able to suspend the current telephone call and switch to the new...
and conference call
Conference call
A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party...
features. Family Calling is also included, which allows unlimited Canada-wide calls to other people on the same account, with up to a total of five people per account.
Those wishing to add unlimited sent SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
and MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability that allowed exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length.The most popular use is to send photographs from...
can add this to their plan for an additional $5 per month. With or without this plan, standard incoming text messages are free. It is also possible to add a $10 value pack which bundles unlimited sent SMS, plus the caller ID
Caller ID
Caller ID , also called calling line identification or calling number identification or Calling Line Identification Presentation , is a telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most Voice over Internet Protocol applications, that transmits a caller's number to...
and voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
features.
Data plans
While Koodo previously offered non-BlackBerryBlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
Internet data options of $10/month for 100 MB and $25/month for 500 MB, these have been eliminated in favour of a Data Saver add-on. This plan was later updated on November 21, 2011 in French markets and November 28, 2011 in English markets. The updated Data Saver removed the $25 tier, while including greater data allowances on all other tiers except for the $10 one which remained at 100 MB. Customers using the older data options now receive the latest Data Saver instead, which costs the same price for the same or even a greater amount of data . The pricing tier starts at $5/month for up to 25 MB, and it is automatically adjusted to the customer's usage:
| Monthly cost | Data included |
|---|---|
| $5 | 0 MB to 25 MB |
| $10 | 26 MB to 100 MB |
| $15 | 101 MB to 300 MB |
| $20 | 301 MB to 1024 MB |
| $30 | 1024 MB to 3072 MB |
These data allowances can also be used for tethering. Starting in the Christmas and holiday season of 2011, Koodo's older Data Saver, with lower data allowances, has been copied by Virgin Mobile Canada
Virgin Mobile Canada
Virgin Mobile Canada is a cellular telephone company that was launched on March 1, 2005 as a joint venture between Virgin Group and Bell Canada. Since May 7, 2009, it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Mobility. - Pre-launch :...
and automatically added to all its new postpaid talk and text plans. It is called "Commitment-free data", and there is a tier that costs $0 if 0 MB of data is used.
Another option available is a Data Connect plan. This costs $25/month and includes up to 2 GB of data.
Koodo does not offer Data Saver for BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
smartphones, who must subscribe to different BlackBerry Internet Service
BlackBerry Internet Service
The BlackBerry Internet Service is a service that provides BlackBerry smartphone users with access to Internet browsing, allows email messaging, instant messaging using the BlackBerry Messenger service, and more.The service also allows...
(BIS) data add-ons instead. All of them include access to BlackBerry Messenger
Blackberry Messenger
BlackBerry Messenger is a proprietary Internet-based instant messenger application included on BlackBerry devices which allows messaging between BlackBerry users.It was developed by Research In Motion , maker of the BlackBerry device...
(BBM):
- BlackBerry Basic costs $10/month and includes unlimited SMSSMSSMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
and BBM, plus the Caller IDCaller IDCaller ID , also called calling line identification or calling number identification or Calling Line Identification Presentation , is a telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most Voice over Internet Protocol applications, that transmits a caller's number to...
and voicemailVoicemailVoicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
features. - BlackBerry Social costs $10/month and includes unlimited access of FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, MySpace and select instant messagingInstant messagingInstant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
applications, but no calling features. - BlackBerry Connect costs $15/month and includes a 100 MB allowance of mobile Internet access for use on any Internet services including tethering.
- BlackBerry Connect Plus costs $25/month and includes a 2 GB allowance of mobile Internet access for use on any Internet services including tethering.
Note that those with the grandfathered "Stay Social Combo" monthly plan already have BlackBerry Social or 100 MB of mobile Internet, depending on the device, included at no extra charge.
Data Saver, Connect and Connect Plus customers using more data than they are entitled to will pay a fee of 2¢/MB (equivalent to $20.48/GB) for additional data. If any unused data allowance is left, it cannot be carried over to the next month.
Only one data add-on can be added per device. All features included can only be used on the Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility is a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. They currently have three different networks based on three different technologies: CDMA and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks, plus iDEN via its Mike division...
or Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility is a CDMA and HSPA+ based wireless network and the division of Bell Canada which sells wireless services in Canada...
networks in Canada.
Koodo Tab
Instead of a fixed term contract, Koodo Mobile uses a system called the Tab. A credit check is necessary prior to activation. For a new customer, the Tab takes up to $150 off the price of a new cell phone, by applying this amount as an interest-free loan to their account. Customers will never be billed for this Tab unless they cancel their service with Koodo Mobile. The Tab is paid down monthly by applying 10% of the bill towards the outstanding amount. Anyone using the Tab can pay off the remaining amount ($150 or less) and keep the phone if they decide to leave.Once the phone has been paid off, the Tab begins to accumulate a positive balance up to a maximum of $150, allowing customers to apply that toward Koodo phones in the future. This is similar to the FidoRewards system used by competitor Fido
Fido Solutions
Fido Solutions is a Canadian cellular telephone service provider currently owned by Rogers Communications. It was formerly owned by Microcell Telecommunications. Fido does, however, remain a separate entity from Rogers...
.
Awards
Koodo Mobile was ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Postpaid Wireless Service” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Canadian Wireless Customer Satisfaction Study.Advertising
Koodo Mobile currently has Toronto-based Taxi 2 as its advertising agencyAdvertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
. This team developed the El Tabador character, used since March of 2010, to promote the Koodo Tab. The character is a masked lucha libre
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
wrestler, who has been featured in billboards and also on animated TV ads. The advertising uses a neon colour palette.