If you’re a Koodo subscriber like me, you were probably glad to hear Telus’ flanker brand finally added 5G options to its plan offerings last week.
While I switched to the carrier’s $65/month 30GB/5G option (unfortunately causing me to lose all of my data add-ons), my partner opted for the $45/month 40GB/LTE plan because it was $10 cheaper than her current plan (this plan isn’t currently listed on Koodo’s website).
Surprisingly, the 5G symbol still appeared on her smartphone in the status bar, even though she is on an LTE plan. After several tests, it seemed like the speed was limited to roughly 100Mbps, which was, in most cases, slightly under the approximately 150Mbps I hit on 5G.
According to a statement from Koodo, this is because she is, in fact, on a 5G connection, only with data speeds that match LTE. Koodo sent MobileSyrup the following statement regarding this:
“Customers with a compatible 5G-enabled device on a 3G or 4G speed plan may see the ‘5G’ logo on their phone. While they do not have access to 5G speeds, they’re getting the reliability of the 5G network at the speed (and price) of their 3G or 4G plan. Visit koodomobile.com for more information on our data speeds.”
This means that while her device indicates she’s on 5G, her iPhone 13 is still experiencing what Koodo deems LTE connection speeds. According to Koodo’s information page, 5G speeds can reach up to 250Mbps, while 4G speeds are limited to 100Mbps.
While my iPhone 14 Pro’s data speed has improved since I switched to a 5G plan, I’m still suffering from connection issues when using my device at my home in Burlington, Ontario (I encounter similar signal problems on LTE). Check out the not-so-blisteringly fast speeds I’m getting below.
Check out this blazing fast 5G Koodo speeds in Burlington ☠️. pic.twitter.com/1MUwuQXbs7
— Patrick O'Rourke (@Patrick_ORourke) August 8, 2023
In May, Telus brought 5G to its Public Mobile entry-level flanker brand before launching it on Koodo.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
