Chatr & prepaid glossary

Plain-language definitions of the wireless terms you’ll meet across this site — from MVNO and VoLTE to speed cap and auto-pay bonus. 22 terms in all.

MVNO

Mobile Virtual Network Operator — a brand that sells wireless service over another company’s radio network rather than one it builds itself.

LTE

Long-Term Evolution — the 4G mobile data standard that provides the baseline high-speed data experience for most Canadian prepaid plans today.

VoLTE

Voice over LTE — technology that carries phone calls over the LTE data network; increasingly required as older 3G voice networks are retired.

Prepaid

A model where you pay in advance for a set amount of service over a fixed period, with no monthly bill after the fact and no contract.

Postpaid

The traditional model where you use service first and pay afterward on a monthly bill; usually involves a credit check and possibly a contract.

Top-Up

Adding funds to, or renewing the plan on, a prepaid account to keep the line active.

Auto-Pay

A setting that automatically renews your prepaid plan from a saved payment method each cycle.

Auto-Pay Bonus

Extra recurring data commonly granted for keeping auto-pay enabled, added on top of a plan’s base allowance.

Overage

Extra charges for exceeding an allowance. Modern prepaid data plans avoid overage by reducing speed instead.

Speed Cap

The point at which high-speed data is used up and your speed is reduced for the rest of the cycle — without extra charges.

BYOD / BYOP

Bring Your Own Device / Bring Your Own Phone — activating service on a compatible phone you already own.

Port-In

Moving your existing phone number from another carrier to your new plan.

APN

Access Point Name — the settings a phone uses to connect to a carrier’s mobile data network.

SIM

Subscriber Identity Module — the small chip that identifies your line on the network.

eSIM

A digital, embedded SIM activated with a code instead of inserting a physical card.

4G

The fourth generation of mobile networks; in practice usually delivered via LTE.

5G

The fifth generation of mobile networks, offering higher speeds; availability on value/prepaid brands varies and changes over time.

Roaming

Using your phone on a foreign network while physically in another country.

Add-On

An optional extra attached to a plan for a cycle, such as more data or international calling.

Carrier

A company that provides wireless service. A brand may be a carrier or ride on a carrier’s network as an MVNO.

Fighter Brand

A separate low-cost brand launched by an established company specifically to compete with cheaper rivals without discounting its main brand.

No-Contract

Service with no fixed multi-year term, so you can change or leave without an early-cancellation penalty.

Want a term added? Suggest it via our contact form. For deeper explanations, see How Chatr Works and Coverage & Network.