topic Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider in Get Support

Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

JohnSmith1 — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:28:09 GMT

Short version: some places (eg bon echo park) have no belus signal at all, but there's a rogers tower at the park entrance. Does anyone know if it works to change provider to manual and select the rogers network, will it give me back 4g connection, or is there some sorcery required to get it to connect? Or am I way off thinking that bell/telus/rogers allow connections like that?

Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

computergeek541 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 06:43:45 GMT

@JohnSmith1 wrote:
Short version: some places (eg bon echo park) have no belus signal at all, but there's a rogers tower at the park entrance. Does anyone know if it works to change provider to manual and select the rogers network, will it give me back 4g connection, or is there some sorcery required to get it to connect? Or am I way off thinking that bell/telus/rogers allow connections like that?

Sorry, but no, Public Mobile customers cannot use the Rogers network.

Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

JohnSmith1 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:05:40 GMT

Found this online:

https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-coverage-gaps/

Is this accurate that they used to have mutual soft hand-off?

If so, what happened that now public mobile can't roam on rogers?

Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

computergeek541 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:10:28 GMT

@JohnSmith1 wrote:
Found this online:
https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-coverage-gaps/

Is this accurate that they used to have mutual soft hand-off?
If so, what happened that now public mobile can't roam on rogers?

This doesn't apply to Public Mobile. Public Mobile customers cannot use other Canadian networks. Public Mobile has never offered that.

Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

JohnSmith1 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:10:57 GMT

Is it a case of the discount flanker brand not being part of the mutual wholesale agreement?

Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

computergeek541 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:16:56 GMT

@JohnSmith1 wrote:
Is it a case of the discount flanker brand not being part of the mutual wholesale agreement?

I don't have to answer to that, but what I can tell you is that if you try manually selecting the Rogers network, the service doesn't work. The Rogers network flat-out refuses the connection. I believe that @sheytoon would me a good member to ask about specifics about the roaming arrangements and how that works, but carriers should be able to configure those apsects in a number of different ways.

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

JohnSmith1 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:32:53 GMT

Sorry if I'm reviving a dead thread. I thought the CRTC ruled that providers had to participate in mandatory tower sharing. Does anyone know why it seems to be not that way for pm?

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

computergeek541 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 22:09:38 GMT

@JohnSmith1 wrote:
Sorry if I'm reviving a dead thread. I thought the CRTC ruled that providers had to participate in mandatory tower sharing. Does anyone know why it seems to be not that way for pm?

The carriers needed to make the network available to others, but the other carrier did not have to take advantage of that, nor does any particular carrier have to offer that to their customers. If they wanted, they could even charge customers a fee for it.

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

darlicious — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 10:24:01 GMT

@JohnSmith1

Do you have no signal at all? Have you tried getting a 3G connection?

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

sheytoon — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:04:00 GMT

As far as I know, Telus has decided to not roam on Rogers domestically, even though Rogers is required to provide such services if Telus requests it (Telus would need to compensate Rogers for all roaming traffic).

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

JohnSmith1 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:13:21 GMT

this area of the park, east to the cliff and South toward cloyne, no connection. Scaling the cliff and h+ kicked in, 4g at the top. South, same thing, h+ starts near cloyne and gets stronger toward kaladar

I have heard from the locals that rain really interferes with cellular data

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

JohnSmith1 — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:14:04 GMT

This sounds almost worthy of a CRTC complaint

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

darlicious — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:34:15 GMT

@JohnSmith1

If that's the case then the entire province of BC has a CRTC complaint. Your surrounding topography has a lot to do with your ability to get a signal/connection. You cant expect seamless coverage in every nook and cranny of the country otherwise that beautiful view after hiking all the way up that trail would be of cell phone towers as far as the eye could see!

Side note:

I have great memories of camping at Bon Echo as a kid that included a day long canoe trip to see the petroglyphs but more than anything it was the end of the trip I remember the most....just as we pulled out of the park and turned left onto the highway it came across the radio that Elvis had been found dead at Graceland. My Dad had to pull over to the side of the highway he was so upset....

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

barndoor — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:40:56 GMT

We have a prepaid phone with Rogers and it is my understanding that with Rogers it is only the higher priced plans that have access to the tower sharing so it is not across the board at any company it seems .

Is it safe to assume though that 911 coverage would be available anywhere there is tower reception regardless of make or model ?

The whole thing does seem rather assinine when you think of how much more and better the coverage would be at the same net cost if the companies had shared towers from the get go . Not to mention the benefits from an environmental aspect .

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

darlicious — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:52:52 GMT

@barndoor

Bell and Telus have no problem sharing nor does Sasktel so I can imagine theres a very good reason Telus has chosen not to enter into an agreement with Robbers for soft roaming. But I am sure even Telus doesn't want to suffer from bill shock...?!!

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

barndoor — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:14:48 GMT

@sheytoon wrote:
As far as I know, Telus has decided to not roam on Rogers domestically, even though Rogers is required to provide such services if Telus requests it (Telus would need to compensate Rogers for all roaming traffic).

Something to consider if getting a higher priced plan ...Does that give Rogers better coverage if Telus has made that decision .

ROTFLMAO .. @darlicious ... from my experience Telus IS in bed with the Robber of most concern .

edited to add ...seems interesting that they are willing to take rogers money so that rogers can roam ...but are willing to short change their customers on coverage by not reciprocating. .( not that it changes anything anyway for those down in the prepaid scale )

Re: Data Roaming within Canada

darlicious — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:20:19 GMT

@barndoor

Lol.....

@JohnSmith1

Among other reasons I suspect that since Bell/Telus has the best nationwide coverage there are few areas in Canada other than the North and a few remote and generally inaccessible areas that their shared network does not cover they need not request extended coverage from Rogers vs the other way around. Even if they did similar to Rogers it would not likely to be offered to prepaid customers.

https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/extended-network-coverage

Enter the Elaho valley just north of Squamish and you lose all cell phone service after about 15 minutes. There is radio contact run by the Ministry of Forests during daytime working hours but actually cross the Elaho River there's nothing but grizzly bears, mountain goats and sheep for hundreds of miles.

Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

softech — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:21:49 GMT

@JohnSmith1 wrote:
Found this online:
https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-coverage-gaps/

Is this accurate that they used to have mutual soft hand-off?
If so, what happened that now public mobile can't roam on rogers?

I think this ruling is only about carriers have the right to negotiate a fair domestic roaming agreement with others, it doesn't mean everything has to make this agreement with each other or have to roam on other network. That's why it's ok that Telus does not to roam on Rogers.

Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

darlicious — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:35:53 GMT

@JohnSmith1

This article explains it well but a quick look at the coverage map between Rogers and Bell/Telus its pretty obvious why Rogers has extended coverage and Telus does not.

https://www.whistleout.ca/CellPhones/Guides/Coverage

RogersBell/Telus

Re: Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

t_p — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:42:32 GMT

Nothing really surprising really. Just free market capitalism at work. The CRTC ruling just means the network backbone has to be shared, but did not compel any carrier to offer the service to all their members, let alone for free.

Just as I have made the remark to @darlicious , it's just shocking to be reminded every so often how badly we're fleeced here in the great white north!