topic Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks? in Get Support

Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

eduardfitingof — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 09:42:50 GMT

BC and Alberta. Any tips would be helpful. I know Public is on one of Canada's largest networks.

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

computergeek541 — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 07:08:06 GMT

@eduardfitingof wrote:
BC and Alberta. Any tips would be helpful. I know Public is on one of Canada's largest networks.

I wouldn't expect much, especially if you are in the near the centre of the park. You can check this site for the nearest cell phone sites: Canadian Cellular Towers Map (ertyu.org)

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

hairbag1 — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 07:14:39 GMT

@eduardfitingof...as BC is in mountainous terrain...cell signal can be spotty or non-existent in a lot of areas. The gov't has done their best to tie the main highways into networks.

Still long stretches with no service though...improvements on-going.

What particular area are you interested in ?

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

allagelman — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 07:18:35 GMT

@eduardfitingof

Great question!

From my experience major highway routes will have service. For example, if you take the Bow Valley Parkway from Calgary all the way to Golden, BC service will work. An interesting fact the Fairmont Chateau in Lake Louise, AB has a Telus tower attached on the top of their building somewhere near the Canadian Flag. No other cell towers in the area.

However, not all places in Canadian National Parks will have service like the above. Most parts of Banff National Park, AB and YoHo National Park, BC will not have service even with Telus. If Telus won't connect no other carrier will likely connect lol.

There's a road that takes you to Montana from around Banff, AB; on this road you drive through a remote area of BC with absolutely no cellphone coverage for miles at a time. From that point on you won't get service back until your roaming in Montana. During a trip like this smaller towns/villages you pass by will have cell service for a brief moment then it goes away as you head back into remote BC.

Lots of fun! Just don't get car trouble while your in that remote part of Canada aha!

Happy New Year!

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

softech — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 07:19:36 GMT

Keep in mind voice on PM is on 3G only, so, it is possible that you can some LTE signal but poor 3G signals and you are unable to make phone calls. Prepare yourself with a VoIP app and you could use it when you have LTE but no 3G

And make sure you download the offline map just in case

If you are interested in how other carriers compare with Telus in the area, you can check this link as well:

https://www.comparecellular.ca/coverage-maps/

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

eduardfitingof — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 18:56:26 GMT

@allagelman

Yeah seems like it depends on the location and how remote the area is. This is useful I'll keep all of this in mind. Thanks! 😀

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

allagelman — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 20:09:06 GMT

@eduardfitingof

Anytime! 🙂

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

darlicious — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 08:23:24 GMT

@eduardfitingof

You will find that in the mountainous areas of Alberta and BC good cell service is found along the highway routes but spotty or non existent in the back country. There are also areas that are still affected by the damage done by wildfires last summer (Lytton in particular) and more recently the floods and landslides that have damaged infastructure causing there to be more areas still not to have recovered cell service.

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

ashleyfitingof — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:09:02 GMT

That's great to learn that the Fairmont hotel has a Telus tower attached to their building lol🤣

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

softech — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:28:41 GMT

@ashleyfitingof wrote:
That's great to learn that the Fairmont hotel has a Telus tower attached to their building lol🤣

I missed that post too. So, there is no Rogers or Shaw signal there then? Only Telus and Bell?

Re: Cell Coverage at most Canadian National Parks?

ashleyfitingof — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:32:09 GMT

@softech

On the hill where Fairmont is only Telus tower. The village in Lake Louise which is at the bottom of the hill may have other possible towers. There could be a rogers tower more close to Banff.