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Just joined PM a month ago and noticing reception is bad is certain areas...

jtothew
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Hi there,

I just switched from Fido to PM about a month ago and I've been noticing at work, in a hospital, I get really bad reception.  For instance, all my calls go to voicemail and all my text messages (sent and received) are delayed by 1-3 hours and sometimes get sent/received twice.  For years, I never had a problem with the Fido service with calls or texts getting through to me/going out at work at the hospital.  I'm regretting switching to PM a bit... is this my fault for switching to a cheaper carrier for crappier service??  Hoping someone can help. Otherwise, I'm not renewing after my 90 day plan.

14 REPLIES 14

jtothew
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I have a OnePlus 3T phone and I've never had a problem anywhere in the hospital with my Fido plan.  Oh well... I get some pockets at the hospital, I've discovered, where I can get a good signal (surprisingly not near an entrance) but where I normally work (close to an entrance), I don't get a signal.  I'll see how much it affects me after my 3-month prepaid plan is up and then decide to renew or not.  It seems like there's nothing I can do.  I regret leaving Fido a little. It was a little more but it seems to have been working for me and now I can never get that particular plan back.

 

Thanks for everyone's replies.

Watoko
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

What phone do you have? If Android, do you have it set to use LTE instead of 3G/2G?


@bayard0 wrote:
Fido/Rogers has 2g GSM network that can go thru Walls further then the other providers, and the hospital probably has thick cement walls that block the signals from PB. There isn't much you can do about this. Unless the hospital installs repeaters within the building.

2g doesn't go through walls further.  Both Telus and Rogers networks have access to 850MHz range frequencies. 

 

Anway, all providers have strong and weak areas, and customers need to go with a network that works where they are most of the time that they need to use it.


@bayard0 wrote:
Fido/Rogers has 2g GSM network that can go thru Walls further then the other providers, and the hospital probably has thick cement walls that block the signals from PB. There isn't much you can do about this. Unless the hospital installs repeaters within the building.

Rogers 2G runs on 850/1900 Mhz, so does everybody's 3G (except Freedom).  It is all about the placement of cell towers.  At certain parts of my work location, Rogers coverage is so bad that I lose signal completely at the parking lot, never mind about indoors (yes outdoors).  There are large areas at work where Freedom has the highest signal strength.  Unfortunately, having a signal on the Freedom network does not necessarily equate to having a quality service.  This is why I left after suffering for 4 years.

It is all depends on where you are, different carrier has different way to setup tower and their frequency they use, so different penetration on same tower location.   And other factors such users etc. 

Even Telus and Public mobile users had different speed on same location too. 

If PM doesnt work for the places you go to, use different carrier, a few bucks per month is not good if it doesnt work for you.

TheOldVR
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

 

@jtothew I had the same problem at my parents house.... regardless of Rogers, Telus, or PM (aka Telus), I had horrible signal strength.

 

My personal phone however is an unlocked Android device that allowed me to force the phone to use a slower connection with better reliability. I got data from WIFI but the slower mobile network got me my texts and phone calls much better than when I let the phone figure things out on it's own.

 

 

Not sure if this is an option for you... but it may help!

bayard0
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Yeah I guess most building have repeaters to help with this.  Like I said maybe this hospital needs to have one installed for PB/Telus

@jtothew

Which hospital and city are you referring to? I'll look up the details for you if you like.

To answer your question, coverage is identical between Bell, Virgin, Telus, Koodo, Public Mobile subscribers. See here for more info:

http://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Discussions/Network-sharing-explained/m-p/129092

 

@bayard0

GSM is not any better than LTE for coverage. What's important is the frequency and power being used. Rogers GSM operates on 850 and 1900 MHz, both of which are bands that Telus/Bell (Public Mobile) uses for LTE.


The difference may have to do with indoor DAS coverage, where Rogers might have an indoor system for that hospital, but Bell/Telus does not.

 

Hospitals, shopping malls, large downtown office towers, stadiums, etc are all terrible for signal penetration and usually require separate indoor antennas to provide excellent reception.

Quest
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@bayard0 wrote:
Fido/Rogers has 2g GSM network that can go thru Walls further then the other providers, and the hospital probably has thick cement walls that block the signals from PB. There isn't much you can do about this. Unless the hospital installs repeaters within the building.

@bayard0 You are absolutely right although I would like to hear @sheytoon opinion about technical aspect of it . When I said blind spots I meant all of the factors, including the one you mentioned above.

bayard0
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen
Fido/Rogers has 2g GSM network that can go thru Walls further then the other providers, and the hospital probably has thick cement walls that block the signals from PB. There isn't much you can do about this. Unless the hospital installs repeaters within the building.

Quest
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@jtothew wrote:

Hi there,

I just switched from Fido to PM about a month ago and I've been noticing at work, in a hospital, I get really bad reception.  For instance, all my calls go to voicemail and all my text messages (sent and received) are delayed by 1-3 hours and sometimes get sent/received twice.  For years, I never had a problem with the Fido service with calls or texts getting through to me/going out at work at the hospital.  I'm regretting switching to PM a bit... is this my fault for switching to a cheaper carrier for crappier service??  Hoping someone can help. Otherwise, I'm not renewing after my 90 day plan.


@jtothew I think you mistaken new PM with old PM which was really not crappier but definitely cheaper or I would say good for what you paid for. Times changed and unfortunately a lot of competition was eliminated.

 

We have now only three Networks: Rogers, Telus/Bell and Freedom. You don't say anymore I am on Fido or I am on Public Mobile. You say I am on Rogers Network or I am on Telus/Bell Network or maybe Freedom/Shaw Network.

 

You could say that maybe you don't like only on line service model  which is fair enough but some people like it and it has nothing to do with reception.

 

Unfortunately all networks have blind spots in different places so try to experiment before you switch to any network.

 

 

echf
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

I am sorry to hear that. I think there are two possible reasons:

1) It is your phone's problem. 

Your phone's setting is not correct or not compatible to all PM's service frequencies. 

Public Mobile works on following frequencies: 

  • For 3G use (UMTS/HSPA): 850MHz/1900MHz bands
  • For 4G/LTE use: 1700MHz/2100MHz bands
  • For 4G/LTE use: 700 MHz band

PM use the same network as Bell/Telus, which has a very large user base. It is not likely to have coverage holes in crowded places like hospital. Otherwise, they must receive lots of complains!!

 

I recommend: Check your phone with willmyphonework.net. If your phone checks out is not compatible, then you better switch back to Fido/Rogers/Chatr. Or if you like you can get a new phone. If your phone checks out is compatible, ask your coworker who use Bell/Telus/Koodo/PM/Virgin/PC Mobile to do a call test. If their phone have no problem, ask the moderator or community to help you find are there any setting in your phone preventing you from receiving calls. 

 

2) You located at a particularly special room that just block the electromagnetic wave from the cell tower. 

Maybe your room's layout is just so special! Multiple walls are facing the direction of the cell tower! It is just like a nature barrier...

 

I recommend: Switch back to Fido/Rogers/Chatr. Don't choose Bell/Telus/Koodo/PM/Virgin/PC Mobile in the near future. 

 

will13am
Oracle
Oracle

Coverage with Public Mobile is the same as bell, virgin, Telus, koodo.  That said, I am sure Rogers, Fido have coverage holes in their network as well.  Go with what works for you.  Please don't mistaken the lower pricing as the problem.  

ShawnC13
Oracle
Oracle

@jtothew, sorry to hear that you are having reception issue.  Are you using the same phone that you were with Fido?  Here is a link to a map of Canadian Cell tower locations.  If you find your area that you are having issues with you can see what towers are around compared to your Rogers/Fido.  PM is on the Telus network but has access to Bell towers as well. http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html

 


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