12GB $120/90 Plan LTE or 3G?

[Glen]

I haven't logged in here in a long time, but I'm wondering if my 12GB $120/90 plan is LTE or 3G?

[computergeek541]

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@Anonymous wrote:

 @LarryG : There are a number of long-time regulars here still on that plan. I don't recall them claiming that they're seeing throttled data. Maybe they'll pipe in.

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That's because it's not.  This plan includes full LTE speeds.

[darlicious]

@LarryG 

Well the only good thing is your speed test didn't cost you 500mb had it run on 4G LTE. Contact the moderators to either restore the full speed 4G data or have them open a ticket with the tech team to fix it. Hopefully this will coincide with the end of your 90 days so you can run a speed test or two to confirm the data speed as it will probably take 48 hours to restore it. Depending on how long you have been without your proper data speed I would ask for 1gb of data add ons for each 30 day period you can prove the loss and to allow you to test that your data speed is indeed what you are paying for....

[Anonymous]

 @LarryG : There are a number of long-time regulars here still on that plan. I don't recall them claiming that they're seeing throttled data. Maybe they'll pipe in.

[LarryG]

Yeah most definitely was 4G LTE plan I’ve been with p.m. since before 3G days were advertised it was all LTE back then And advertised as LTE

[LarryG]

I most definitely had 4G LTE, was with PM before the 3G days I’ve noticed my mobile data speed has been much slower when I’m out over the last few months and whenever I run a test it capped at 3Mbs

[Korth]

legacy plan, $120 90-day 12GB LTE

(=$114 12GB LTE per 90 days with AutoPay)

vs

current plan, 3 x $40 30-day Canada-wide 4.5GB "3G"

(=$114 15GB "3G" per 90 days with AutoPay)

(And note that $40 Canada-wide is a "Limited time offer", it will eventually become $45 Canada-wide and $40 Province-wide)

The 90-day plan has an advantage: you could use all your data on the first day or the last day of the billing cycle instead of segmenting it into equal 30-day chunks. This can be useful if you're a light data user most of the time but want heavy data during a vacation/etc. It's not an advantage if your typical data usage stays steady from month to month.

I personally think that the extra gigabytes are worth more than the extra speed, and I think 3Mbps is quite adequate for most usage, it just limits high-resolution video streaming and large uploads/downloads. But most people seem to think that LTE speed is worth paying the premium, apparently unworried about it burning through a puny handful of GB in mere minutes.

[darlicious]

@LarryG 

Have they always been throttled or has it changed in the last little while?

[Anonymous]

 @LarryG : If there's no mention of 3G in your data descriptions then it _should_ be 4G. Pretty sure 3G plans were available then.

[Triguy]

The grandfathered plans should be 4G.  Try switching your settings to 4G LTE.

[LarryG]

Odd... this is exactly the plan I have but my mobile speed is capped at 3MB download 

[stonechucker]

You’re right!  I totally forgot this.  It was a recent change, well not too recent, but originally, Apple wouldn’t allow it.

I just checked, and on my iPad, I have Hangouts setup with my cell phone number, and can make regular long distance or local calls.  This should work fine on the iPhone.

Thanks for correcting me.

[Cgfitzhe1982]

Just another option other then Skype.... will he be changing his number to a local number when he moves? If he is, you could do the add on for 400 min for 15$ and if he calls you just hang up and call him back. He wouldn’t incur long distance that way if he has a number local to where he will be living 

[Harm9]

The day the big corporations like apple and google start cooperating will be glorious for the consumers like us. They slow down thier products if its not being used on thier phone/os, almost like little children getting mad about your personal choice. 

[Harm9]

I use hangouts all the time on my iphone, it runs a little slower but does the trick

[Glen]

I use mine to stream music from Google Music and radio stations from TuneIn.  I also get the weather and news on it while I'm in the kitchen and not looking at my phone.  Also, to help me win arguements with the wife, when I prove her wrong on some inane piece of trivia. LOL.

[smp99]

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@Glen wrote:

Unfortunately he is the one family member that is on an iPhone, the rest of the family is on Android phones.

The other option I was thinking about was getting him a Google Home Mini and he can use that for voice calls to call home for free while he's in his dorm room.

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In case you missed it - Hangouts also works on iPhones. I think the only requirement is a gmail account.

[srlawren]

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@Glen wrote:

I was thinking of the Google Home Mini as an option only if he had his own room.  He could also use it as a speaker, alarm clock, and the usual Google Home Assistant stuff.

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@Glen totally.  I have one (it was a gift).  I mostly use it to ask about the weather and how to spell words I'm not totally sure about, LOL  I use my phone as my alarm clock but I guess the GHM could get louder.  It's hit and miss for random trivia-type questions but pretty good overall I guess.  I don't think I'm using it to it's full potential but maybe one day I'll introduce some new tricks.

[Glen]

I was thinking of the Google Home Mini as an option only if he had his own room.  He could also use it as a speaker, alarm clock, and the usual Google Home Assistant stuff.

[srlawren]

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@stonechucker wrote:

Facetime Audio might be an option for him to call home.  I believe landline phones can receive a call from Facetime Audio.

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@stonechucker I don't think you can make a Facetime call to a landline but there are dozens of data-based options for your son and family, @Glen.

In addition to the ones that have been mentioned there's WhatsApp (can make voice or video calls to other WhatsApp users, including group calls), Facebook Messenger (FB Messenger to FB Messenger voice or video calls), and probably a ton of others.  With Skype, he could make Skype-to-Skype voice or video calls and I think call out to regular phone lines for free in Canada (though some credit may be required--I'm not 100% sure on that one in particular.)

Google Home Mini is an option too but if he's in a shared dorm room it might be annoying becuase it only acts as a speakerphone, you can't really have a "private" (or at least one-sided private) conversation on one, plus there's a cost where all these other services (FB Msgngr, WhatsApp, Hangouts, Fongo, Skype, many others) are free.

[stonechucker]

Facetime Audio might be an option for him to call home.  I believe landline phones can receive a call from Facetime Audio.

[stonechucker]

I use the google home mini for that also!  Easiest way to check how Mom makes lasanga, while I've got my hands in raw ground beef!

[Glen]

Unfortunately he is the one family member that is on an iPhone, the rest of the family is on Android phones.

The other option I was thinking about was getting him a Google Home Mini and he can use that for voice calls to call home for free while he's in his dorm room.

[smp99]

While in BC, he can call any BC number without having to change his number.

Hangouts also works on iOS, not just Android. 

I would get the 400 min add-on. It's only one time cost $15. See how that goes. I bet it would last months or the whole school term especially if he got familiar with Hangouts to call back home.

And yes, people have reported, including myself, that you can still receive calls while in any province. But it's unofficial and I would have a backup plan (400min add-on).

Texting and data work Canada wide, so no worries there

[stonechucker]

Whatever province you are connect to a tower in (watch out for border areas), on the PM Province wide plans, you will have that province calls available at no cost.

So AB phone number, in BC, connected to BC tower, can call anywhere in BC without cost.

Calls back to AB, with be long distance (or any other province).

Incoming calls officially (by PM) do not come in without long distance addon.  Some users say they do, but your milage may vary.

So, before adding the 400 minutes addon.  Setup the Hangsout as I describe, and test it out for LD call back to AB.  Then, call him on his number, from AB, and see if it comes in.

I use hangouts on my Android for LD... it's great.  I've not been out of province to receive a call (yet).

SMS/MMS and data, are Canadawide all the time, as long as he's in Canada.

[Glen]

Oh!  So we are living in Alberta and he's going to go to school in BC, so while he's in BC does he have unlimited in province calling in BC? Or is it tied to your your home province you registered your phone in or area code?

[stonechucker]

@Glen, if it's an Android phone, use Hangouts to make the long distance calls at no cost.  Inside Hangouts, you can set it up to use the cellphone number as the 'hangouts' number, and voice calls will go through, local or longdistance.

Can't recall if the phone is going to be out of province when it's bening used, so if it's out of province, incoming calls *MAY* work (it's unoffical as PM says the do not), but outgoing local calls in-province calls always work, and incoming calls to *home province* in *home province* based on area code work.

[srlawren]

@Glen any time

[Glen]

Perfect!  I could get him the 400 min Intl Long Distance (Incl Canada & US) $15.00 package and combined with Skype that might be good.

Thanks for your help all.

[srlawren]

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@Glen wrote:

The 400 min Intl Long Distance (Incl Canada & US) $15.00 add on, is that $15 for the 90 days? 

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@Glen no, it's totally separate from your plan.  If you buy the minutes today, they stay on your account until you use them up (or you close your account).  They don't automatically renew, so if you run out or are close to running out, you will need to go in and purchase another 200 or 400 minutes.

[Glen]

The 400 min Intl Long Distance (Incl Canada & US) $15.00 add on, is that $15 for the 90 days?