Community

Patrick_R · ‎03-01-2019

Hi I was talking with a friend who has the same plan as me at Freedom 45 a mth for can/us with 8gb. Public has the dame for 5 dollars more. But he advised Even though Public uses the Telus network the plan is using old technology on a very slow 3 G network as oposed to the others.

Any thoughts or concerns. I am wondering why Public would use old technology if 3G so slow and outdated then

shalsap · ‎03-01-2019

Oh ok. Thanks. But, even then with the low data usage, I don't think the slowness of 3g might impact me as much. But, certainly good to know.

srlawren · ‎03-01-2019

@stonechucker wrote:

I was on the bus this morning, and almost everyone is eyes glued to their devices. My phone is in my pocket, and I'm not listening to music (for a change). People watching is now boring.

@stonechucker yeah...how on Earth did anyone manage to commute before smartphones?? 🙂 I know I'd be bored stiff on the SkyTrain. My smartphone lets me read tech news, catch up on my Twitter feed, message a few people, catch up on my timesheet for the day, do some research on my way into the office, etc. I'd be lost without it.

@stonechucker wrote:
@shalsap, as you've just signed up, your data speeds haven't been throttled yet. You will notice shortly a difference, but not enough to worry about.

@shalsap this is an important note, it can take 48-72 hours for the throttling to be applied to a new "3G" speed data plan, so initially you are seeing the full (unthrottled) data speed.

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computergeek541 · ‎03-01-2019

@will13am wrote:
@@
Sorry I have to disagree a bit here. The network is a sunk cost. One additional customer may add to the congestion but not so much in the cost or running the infrastructure. Throttling LTE to 3 mbits/s does not make it more cost effective to deliver the data service.

I also do not believe LTE costs more to offer us. The network is already there and capacity is not saturarated. LTE makes far more efficient use of the bandwidth capacity compared to HSPA. And even if we think of faster speeds requiring additional bandwidth, I do not believe that is an issue to Telus because customers have to pay more to get more data usage.

This whole 3g vs. LTE is all marketing, partly to offeer Public Mobile customers lower prices, but also to make Telus and Koodo customers hesisitent to switch because they either want or need the faster speeds.

mh1983 · ‎03-01-2019

If stable connectivity is the requirement, Public Mobile over Freedom any day for reasons already stated.

stonechucker · ‎03-01-2019

@shalsap, as you've just signed up, your data speeds haven't been throttled yet. You will notice shortly a difference, but not enough to worry about.

will13am · ‎03-01-2019

@Cornelia_D wrote:
Hey there @powerg21,

We have a wide variety of plans for all the budgets .No matter what you choose with Public Mobile (3G or 4G) , you'll be running on the TELUS network , the fastest network in Canada ,as per J. D Power 2018.

Usually 4G (LTE) is more expensive because the costs to run, and maintain the infrastructure are higher

Also to see more about the speed comparison you can access:https://www.speedtest.net/awards/canada/2018?award_type=carrier&time_period=q1-q2

In the end it's a matter of how much you would like to pay, and I'm sure you'll make an excellent choice, and you'll like it in our family

Thanks, Cornelia!

Sorry I have to disagree a bit here. The network is a sunk cost. One additional customer may add to the congestion but not so much in the cost or running the infrastructure. Throttling LTE to 3 mbits/s does not make it more cost effective to deliver the data service.

shalsap · ‎03-01-2019

Hi,

Just got my 3G plan activated yesterday. The browsing speed is excellent and at par with the LTE. I was also able to load the Youtube HD videos with ease. No issues, buffering, or waiting for the pages.

I am a repeat customer of Public Mobile (was on PM before switching over to Koodo), and now back with it for another household connection on 3G. Needless to say, I am happy with browsing and the Network.

Don't worry.

All in all, I am a happy camper.

stonechucker · ‎03-01-2019

@srlawren, it's funny, I take the city bus in the winter to get to and from work, on days when the sidewalks are not clear (too many days...)

I was on the bus this morning, and almost everyone is eyes glued to their devices. My phone is in my pocket, and I'm not listening to music (for a change). People watching is now boring.

Cornelia_D · ‎03-01-2019

Hey there @powerg21,

We have a wide variety of plans for all the budgets .No matter what you choose with Public Mobile (3G or 4G) , you'll be running on the TELUS network , the fastest network in Canada ,as per J. D Power 2018.

Usually 4G (LTE) is more expensive because the costs to run, and maintain the infrastructure are higher

Also to see more about the speed comparison you can access:https://www.speedtest.net/awards/canada/2018?award_type=carrier&time_period=q1-q2

In the end it's a matter of how much you would like to pay, and I'm sure you'll make an excellent choice, and you'll like it in our family

Thanks, Cornelia!

srlawren · ‎03-01-2019

@stonechucker wrote:

I understand the subway is exclusive to Freedom in Toronto, so if you're a subway rider, sure go with them.

To add to this point above for anyone in the greater Vancouver area: the underground portions of the Expo line (west of Stadium right through to Waterfront, as well as a couple of areas around the Edmonds and Columbia stations) are exclusively served by the Rogers and Freedom networks, meaning those of us in the Telus or Bell family of brands have no signal while the train is in those regions. Honestly, this hasn't been a big issue for me personally since I usually get out at Granville so am only underground for a few mins then walk back up to where there is signal part way through the station--and even if you stan on through Burrard or Waterfront, the trip underground is only a few mins in duration. The areas around Edmonds and Columbia are even shorter in duration, though they can affect you while the train is in or nearly in the station. Just something to be aware of.

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stonechucker · ‎03-01-2019

I'm saving a ton of money compared to what I was paying with Rogers ages ago, and while I was with Pre-Freedom WIND, I'm still saving a ton.

Freedom can be good if you have coverage, and you don't travel outside of their main coverage area. The Away network they have is mainly Rogers towers. Using the Away network is limited/additional costs at Freedom.

The fact that Telus and Bell have a shared nationwide network (ie. free domestic roaming) the coverage in less densely populated areas is far superior to Freedom. I understand the subway is exclusive to Freedom in Toronto, so if you're a subway rider, sure go with them.

I chose to move to Public Mobile before the Fall 2016 Promo due to the then value compared to other services, and the reliability of the shared network. I'd rather have good service, than no service.

powerg21 · ‎03-01-2019

PM do offer LTE Lite and 3G. We have the option to choose how to connect. I choose to connect to 3G for the faster speeds.

srlawren · ‎03-01-2019

@luke11992 wrote:
As everyone has said, PMs 3g isn't actually 3g. It's wording I hope to see PM change soon sine it seems to cause so much confusion.

@luke11992 the community has been pleading them to do so since these plans were introduced about... a year and a half ago? I would think the likelihood of a rebrand to something clearer like "LTE Lite" is very unlikely to occur any time soon, sadly. @Alan_K please note, the "3G" data plan branding continues to confuse prospective customers!

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luke11992 · ‎03-01-2019

As everyone has said, PMs 3g isn't actually 3g. It's wording I hope to see PM change soon sine it seems to cause so much confusion.

missorange · ‎03-01-2019

Freedom's signal is not that good. When you call someone with freedom, you can feel the difference.

powerg21 · ‎03-01-2019

Public Mobile has throttled LTE at 3MB per sec and 3G non-throttled 15 MB per sec. I have mine set on 3G to take advantage of the quicker speeds. Typically you don't really need thing faster for everyday use like Youtube, emails, etc.

Public Mobile is on the Telus network so it should have more coverage. I have friends on Freedom Mobile and it's not as reliable connections.

Alex888 · ‎03-01-2019

PM advertises as 3G but it's actually throttled 4 LTE. I don't know why they still use it, but I'm hoping they will change that in the future.

NDesai · ‎03-01-2019

@Patrick_R No, the technology is not old. The 3G plans are still on LTE and on advanced network. It has said to be one of the best network as Bell/Telus share towers. As for the speed, the 3G plan throttles to 3mbps, but LTE plans are full speed no throttling. Even with the slow speed, it will be hard to see a noticeable difference on a regular data use.

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wickedgx · ‎03-01-2019

Public is actually using the LTE network from Telus. They are just limiting the data speed to 3G speed meaning that you'll get an excellent connection but with limited speed however you'll hardly notice a difference when surfing the web. You'll only feel it when downloading or watching 1080p videos.

Public > Freedom in terms of connectivity