We got a text message from Public Mobile:
We're enhancing our network to bring you faster, more reliable service. To make room for these upgrades, we'll begin retiring our 3G network on March 1, 2027.
After the shutdown, your device will no longer work on the Public Mobile network. To avoid service disruption, you will need to switch to TELUS.
To help you stay connected and make switching easy, we've teamed up with TELUS to offer you exclusive savings on 5G plans like GB for $15/mo. Plus, you can keep your current device and phone number.
So, we went to PM and checked our IMEI for both phones and guess what? Neither of them will work going forward. Very disappointing. What's bad about PM is not being able to figure out what phone models actually work because we do not have IMEIs for just any phone to enter into this checker. Telus has a similar IMEI checker which reports our phones work there. SHOCKING. Let me say this, there is simply no reason we would choose to go to Telus despite the marketing push because the price is twice what we are paying now. I am a senior and don't have money to throw around willy-nilly because some management executive at PM has decided our phones should no longer work even though according to Telus both are voLTE capable. The calculation is pretty simple, even if I had to buy a new (used) phone for $300 that would work (if I could figure out what that was) it would pay for itself in 10 months. If I went with Telus I'd be throwing that $30 more a month (plus tax) away. Not happening. I don't have money to burn like that. I suspect a lot of other people are in the same position. PM has to sort this out because we won't be choosing PM or Telus if they can't get this figured out better than they have it now.
