Cell dead zone, force alternate provider

[JohnSmith1]

Short version: some places (eg bon echo park) have no belus signal at all, but there's a rogers tower at the park entrance. Does anyone know if it works to change provider to manual and select the rogers network, will it give me back 4g connection, or is there some sorcery required to get it to connect? Or am I way off thinking that bell/telus/rogers allow connections like that?

[softech]

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@Bconroy1981 wrote:

TryKoodo. or Chatter koodo has decent prices

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Koodo and PM are both owned by Telus and use the same network.  Unless there is LTE and lacks 3G in the area, the voice call and data reception will be the same.  (Only advantage for Koodo is that it can use VoLTE in a LTE only area)

[barndoor]

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@t_p wrote:

it's just shocking to be reminded every so often how badly we're fleeced here in the great white north!

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Really ? Or are we just a whiny bunch of babies with no idea of what it costs to build and maintain the infrastructure  when costs  like wages ,material and capital costs are what they are here ? 

[JohnSmith1]

No misunderstanding, I totally get that it's impractical to get coverage in "every" part of the country. Just reading the rationale in the CRTC proposal, they don't want to see a mad proliferation of cell towers, but if they don't really enforce a wholesale rate adoption, then their policy is somewhat impotent.

I came off freedom mobile to join public mobile partly because the $15/m plan includes data, the referral bonus got my monthly bill down to single digits, but also because even though freedom used to be the cheapest, their partner roaming would chew through prepaid balance rather fast.

It would be nice if CRTC could enforce a multilateral policy which requires a portion of your monthly bill be paid to the host network relative to usage such as your bill never costs extra, host providers make roi for providing towers, and guest networks can still market their services based on residual profit after paying the (CRTC regulated, presumably logical) wholesale rates.

[Bconroy1981]

TryKoodo. or Chatter koodo has decent prices

[t_p]

Nothing really surprising really. Just free market capitalism at work. The CRTC ruling just means the network backbone has to be shared, but did not compel any carrier to offer the service to all their members, let alone for free.

Just as I have made the remark to @darlicious , it's just shocking to be reminded every so often how badly we're fleeced here in the great white north!

[darlicious]

@JohnSmith1 

This article explains it well but a quick look at the coverage map between Rogers and Bell/Telus its pretty obvious why Rogers has extended coverage and Telus does not.

https://www.whistleout.ca/CellPhones/Guides/Coverage

RogersBell/Telus

[softech]

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@JohnSmith1 wrote:

Found this online:

https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-co...

Is this accurate that they used to have mutual soft hand-off?

If so, what happened that now public mobile can't roam on rogers?

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I think this ruling is only about carriers have the right to negotiate a fair domestic roaming agreement with others, it doesn't mean everything has to make this agreement with each other or have to roam on other network.  That's why it's ok that Telus does not to roam on Rogers.

[darlicious]

@barndoor 

Lol.....

@JohnSmith1 

Among other reasons I suspect that since Bell/Telus has the best nationwide coverage there are few areas in Canada other than the North and a few remote and generally inaccessible areas that their shared network does not cover they need not request extended coverage from Rogers vs the other way around. Even if they did similar to Rogers it would not likely to be offered to prepaid customers.

https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/extended-network-coverage

Enter the Elaho valley just north of Squamish and you lose all cell phone service after about 15 minutes. There is radio contact run by the Ministry of Forests during daytime working hours but actually cross the Elaho River there's nothing but grizzly bears, mountain goats and sheep for hundreds of miles.

[barndoor]

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@sheytoon wrote:

As far as I know, Telus has decided to not roam on Rogers domestically, even though Rogers is required to provide such services if Telus requests it (Telus would need to compensate Rogers for all roaming traffic).

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Something to consider if getting a higher priced plan ...Does that give Rogers better coverage  if Telus has made that decision . 

 ROTFLMAO .. @darlicious  ... from my experience  Telus  IS in bed with the Robber of most concern .

edited to add ...seems interesting that they are willing to take rogers money so that rogers can roam  ...but are willing to short change their customers on coverage by not reciprocating. .( not that it changes anything anyway for those down in the prepaid scale )

[darlicious]

@barndoor 

Bell and Telus have no problem sharing nor does Sasktel so I can imagine theres a very good reason Telus has chosen not to enter into an agreement with Robbers for soft roaming. But I am sure even Telus doesn't want to suffer from bill shock...?!!

[barndoor]

 We have a prepaid phone with Rogers and it is my understanding that with Rogers it is only the higher priced  plans that have access to the tower sharing so it is not across the board at any company it seems . 

Is it safe to assume though that 911 coverage would be available anywhere there is tower reception regardless of make or model ?

The whole thing does seem rather assinine when you think of how much more and better the coverage would be at the  same net cost if the companies had shared towers from the get go . Not to mention the benefits from an environmental aspect . 

[darlicious]

@JohnSmith1 

If that's the case then the entire province of BC has a CRTC complaint. Your surrounding topography has a lot to do with your ability to get a signal/connection. You cant expect seamless coverage in every nook and cranny of the country otherwise that beautiful view after hiking all the way up that trail would be of cell phone towers as far as the eye could see!

Side note:

I have great memories of camping at Bon Echo as a kid that included a day long canoe trip to see the petroglyphs but more than anything it was the end of the trip I remember the most....just as we pulled out of the park and turned left onto the highway it came across the radio that Elvis had been found dead at Graceland. My Dad had to pull over to the side of the highway he was so upset....

[JohnSmith1]

This sounds almost worthy of a CRTC complaint

[JohnSmith1]

 this area of the park, east to the cliff and South toward cloyne, no connection. Scaling the cliff and h+ kicked in, 4g at the top. South, same thing, h+ starts near cloyne and gets stronger toward kaladar

I have heard from the locals that rain really interferes with cellular data

[sheytoon]

As far as I know, Telus has decided to not roam on Rogers domestically, even though Rogers is required to provide such services if Telus requests it (Telus would need to compensate Rogers for all roaming traffic).

[darlicious]

@JohnSmith1 

Do you have no signal at all? Have you tried getting a 3G connection?

[computergeek541]

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@JohnSmith1 wrote:

Sorry if I'm reviving a dead thread. I thought the CRTC ruled that providers had to participate in mandatory tower sharing. Does anyone know why it seems to be not that way for pm?                                                                                                                                                                                                         

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The carriers needed to make the network available to others, but the other carrier did not have to take advantage of that, nor does any particular carrier have to offer that to their customers. If they wanted, they could even charge customers a fee for it.

[JohnSmith1]

Sorry if I'm reviving a dead thread. I thought the CRTC ruled that providers had to participate in mandatory tower sharing. Does anyone know why it seems to be not that way for pm?                                                                                                                                                                                                           

[computergeek541]

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@JohnSmith1 wrote:

Is it a case of the discount flanker brand not being part of the mutual wholesale agreement?

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I don't have to answer to that, but what I can tell you is that if you try manually selecting the Rogers network, the service doesn't work. The Rogers network flat-out refuses the connection.  I believe that @sheytoon would me a good member to ask about specifics about the roaming arrangements and how that works, but carriers should be able to configure those apsects in a number of different ways.

[JohnSmith1]

Is it a case of the discount flanker brand not being part of the mutual wholesale agreement?

[computergeek541]

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@JohnSmith1 wrote:

Found this online:

https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-co...

Is this accurate that they used to have mutual soft hand-off?

If so, what happened that now public mobile can't roam on rogers?

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This doesn't apply to Public Mobile. Public Mobile customers cannot use other Canadian networks. Public Mobile has never offered that.

[JohnSmith1]

Found this online:

https://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-co...

Is this accurate that they used to have mutual soft hand-off?

If so, what happened that now public mobile can't roam on rogers?

[computergeek541 · Accepted solution]

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@JohnSmith1 wrote:

Short version: some places (eg bon echo park) have no belus signal at all, but there's a rogers tower at the park entrance. Does anyone know if it works to change provider to manual and select the rogers network, will it give me back 4g connection, or is there some sorcery required to get it to connect? Or am I way off thinking that bell/telus/rogers allow connections like that?

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Sorry, but no, Public Mobile customers cannot use the Rogers network.