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Emergency Calls Only still

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

I put up a bit of tongue in cheek fake angry post about this issue a week ago, but it never really gained any traction. Time for me to take it more serious.

 

For at least two weeks, possibly longer, I've been getting "Emergency Calls Only" in areas where I always had service before. The phone works fine when at work (95% of the time anyway), but at home it is almost always "Emergency Calls Only" and texts just spins and then errors out without sending. Now if I reboot the phone, the service will work again for around 30 seconds before it fails again. It's virutally impossible to text or call from home anymore. Threre have been no changes in the home, no new tech, no new construction projects near me or anything else I can think of that could interfere with the signal. I've tried reseating the SIM, tried rebooting countless times and have tried other phones. I also notice the same issue happens while driving (my car's dash shows when my phone connects and its signal strength and when the service drops away it shows a symbol for No Service and I can't call out (handsfree) when that symbol is up.) I've been with PM for over a year now and this wasn't really an issue before (other than my first month or so). Tried the lost stolen trick, my account is active and even have a balance on the account. I've got Unlimited Calling/Text. I borrowed a signal booster that works with Bell and it didn't really do anything for me here. I could try buying a Telus one, but I assume it would have the same results (what with being the same towers and it being a Bell tower near me.) I've also tried forcing 3G to see if that would help.

My Primary is the S8+ but I tested with the, LG G Flex, Lumia 650 (oddly strong antenna) and an A300 Flip phone. Same results (but that flipper was always a bit poor.)

I'm at a bit of a loss what to do next (other than maybe buying a house closer to the tower but that is a bit of an expensive solution!) The service map shows no outage in my area.

I mean I could go to the darkside and join Rogers (due their stranglehold on my city) but I need Bell tower support when travelling for work (there is no Rogers in some of those places).

Any ideas?

 

25 REPLIES 25

I could've given you the same info 3 weeks ago!

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@jimbobs wrote:

@Psygineer wrote:

@Psygineer wrote:

Day 12:

Got a call from Telus. Prior to that 4 odd text-like messages with install buttons from Telus came through that had some patches. Seems stable tonight so far, but they suggested I swap SIMs. I'll have to go pick one up. Hopefully they have restocked.


Day 20 (I think): Still getting Emergency calls only. Tried a new SIM. Have been in contact with a mod off and on. (Called me a couple of times, and texted). My area is apprently somewhere I should get a strong signal. Guess I am out of luck.


Well done for hanging in there!  Many would have given up at this stage, I suspect.  Has any explanation been offered at all?


Day 24?
Just had my resolution call with Telus. They suggested I switch to Koodo for Voice over LTE as only one band of 3G is available on the tower near me, but the VoLTE should be good. I'll probably just accept that the signal is unreliable for me at home and stick around, but if I get a Koodo offer I might consider it. Been ages since I had one.

jimbobs
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@Psygineer wrote:

@Psygineer wrote:

Day 12:

Got a call from Telus. Prior to that 4 odd text-like messages with install buttons from Telus came through that had some patches. Seems stable tonight so far, but they suggested I swap SIMs. I'll have to go pick one up. Hopefully they have restocked.


Day 20 (I think): Still getting Emergency calls only. Tried a new SIM. Have been in contact with a mod off and on. (Called me a couple of times, and texted). My area is apprently somewhere I should get a strong signal. Guess I am out of luck.


Well done for hanging in there!  Many would have given up at this stage, I suspect.  Has any explanation been offered at all?

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@Psygineer wrote:

Day 12:

Got a call from Telus. Prior to that 4 odd text-like messages with install buttons from Telus came through that had some patches. Seems stable tonight so far, but they suggested I swap SIMs. I'll have to go pick one up. Hopefully they have restocked.


Day 20 (I think): Still getting Emergency calls only. Tried a new SIM. Have been in contact with a mod off and on. (Called me a couple of times, and texted). My area is apprently somewhere I should get a strong signal. Guess I am out of luck.

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

Day 12:

Got a call from Telus. Prior to that 4 odd text-like messages with install buttons from Telus came through that had some patches. Seems stable tonight so far, but they suggested I swap SIMs. I'll have to go pick one up. Hopefully they have restocked.


@Psygineer wrote:

Just in case anyone in curious here is a status update.

Ticket Submitted Friday.

Account verification occured Monday morning.

Currently waiting for the mods to review the verification.

 

I believe it is the SIM because after my attempt to use it in various phones with the same results, I now find that the SIM has to be in the phone (doesn't matter which one) just right for it to maintain signal and even then it is barely above no signal. My mother's SIM (also PM)  in my phone has much better reception and works without having to reseat it. A coworker's SIM (Koodo) also has far better reception with my phone than my SIM. It's weird but I am leaning to it being a bad SIM. The only store in town here is sold out of SIMs so I will have to wait for the restock if I am to try buying a new one.


@Psygineer  My recommendation is to go online ebay ($8),  publicmobile ($10) or Amazon and order a sim card and swap your existing one out. It it fixes your issue then ask the moderators for a credit for the amount to cover the card repalcement.

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@jimbobs wrote:

@Psygineer wrote:

Day 11:

I heard back from the mods with things they want me to try! I've previously tried most of them, but maybe one of the tricks will work. I'll keep you all posted who may be following this thread.


Very curious to see if/how this is resolved.


Day 12:

Second contact with the mod today telling me they are escalating me to tech. Gave me a proper ticket number too. Told me to expect a call and asked for a backup number in case my service is out again. Here is hoping it goes somewhere!

jimbobs
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@Psygineer wrote:

Day 11:

I heard back from the mods with things they want me to try! I've previously tried most of them, but maybe one of the tricks will work. I'll keep you all posted who may be following this thread.


Very curious to see if/how this is resolved.

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

Day 11:

I heard back from the mods with things they want me to try! I've previously tried most of them, but maybe one of the tricks will work. I'll keep you all posted who may be following this thread.

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

Day 9 Update: Was asked to verify again today. Verified within 5 minutes of getting the note. Back to playing the waiting game. It was a different mod who responded this time and sent the link. I noticed that the verification expires a few days after you verify so I assume my previous verification I did had expired before they could help, so they had to make me verify again.

Currently my service is off again.

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

Just in case anyone in curious here is a status update.

Ticket Submitted Friday.

Account verification occured Monday morning.

Currently waiting for the mods to review the verification.

 

I believe it is the SIM because after my attempt to use it in various phones with the same results, I now find that the SIM has to be in the phone (doesn't matter which one) just right for it to maintain signal and even then it is barely above no signal. My mother's SIM (also PM)  in my phone has much better reception and works without having to reseat it. A coworker's SIM (Koodo) also has far better reception with my phone than my SIM. It's weird but I am leaning to it being a bad SIM. The only store in town here is sold out of SIMs so I will have to wait for the restock if I am to try buying a new one.

jimbobs
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@Psygineer wrote:

...

I'm leaning towards it being the SIM itself at this point. ....


Weird.

The only SIM problems I've ever had caused the phone to report no SIM or invalid SIM or SIM not recognized.  I can't see how a defective SIM woild cause a poor signal.  However, if replacing the SIM solves the problem, then go for it.

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@jimbobs wrote:

@Psygineer wrote:

@jimbobs wrote:


If it was happening with just one phone, I'd suspect the phone.  But when it's happening with a number of phones, I'd suspect the network.  Have you contacted the moderators?


No I have not reached out. Kind of figured there would not much they could do especially with it being Bell towers. I guess I can try.


Bell and Telus work with each other especially at the operations level.  The challenge is getting past the gatekeepers to the operations/technical staff.


Hopefully I will get there. I'm leaning towards it being the SIM itself at this point. I tried swapping PM SIMs with my mother (which was confusing to people calling me) my connection was more stable. -98 dBm 22 asu and never seemed to go "Emergency Calls" and her phone oddly enough had no network connection while my SIM was in it. So looks like I need a new SIM. Never had a SIM fail on me before... and I wonder if my whole only on 80% of the time service (when at home) I had for the past year was because this SIM was defective and it finally is giving up the ghost being off 99% of the time (when at home).

jimbobs
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@Psygineer wrote:

@jimbobs wrote:


If it was happening with just one phone, I'd suspect the phone.  But when it's happening with a number of phones, I'd suspect the network.  Have you contacted the moderators?


No I have not reached out. Kind of figured there would not much they could do especially with it being Bell towers. I guess I can try.


Bell and Telus work with each other especially at the operations level.  The challenge is getting past the gatekeepers to the operations/technical staff.

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@jimbobs wrote:


If it was happening with just one phone, I'd suspect the phone.  But when it's happening with a number of phones, I'd suspect the network.  Have you contacted the moderators?


No I have not reached out. Kind of figured there would not much they could do especially with it being Bell towers. I guess I can try.

jimbobs
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@Psygineer wrote:

@will13am wrote:

@Psygineer wrote:

@GinYVR wrote:

@PsygineerMaybe try the Field Test Mode in your phone to diagnose the issue? Do you have any Telus empire account to test with?


I get the following when doing that
Network: Not Available

Mobile network state: Disconnected

Service state: Out of Service

Signal strength: -113 dBm 0 asu

Mobile Voice network type: unknown

Mobile Data network type: unknown
Roaming: Not Roaming.

 

I have no other Telus SIMs/accounts I can try. No one I know has Telus here.

 

BTW when rebooting and jumping back into the Field Test I get

I get the following when doing that

Network: Public Mobile

Mobile network state: Disconnected

Service state: In service

Signal strength: -101 dBm 19 asu

Mobile Voice network type: UMTS

Mobile Data network type: HSPA
Roaming: Not Roaming.

 

After about 30s-60s, it flipped back to everything Not Available. It's kind of acting like I am in a Deadzone, but it used to work fine here. Also when the network is unavailable it still shows me having 2-3 bars. Even when I was in a plane at 20,000 feet where I had no right at all to have signal, I had 2-3 bars (which the IT guy next to me got confused by just as much as I did.)


0 asu on 3G is no signal.  Unfortunately, your local area has poor Bellus network coverage.  If this a recent happening, perhaps a critical tower in the area is down.  If it is typical, then perhaps a trip to the dark side is needed. 


I honestly don't want to do that! I would have to drop my PM plan down to the $15 plan and only use it once every other month or so when I am out of Rogers coverage (most of our remote sites are Bell tower only). I'd also need to steal back my Lumia 650 from my parents because it is my only Dual SIM phone.

 

The Map shows one tower relatively close to where I am (less than 2KM), and two more that are within 3-4KM.

 

I mean it could be the old S8+ and the even older A300 and LG G Flex are just starting to wear out. The Lumia 650 (a little older than the S8) never seems to lose connection but has a crashing issue where it just goes black screen until you hold the power button for 30s and it reboots. None of my phones are all that recent and all of them are second hand. Maybe I will try a Pixel 3A or Oneplus 7 before going to the Darkside (I honestly don't even like cookies all that much).


If it was happening with just one phone, I'd suspect the phone.  But when it's happening with a number of phones, I'd suspect the network.  Have you contacted the moderators?

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@will13am wrote:

@Psygineer wrote:

@GinYVR wrote:

@PsygineerMaybe try the Field Test Mode in your phone to diagnose the issue? Do you have any Telus empire account to test with?


I get the following when doing that
Network: Not Available

Mobile network state: Disconnected

Service state: Out of Service

Signal strength: -113 dBm 0 asu

Mobile Voice network type: unknown

Mobile Data network type: unknown
Roaming: Not Roaming.

 

I have no other Telus SIMs/accounts I can try. No one I know has Telus here.

 

BTW when rebooting and jumping back into the Field Test I get

I get the following when doing that

Network: Public Mobile

Mobile network state: Disconnected

Service state: In service

Signal strength: -101 dBm 19 asu

Mobile Voice network type: UMTS

Mobile Data network type: HSPA
Roaming: Not Roaming.

 

After about 30s-60s, it flipped back to everything Not Available. It's kind of acting like I am in a Deadzone, but it used to work fine here. Also when the network is unavailable it still shows me having 2-3 bars. Even when I was in a plane at 20,000 feet where I had no right at all to have signal, I had 2-3 bars (which the IT guy next to me got confused by just as much as I did.)


0 asu on 3G is no signal.  Unfortunately, your local area has poor Bellus network coverage.  If this a recent happening, perhaps a critical tower in the area is down.  If it is typical, then perhaps a trip to the dark side is needed. 


I honestly don't want to do that! I would have to drop my PM plan down to the $15 plan and only use it once every other month or so when I am out of Rogers coverage (most of our remote sites are Bell tower only). I'd also need to steal back my Lumia 650 from my parents because it is my only Dual SIM phone.

 

The Map shows one tower relatively close to where I am (less than 2KM), and two more that are within 3-4KM.

 

I mean it could be the old S8+ and the even older A300 and LG G Flex are just starting to wear out. The Lumia 650 (a little older than the S8) never seems to lose connection but has a crashing issue where it just goes black screen until you hold the power button for 30s and it reboots. None of my phones are all that recent and all of them are second hand. Maybe I will try a Pixel 3A or Oneplus 7 before going to the Darkside (I honestly don't even like cookies all that much).

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@GinYVR wrote:

@Psygineer  over a hundred dbm is pretty low.. have you checked Nikkel's cell tower map to see if any tower got moved or repurposed recently? or walk closed to a Telus one while you are on an evening stroll?

 

The reason I asked about if you have other Telus cards is I wonder if it is an account issue or just a Telus issue.


I am currently standing in front of the nearest Bell tower to my home. There are no Telus towers showing. The Map shows one tower relatively close to where I am (less than 2KM), and two more that are within 3-4KM.

 

Forced 3G: Signal: -82 dBm 38 asu

LTE: Signal: -108 dBm 32 asu

GR
Mayor / Maire

@Psygineer  on any Samsung phone go in the dialer and dial *#0011#  and it brings up a screen that you can view what LTE or 3g band your on and your signal strengths and other stuff 


@Psygineer wrote:

@GinYVR wrote:

@PsygineerMaybe try the Field Test Mode in your phone to diagnose the issue? Do you have any Telus empire account to test with?


I get the following when doing that
Network: Not Available

Mobile network state: Disconnected

Service state: Out of Service

Signal strength: -113 dBm 0 asu

Mobile Voice network type: unknown

Mobile Data network type: unknown
Roaming: Not Roaming.

 

I have no other Telus SIMs/accounts I can try. No one I know has Telus here.

 

BTW when rebooting and jumping back into the Field Test I get

I get the following when doing that

Network: Public Mobile

Mobile network state: Disconnected

Service state: In service

Signal strength: -101 dBm 19 asu

Mobile Voice network type: UMTS

Mobile Data network type: HSPA
Roaming: Not Roaming.

 

After about 30s-60s, it flipped back to everything Not Available. It's kind of acting like I am in a Deadzone, but it used to work fine here. Also when the network is unavailable it still shows me having 2-3 bars. Even when I was in a plane at 20,000 feet where I had no right at all to have signal, I had 2-3 bars (which the IT guy next to me got confused by just as much as I did.)


0 asu on 3G is no signal.  Unfortunately, your local area has poor Bellus network coverage.  If this a recent happening, perhaps a critical tower in the area is down.  If it is typical, then perhaps a trip to the dark side is needed. 

mh1983
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

Have you reported to the moderators? If the issue persists, they typically open a case to have engineering support look into it and possibly deploy network-side fixes. Understand your frustration, but beyond helping with device-side and some account-side stuff, there's not much we can do in this public forum.

Hi @Psygineer, can you send me your address? Nearest intersection is fine. You can send in a private message if you prefer.

 

I'll check the status of those sites for you.

@Psygineer  over a hundred dbm is pretty low.. have you checked Nikkel's cell tower map to see if any tower got moved or repurposed recently? or walk closed to a Telus one while you are on an evening stroll?

 

The reason I asked about if you have other Telus cards is I wonder if it is an account issue or just a Telus issue.

Psygineer
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@GinYVR wrote:

@PsygineerMaybe try the Field Test Mode in your phone to diagnose the issue? Do you have any Telus empire account to test with?


I get the following when doing that
Network: Not Available

Mobile network state: Disconnected

Service state: Out of Service

Signal strength: -113 dBm 0 asu

Mobile Voice network type: unknown

Mobile Data network type: unknown
Roaming: Not Roaming.

 

I have no other Telus SIMs/accounts I can try. No one I know has Telus here.

 

BTW when rebooting and jumping back into the Field Test I get

I get the following when doing that

Network: Public Mobile

Mobile network state: Disconnected

Service state: In service

Signal strength: -101 dBm 19 asu

Mobile Voice network type: UMTS

Mobile Data network type: HSPA
Roaming: Not Roaming.

 

After about 30s-60s, it flipped back to everything Not Available. It's kind of acting like I am in a Deadzone, but it used to work fine here. Also when the network is unavailable it still shows me having 2-3 bars. Even when I was in a plane at 20,000 feet where I had no right at all to have signal, I had 2-3 bars (which the IT guy next to me got confused by just as much as I did.)

GinYVR
Mayor / Maire

@PsygineerMaybe try the Field Test Mode in your phone to diagnose the issue? Do you have any Telus empire account to test with? I know it is a pain to tabulate the data, but at least it should be able to give you some useful information.

Need Help? Let's chat.