Local Telus Cellular Service

[roorules]

My local cellular service with Telus  public mobile has deteriorated over the last couple of weeks to a point where it’s virtually useless. I have been a public mobile customer for the last year and the service has been fairly decent up to this point. I can make phone calls but they  rapidly deteriorate to a point where I can barely hear the person I’m phoning and they mostly cannot hear me, the service kind of flips in and  out in this way. My neighbours are experiencing similar problems. This is a rural area and I have had a Uniden booster for the last 5 yrs which is working.

[AE_Collector]

@darlicious 

The “Circular File” in the “Circular Office”?

AE_Collector

[darlicious]

@computergeek541 

Whoops didn't put Dave+David together and my info was from a December 2019 post but it would get to the right office in the end.

[computergeek541]

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@darlicious wrote:

If you want to reach out to Public Mobile, as well (so that both are notified about your neighbourhood), you could try Public Mobile's General Manager, David MacLean at

Public Mobile, 1920 Yonge Street, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M4S 3E2

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Dave hasn't been with Public Mobile for about a year. As for a Toronto address, I would also consider trying the York Street addresss, although some of the Public Mobile team members could be working more from home these days. 

[darlicious]

@roorules 

This is unfortunate because it does only affect calling but there are some options to think about before you jump ship. This is essentially a telus problem whose  fly by the seat of their pants solution has been to move pm customers to an equally priced plan with koodo or telus post paid account with a voLTE enabled phone (preferably theirs). Telus needs to be compensatory to customers with pm and koodo prepaid accounts by failing in their ability to deliver voice calling to the affected customers. Consider the following:

1. How much do you use your calling in the affected area (home)?
2. Would a voip calling app serve most of your needs?
3. Who supplies your home services? If its telus see what you could negotiate in bill credits or free services like a landline or telus smart hub for portable wifi calling/data services.
4. Do you have a dual sim phone you may be able to use a second sim for calling only with shaw or chatr or a telus legacy plan. ( @AE_Collector like those cheap plans your parents are on?)
5. You can suspend your plan for 89 days or move to the cheapest plan while you try out other providers to be sure they can offer acceptable replacement services.
6. Public mobile is looking into voLTE voice services and this situation may speed up the implementation of it....in Manitoba at least. If you didn't recieve a text warning of the possible loss of voice services ( you are pretty far to be considered part of Winnipeg) perhaps your loss is only temporary as they upgrade equipment and if not they owe you extra compensation by not warning you of your possible loss of services.

Think about how these might affect your choice (or lack there of) in providers and call telus directly to find out exactly how your area of Manitoba is and will be affected and for how long? Remind them that your best option may be the competition.....Rogers. And remember its Rogers not a great choice.....ever!

This might be helpful to you....

Here is the TELUS upper executive team: https://www.telus.com/en/about/company-overview/executive-team

Their head office address is...

TELUS

510 W. Georgia St.
23rd Floor
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6B 0M3

If you want to reach out to Public Mobile, as well (so that both are notified about your neighbourhood), you could try Public Mobile's General Manager, David MacLean at

Public Mobile, 1920 Yonge Street, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M4S 3E2

[roorules]

Thanks for all the help, information and advice, much appreciated. 
It looks like I’m going to have to switch to Rogers if I want to make phone calls, so sad I’ve been quite happy with PM and just coming up to my one year discount.

[darlicious]

@sheytoon 

Looks like we have found our first pm customer adversely affected by the changes to telus' call network.....100 km away from Winnipeg mind you.

[sheytoon]

Rogers and Bell share 100% of the towers in MB. If there's a Rogers tower nearby, Bell users will be able to use it.

[darlicious · Accepted solution]

@sheytoon 

@roorules wrote:

I am in eastern Manitoba about 100 km east of Winnipeg on Highway 44 

Going by @roorules approximate location near Whitemouth (about 100km east of Winnipeg) or possibly Beausejour both telus and bell are missing the opposing 3G bandz used for calling. The Rogers network infinetly would help the OP's calling issues. Would they not?

[sheytoon]

Rogers and Bell coverage is identical in MB. It's worth trying a competitor as suggested.

[gpixel]

I don't think bell was affected by this change is see bell with 1900mhz in the Winnipeg area. most towers that have the original 850mhz band also comes with 1900,2100 and 2600

although Rogers does seem to have the better reception and more towers

[darlicious]

@gpixel 

Actually @srlawren has a point in the OP's situation if they are located in the area I checked both bell and telus have issues since bell is missing the 1900mhz band and telus is missing the 850mhz band. The rogers tower near Beausejour offersball of the required bandz for calls/texts/data so for signsl the OP would be best served by rogers/fido/chatr but for price and customer service is a completely different matter.

[srlawren]

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@gpixel wrote:

@roorules I suggest switching to lucky mobile. they will be the closest to public mobiles prices. 

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@gpixel they are competitive in pricing, but are they in signal?  It doesn't really matter how cheap the plan is if you can't use it in your main location(s)....

[gpixel]

@roorules I suggest switching to lucky mobile. they will be the closest to public mobiles prices. 

[darlicious]

@roorules 

If you are closer to Whitemouth your better option would be bell whose tower has the 850, 1700 and 2100mhz bandz but no 1900mhz band. The rogers tower there only has the 700mhz band.

[darlicious]

@roorules 

Near Beausejour? Your local telus tower does not have the 850mhz band. Only the 700, 1900 and 2100mhz bandz. With the recent loss of the 850mhz band by telus is proabably affecting your call quality on the 3G network.

You may have to change to rogers 😭to get good call coverage unless @sheytoon can give you some technical assistance to adjust your booster signal but it is looking bleak in your situation.

[AE_Collector]

@roorules 

Whether you may be in Manitoba was my first thought/question as well. One of two frequency bands was recently shut down in parts of Manitoba by Telus. If the change in service level for you was about March 16 or so that is almost certainly what the culprit is. And while your booster might be working, it may not operate on the remaining frequency in your area.

AE_Collector

[roorules]

Thanks I’ll check out the articles, this could be what’s happening.

[roorules]

I am in eastern Manitoba about 100 km east of Winnipeg on Highway 44 roughly I have tried using two different devices and iPhone XS and a Samsung note 20 ultra.

[Spudster]

@roorules 

Are you by any chance in Manitoba?

See below article from a few weeks ago...

Proactively check voice coverage in Winnipeg and B... - Community (publicmobile.ca)

And this Public Mobile announcement about it:

Solved: Re: Text From PM About Changes To Manitoba Prepaid... - Page 3 - Community (publicmobile.ca)

[will13am]

@roorules , it might be worthwhile to check the cell tower map to confirm the cell towers in your locale.  It is highly unlikely but maybe a tower was removed or relocated.  

https://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html?lat=52.000000&lng=-97.000000&zoom=4&type=Roadm...

[Triguy]

Check the coverage map.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/coverage

If you have another phone the try swapping the sim.

[computergeek541]

@roorules 

I know that service has gotten worse, but have you tried a different device? Some are a little better than others.

[hairbag1]

@roorules...

where are you at and what kinda phone are you using ?