Text From PM About Changes To Manitoba Prepaid Network

[bluejaywpg]

I just received the following text now:

"Public Mobile here. As of March 16, 2021, our Prepaid network in Manitoba will be changing and select areas of Winnipeg and Brandon may experience reduced voice coverage. Data speeds will remain unaffected. In order to maintain the best voice coverage after March 16, 2021, changes will need to be made to your account. For more information, please call us at 1-866-975-3058. Free Public Mobile Msg"

Before I call this number, has anyone here heard anything related to this or what exactly this is about? What changes are we talking about???

[bluejaywpg]

Part of the reason why I asked here 1st is because I wondered if the text message was even legit & from PM. It appears I have never received a message from "5169" until now, due to lack of message history.

How do you know this phone number is a Telus number?  When I Google the number, *EDIT* nothing relevant came back, disregard what I said earlier. Nothing to do with TD bank.

[lwc726]

not one mention of any change.

[srlawren]

Sounds like there must be issues with the system at the other end of the number they gave out?  However, for some context:

Telus is decommissioning their 3G (UMTS/W-CDMA) network in Manitoba soon.  For customers on Koodo or Telus (with Telus-blessed devices), they can continue doing calling over VoLTE (Voice Over LTE) on the 4G network.  However, Public Mobile customers have no access to VoLTE, so they will lose access to make and receive calls.  Texting and data will still work over the 4G LTE network (albeit at 3G-like throttled speeds as usual).

[kselmak]

Will we have volte soon?

I'm really curious

Is there anything within your account that's different then before?

[lwc726]

on hold lol

[emby]

Also Received the same text. When I called the number I was disconnected due to a system error. I'm happy to continue to call and receive an answer that way but I think it's reasonable to get an answer on this from a moderator within the community as I'm sure this will be a topic flooding the community in the next couple of days. Have these types of texts gone out in other parts of the country or is it specific to Manitoba?

[Brginter91]

Got the same message, the number calls telus, but they are unable to process the call. 

[Lieux]

@HALIMACS @bluejaywpg  Yes it’s legitimate. It comes from public mobile. I let the English oracles explain what this is it about....or call the number they gave to you.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I called and waited on hold for about 10 minutes before giving up.  It was Telus that was accepting the call.

[HALIMACS]

I haven't heard of anything.  @bluejaywpg ( but I'm not in Manitoba)

Just call the number, but don't commit to doing anything, and see what information they can supply.

You could ask the moderators if it is legitimate - but just call the number first to see what kind of sense you get. 

[iamoasis]

I got the same as well. I called the number and it went to Telus, with only one prompt: "...to hear this promotion, press 1..."

I did and waited 5 minutes. Hung up. The text message doesn't even sound like a "promotion".

[toxicfire]

Got this text also. I laughed because the service fo is already spotty and not great in different areas in Winnipeg. So now maybe even more areas lol.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I also received the text, and live in the Winnipeg area.  I'm curious to know what this entails.