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???

[computergeek541]

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@AE_Collector wrote:

I think I would not panic quite yet. Even Telus has lost of customers with non VoLTE capability. It is only one/some areas of MB, not the whole province. The short notice tells me maybe Bell/MTS gave them short notice and they are working out the details. If Koodo is still only testing VoLTE maybe it will go into service real soon along with PM VoLTE. I have no idea but I don’t think I would jump in a panic, wait for a bit more info. You may jump to a provider who will be even worse off.

This is a HUGE problem. Telus does not allow prepaid customers (including Public Mobile) to use VoLTE, but even if they did, they don't allow non-Telus devices to use it even if the phone is otherwise compatible. Until the day that all Canadian carriers allow devices not sold by them to use VoLTE, this is going to be a big thing.

[AE_Collector]

I think I would not panic quite yet. Even Telus has lots of customers with non VoLTE capability phones. It is only one/some areas of MB, not the whole province and that May just be less travelled areas. The short notice about this tells me maybe Bell/MTS gave them short notice and they are working out the details. If Koodo is still only testing VoLTE maybe it will go into service real soon along with PM VoLTE. I have no idea but I don’t think I would jump off in a panic, but wait for a bit more info. You may jump to a provider who will be even worse off.

JMHO

AE_Collector

[PCW]

I don't want to derail this thread but chatr is only on the 3G network. There is no LTE I believe. I know a few people on chatr, and their phones never show 4G. 

[gpixel]

@PCW they're only shutting down their 1900mhz band. there will still be 850mhz. $5 is a fair price for volte. they should also bump up the throttle though

[PCW]

Wow. I don't even live in Manitoba and this thread has me stressing out already. I feel for Manitoba PM users. 

I heard on chatr side of things that users will have a price increase ($5) on their plans come March...but no mention of 3G network shutting down for Rogers. 

[gpixel]

 

[computergeek541]

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@gpixel wrote:

@BearFBI 

maybe lucky or chatr will take on volte... lucky still has wifi calling which will be big during this transition

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Lucky Mobile does not have Wi-Fi calling. What they're calling Wi-Fi calling is nothing more than a messaging app with calling abilities. It also doesn't allow you to use your regular phone number. A new phone number is assigned for use only with the app.

[BearFBI]

@gpixel Chatr definitely will take it on. I heard rogers will shutdown their whole 3G network sometime at the end of March. They obviously can't leave them with no service coverage, so Chatr may be the first to get VoLTE.

Lucky will probably be next. 

[gpixel]

@BearFBI 

maybe lucky or chatr will take on volte... lucky still has wifi calling which will be big during this transition

[BearFBI]

This is PURE BS. I knew this was gonna happen. Telus is greedy and they just can't give us VoLTE, even if it means we get bad service. On top of all this there is ZERO communication between all the Telus brands. Ridiculous.

Canadian cell industry is terrible. Sure Public is reasonably priced but still dosent hide the fact that Canada's carriers suck.

I really hope they actually have a plan for this and they are possibly working on bringing VoLTE but at least communicate to us !

The little things like these make me want to stay far away from anything to do with the big 3. This is why I'm so hyped about dotmobile. 

Now I'm not from Manitoba but Manitoba is just the start. Wait untill they decide to pull 3G from other provinces.

[ShawnC13]

@Catherine_T can you please make a comment here and answer some of the questions that the Manitoba PM users have on what is coming up.

[just_joe]

How is it possible to send out a random text to Manitoba customers indicating an upcoming issue to talk plans and not have any follow-up information on their website?  I have elderly parents and in-laws on affordable talk plans that are in panic mode thinking that their phone service will be gone in a month and a half?

Can someone at PM please step in here and clarify what we need to do before March 16th? 

[gpixel]

it's a scam... I guess pm is going to shut down. give me my money back... I need a refund because I have about 3 years worth of 'available funds'. 

I'm probably going to fido or simply connect.. or a pm textnow/fongo combination. 

it was a good run

[_Daniel_]

Definitely not great news... as it sounds like PM will basically be stopping operations in MB as I doubt Telus (or Koodoo) cares to have a second sub-carrier on 4G with rates cheaper than Koodoo... and I don't like Koodoo's rates.

While I appreciated learning within this thread about fongo and dotmobile (in the future) as potential options... I think for me right now PC Mobile (Bell) will be my best option... $25/mo for 1GB and unlimited canada texts/calling (just like I'm getting now with PM) on a 4G network... with a promo on right now for +2Gb for the next 6mo + 20,000 PC points after 2 months ($20).

As a new PM customer in Dec-2020... What would be unsettling to me to learn would be that PM knew in advance they were needing to shut down in MB a lot sooner than the ~45 day notice we just got... and sold me a SIM for their 3G network anyway.

[lwc726]

written complain filed, wait and see

[kb_mv]

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@lwc726 wrote:

MIGHT BE TIME TO WRITE TO THE REGUALTORS. AS THESE GUYS CLEARLY HAVE NO CLUE. AND YES i AM USING  CAPITOLS FOR A REASON

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@lwc726 We are just customers like you so if the bold all caps makes you feel better, fill your boots. Once you have contacted the regulators, please come back and let us know how you made out.

[lwc726]

MIGHT BE TIME TO WRITE TO THE REGUALTORS. AS THESE GUYS CLEARLY HAVE NO CLUE. AND YES i AM USING  CAPITOLS FOR A REASON

[lwc726]

update, phoned in was the call was answered in a couple of minutes. once I was able to speak to the customer service rep. he told me to call back an other time as he was unable to help me.

My god i am wondering how organized this company really is. so now I am like the rest of you wondering what next  

THIS IS NOT SERVICE......!!!!!!!!!!

[kb_mv]

@skifan Oops, sorry

[Pencil_Pusher]

From Wikipedia: On May 24, 2018, PC Mobile decided to cease its postpaid operation. Although still operating as The Mobile Shop across the country, customers were moved from the PC brand to Koodo Mobile. The venture between Telus still remains for the foreseeable future as well, and it continues to operate and offer postpaid services via all three national carriers and respective flanker brands at its Mobile Shop locations. PC Mobile's exit did not have any effect on its existing plans to expand its own wireless presence. PC Mobile moved existing customers to Koodo on October 2, 2018. This did not affect the prepaid service offered by PC Mobile operated by Bell Mobility however.[3]

[skifan]

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@kb_mv wrote:

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@skifan wrote:

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@Great_Big_Abyss wrote:

Peggie99,  

PC Mobile operates on the Bell network, and they have $25 for 2GB of data and unlimited Canadawide talk/text.  

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That may not necessarily be an option either.  Telus roams on the MTS network (which Bell owns) for much of their coverage.  If MTS is moving to VoLTE then so will Bell ( PCMobile) customers.  Thus if your phone is not compatible....you have a problem.

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@skifan To go off on a tangent from the thread, I used to be with PC Mobile and a number of years ago it got bought by the Telus family and I was "transitioned" to Koodo which is how I eventually ended up here with PM. Did PC Mobile start up again with Bell (or was the brand sold by Telus)? Thanks

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I was responding to a post from @Great_Big_Abyss  who stated that PCMobile uses Bell.  I have no first hand knowledge on that.

[kb_mv]

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@skifan wrote:

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@Great_Big_Abyss wrote:

Peggie99,  

PC Mobile operates on the Bell network, and they have $25 for 2GB of data and unlimited Canadawide talk/text.  

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That may not necessarily be an option either.  Telus roams on the MTS network (which Bell owns) for much of their coverage.  If MTS is moving to VoLTE then so will Bell ( PCMobile) customers.  Thus if your phone is not compatible....you have a problem.

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@skifan To go off on a tangent from the thread, I used to be with PC Mobile and a number of years ago it got bought by the Telus family and I was "transitioned" to Koodo which is how I eventually ended up here with PM. Did PC Mobile start up again with Bell (or was the brand sold by Telus)? Thanks

[skifan]

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@Great_Big_Abyss wrote:

Peggie99,  

PC Mobile operates on the Bell network, and they have $25 for 2GB of data and unlimited Canadawide talk/text.  

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That may not necessarily be an option either.  Telus roams on the MTS network (which Bell owns) for much of their coverage.  If MTS is moving to VoLTE then so will Bell ( PCMobile) customers.  Thus if your phone is not compatible....you have a problem.

[Peggie99]

https://mobilesyrup.com/2017/11/13/canada-volte-guide/

"Telus notes that most newer devices will be VoLTE-enabled as they become available, and warns that devices not purchased through its channels will not be VoLTE enabled “at this time.”

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I mean, I'm having a hard time believing Telus will go about it this way.  Wouldn't Pre-Paid be a decent chunk of their business, when you consider Telus Pre-Paid, Koodo Pre-Paid, and PM all together?  From the sounds of it this will completely alienate that entire subset of their clientele, and that can't be good for business.  Surely they'll be doing something like enabling VoLTE for us.  It will suck for people on older non-LTE capable phones, but I guess that's the cost of progress?  

[Pencil_Pusher]

Anyone have any recommendations on good plans from other providers?

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Peggie99,  Ya, if this is the way it's gonna go down, then I have no interest in continuing to support Telus or their subsidiaries.  

PC Mobile operates on the Bell network, and they have $25 for 2GB of data and unlimited Canadawide talk/text.  

[DinoWPG]

Agreed. I'm skeptical too. Normally Public sends me messages from 611. Why use a different number for phishy news?

[Peggie99]

I already have a VoLTE compatible phone.

Will Public Mobile be offering VoLTE plans to Manitobans, or will I be forced to switch providers? If so, after this boondoggle it probably wont be to Telus or Koodo. 

[DinoWPG]

Sorry, no. Suggesting to call a seemingly random number (i.e., not from Public's 611) is not wise.