Text from 5129 - but can't open on my phone. Is this from Public Mobile?

[ichor]

Keeping in mind, my phone is from pre-2001 and doesn't do fancy things like talk to the internet.  I'm very happy with my phone as it still has a battery life measured in months rather than days.  

I got a funny looking text from the number 5129.  A quick search tells me this is sometimes used by Public Mobile.  But instead of being under 150 bytes, it's 89K and I cannot open it.  

I wouldn't normally care, but my big concern is that I'm in BC and we are having some serious issues with the weather this month and I worry this might be some part of the emergency alert system.  

It's raining so hard today even my ducks are fed up with the weather.  It probably would be good to know if there are any alerts I should care about.  

[Korth]

@ichor 

Yes, the 5129 message is legit. Public Mobile (and Telus, and Koodo) uses the 51xx number block for "premium-rated A2P" outgoing texts. All providers are legally required by CRTC Wireless Code to send CCTS, E911, and Alert Ready information/reminders to their subscribers. Account-related information (about payments, rewards, data usage, etc) is also provided through this channel. The other msgs are whatever they want to send us, usually marketing or public service announcements.

You can block these numbers. You can respond with "UNSUBSCRIBE" or "STOP" to some of them. But if you do, you might miss out on free gifts and special promo offers which might interest you.

A few of these msgs have been MMS (images) instead of SMS (plaintext), which is unfortunate since if your phone doesn't have cellular data active when they arrive then they might "expire" (and you might miss out on freebies) before you get around to viewing them later.

Each time I get a "Public Mobile here..." msg from a previous unused/unseen number, I just add it to my "Public Mobile" contact for future quick/lazy convenience.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Using-Your-Service/quot-Public-Mobile-here-quot-numbe...

[Anonymous]

 @ichor : You mentioned a while ago in this thread a Samsung phone from the late '90's. Please...what model is it? Specifically.

[darlicious]

@ichor 

Ok that makes more sense as that's the "other" 3G network.

[ichor]

I edited to add "and hspa" network.

I don't know what that is either.

All I know is my old phone works at home (and all the places I have been) and the new smart ones do not.  

[darlicious]

@ichor 

Weird because that network is 2G. Maybe repurchase maintained the odd cell tower with it in areas they have not upgraded at all. If you tell us your general area or nearest town we can look up your cell tower services for your area.

Edit:

https://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html?lat=58.840931&lng=-122.705269&zoom=11&type=Roa...

[ichor]

---

@darlicious wrote:

@ichor 

Telus no longer operates the 2G network and all voice calls on pm use the 3G network so it must have 3G service. Where abouts are you in BC?

---

Then I must have 3G on my phone, I suppose.  (although wiki says it came out in Canada after they stopped making my phone... ?  Wiki must be mistaken.  I wonder if there is some way to ask my phone?  All I can find is that it runs on the GMS (edit to add, and hspa) network system whatever that is.  It works, I'm happy with it.  That's enough for me even if it means I don't get emergency notifications.)

[Anonymous]

---

@darlicious wrote:

@Anonymous 

Hmmm....speaking of 3G. You can only have one sim card using the 4 LTE network at any one time can you not?🤔

---

 @darlicious : That's an excellent likelihood. I don't really care whether I get them or not (well other than inbound ballistic missiles) and so if I get one then "I'm alerted" and having my civic awareness.

[darlicious]

@ichor 

Telus no longer operates the 2G network and all voice calls on pm use the 3G network so it must have 3G service. Where abouts are you in BC?

[ichor]

I thought 3G was after my phone.

I got this phone when my analogue/digital cell died.  It was very disappointing because it didn't have the range of the old phone away from the cities.  I can't remember when it was I made the upgrade, but they stopped making this model in 2001.  

I know the modern phones have zero signal at my house, whereas this one gets one or two bars.  

Considering how many people in BC live away from the city centres, it seems a bit weird the emergency alerts wouldn't go out to all levels of cell phones.

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

Hmmm....speaking of 3G. You can only have one sim card using the 4 LTE network at any one time can you not?🤔

[darlicious]

@ichor 

Your old phone is using 3G is it not? 3G does not get emergency alerts. You have to tune into tv or radio to recieve alerts.

[ichor]

I wonder if I'm not getting the emergency tests because my phone is too old for GPS and they are using that to say that someone is in BC rather than which cell service they are logged into?  

[Anonymous]

 @darlicious : I suppose the May 5th one could be dual-SIMs which begs the question...why aren't they all duplicated?

No..they're all tests.

[ichor]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Maybe it's too long for some phones?

I don't think it's correct to say that BC doesn't do alert tests. I think it was an exception that the last test was around about the monsoon. One could argue that a monsoon could be worthy of a proper alert though.

This is my current device history:

 

 

---

I didn't get any of those.  😞

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

Wow...you have gotten a heck of a lot more than me. Are some of yours wildfire related?

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's too long for some phones?

I don't think it's correct to say that BC doesn't do alert tests. I think it was an exception that the last test was around about the monsoon. One could argue that a monsoon could be worthy of a proper alert though.

This is my current device history:

 

 

[darlicious]

@ichor 

Agreed. I'm pretty sure my flip phone recieved them as a regular SMS.

[ichor]

---

@darlicious wrote:

@ichor 

Lol...looks like @Anonymous beat me to it. If you recieved it this past Friday it was the CCTS mandated text. BC doesn't currently use the alert system except for tsunamis but they are developing a plan to use it for atmospheric rivers. They didn't even bother to test the alert ready system on radio, tv or cell phones on the 17th like the rest of the country did which is rather worriesome. Heres the text you missed.

---

Thanks.

I don't feel so bad about missing that.

Strange they couldn't send that normal text style like they do the regular 611 updates.  

[darlicious]

@ichor 

Lol...looks like @Anonymous beat me to it. If you recieved it this past Friday it was the CCTS mandated text. BC doesn't currently use the alert system except for tsunamis but they are developing a plan to use it for atmospheric rivers. They didn't even bother to test the alert ready system on radio, tv or cell phones on the 17th like the rest of the country did which is rather worriesome. Heres the text you missed.

[Anonymous]

I've only ever got the CCTS thing from that number.

[ichor]

---

@Yummy wrote:

---

@ichor wrote:

My phone is pre-data so I don't think I can do that.

---

Any chance you can post image of your 'pre 2001' phone here? I am curious to see what are you still using?

But be aware: resistance if futile! Smartphones are taking over the word! And human's brains...😋😎😁

---

Just an old Samson flip phone from the late 1990s.  

One day I may have to get a smartphone.  Although, to be frank, I would rather have no phone at all.  I can't use a touchscreen and there is zero attraction to having one.  If someone needs me so badly they can't wait to talk to me until I get home, then what they really need is to phone 911. 

I only have the old phone to call the auto repair if I break down.  And because now some services need two-factor login instead of just an email and password like the old days.  That's why I upgraded to Public, my old cell provider charged me for receiving texts (and then send me junk mail via text which I had to pay for).  

[Yummy]

---

@ichor wrote:

My phone is pre-data so I don't think I can do that.

---

Any chance you can post image of your 'pre 2001' phone here? I am curious to see what are you still using?

But be aware: resistance if futile! Smartphones are taking over the word! And human's brains...😋😎😁

[pkaraa]

Weather is indeed tricky these days in BC but dont worry the emergency text will be shown on the locked screen as well it wont be an MMS which can not be seen on a phone without internet.

As mentioned it could be a promo in picture which you are not able to open, if you are looking to change the plan then give PM a call and find out.

[hTideGnow]

shortcode 5129 should be Telus promotion only.  At least some people back in 2018 got Koodo promotion from 5129.

Yes, if it is an MMS , you will need Mobile data turned on.  If you phone is not capable, you would not be able to see.

However, i think any alert system would be just using SMS and not MMS., so, you should be good

[ichor]

Thank you all.

I feel better.

One day the battery in this phone will fail and I'll get a smartphone.  But the problem is smartphones can't pick up a signal here, so I delay as long as possible.  

[t_p]

---

@ichor wrote:

Thanks.

My phone is pre-data so I don't think I can do that.

Just checking this isn't an emergency alert thing that they say we need to pay attention to this week.  They've never used them in BC before so I don't even know if they can come to my phone or not.  

---

@ichor 

I'm more inclined to think the message is some promos advertising from PM like the one I received earlier this week.

[dabr · Accepted solution]

---

@ichor wrote:

Thanks.

My phone is pre-data so I don't think I can do that.

Just checking this isn't an emergency alert thing that they say we need to pay attention to this week.  They've never used them in BC before so I don't even know if they can come to my phone or not.  

---

@ichor    Not an emergency alert so don't worry.  That number is used for promotional info/offers though so you might want to contact customer support to see what it might be if you're interested.

[ichor]

Thanks.

My phone is pre-data so I don't think I can do that.

Just checking this isn't an emergency alert thing that they say we need to pay attention to this week.  They've never used them in BC before so I don't even know if they can come to my phone or not.  

[dabr]

---

@ichor wrote:

Keeping in mind, my phone is from pre-2001 and doesn't do fancy things like talk to the internet.  I'm very happy with my phone as it still has a battery life measured in months rather than days.  

I got a funny looking text from the number 5129.  A quick search tells me this is sometimes used by Public Mobile.  But instead of being under 150 bytes, it's 89K and I cannot open it.  

I wouldn't normally care, but my big concern is that I'm in BC and we are having some serious issues with the weather this month and I worry this might be some part of the emergency alert system.  

It's raining so hard today even my ducks are fed up with the weather.  It probably would be good to know if there are any alerts I should care about.  

---

@ichor   Yes that is a PM shortcode for texting...it might be MMS message, so you'd need to enable data on your phone to download and open. 

Edi:  @ichor   So just looked to see what messages PM delivers from the number and it's just a mandatory notice they send to all customers regarding unresolved complaints about your telecom service and how to file a complaint with the CCTS.