data coverage area on Vancouver Island

[thao]

Hi, I'm from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. The coverage map shows network is available here, but is data also covered here too and other places where there's network?

A rep from another phone company here said although the coverage map shows it's available on Vancouver Island, but he's had public mobile customers come to him informing that they get no reception here.

[GinYVR]

@AnnSWhat kind of phone are you using? Were you able to use data before? If you are using Android and this is a new phone to you, you might need to configure your APN settings which can be found here https://apn-canada.gishan.net/en/apn/public-mobile

[AnnS]

I was logged into the account and almost the total 250 mb and 1 gb are available to me.

Sorry about the gigantic circled numbers in my previous post.  That’s what copy and paste did.

I have my phone set at cellular, wifi turned off and roaming turned off.

[GR]

@AnnS you should log on to your account to see if it's active and see if there's data left

[AnnS]

Advance finally brought me to this message -

You are unable to access the Web because of one of the following reasons:

You have exhausted the data in your base plan.Purchase a data Add-on at selfserve.publicmobile.ca

Your base plan has expired.Renew your base plan at selfserve.publicmobile.ca

You are roaming on a partner network in the USA.Purchase a roaming Add-on at selfserve.publicmobile.ca

Your phone has been reported lost or stolen.Please email Public Mobile using publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help

Your account has been suspended due to fraudulent activity.

Note:

(I used a slight amount of data in Ontario, but I can’t get online ion Vancouver Island)

[AnnS]

I see a message from Public Mobile - Your connection is not private.  The owner of publicmobile.ca has configured their website improperly.  To protect your information from being stolen, Brave has not connected to this website.

Advanced - Warning:  we can’t confirm your connection to this website is secure.  It may be a misconfiguration or tampering by an attacker.  Proceed if you accept the potential risk.

Visit site anyway (I clicked this and nothing happened.)

[GR]

@AnnS   no you should not have to.  Does it say public mobile on the screen?   Maybe you're out of data, you could check your account 

[AnnS]

Do I need to set it to be able to roam when on Vancouver Island to use data?  I’m in Sidney, BC and I set it to cellular, but can’t go online.  I can use it as a phone though, since I’ve received incoming calls.

[computergeek541]

---

@garrettreimer wrote:

I am in Nanaimo, and I signed up for PM today. I'm getting 1 - 2 bars on my iPhone. The coverage map shows that I should have great reception... the bars show otherwise.

---

---

@garrettreimer wrote:

I am in Nanaimo, and I signed up for PM today. I'm getting 1 - 2 bars on my iPhone. The coverage map shows that I should have great reception... the bars show otherwise.

---

As Srlawren pointed out, you can't go by bars.  They may as well mean nothing on  a carrier with more than one network type and with multiple frequency bands.  Yes, have less bars means having a lower signal strength than when more bars are shown.  For example, when I'm on Band 7 LTE, my phone will only show one bar. In that case, that is just because of the higher frequency range of that band than many others.  The phone will happily switch over to another band when it's necessary.  As long as the service works, just ignore it.  This isn't "Wind" or Freedom that we're talking about here where you have to stare at your signal meter wondering if it'll work (yes, I still have that bad habbit partly from having used that crap network of that other carrier).

[jp2]

I can make calls without any bars as long as the bars aren't replaced with an X it's fine.

[srlawren]

@garrettreimer bars can be misleading.  The important thing is:  can you do everything you need to do?  Make/receive calls?  Send/receive texts?  Data comes through?

[garrettreimer]

I am in Nanaimo, and I signed up for PM today. I'm getting 1 - 2 bars on my iPhone. The coverage map shows that I should have great reception... the bars show otherwise.

[ShawnC13]

---

@thao wrote:

Hi, I'm from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. The coverage map shows network is available here, but is data also covered here too and other places where there's network?

A rep from another phone company here said although the coverage map shows it's available on Vancouver Island, but he's had public mobile customers come to him informing that they get no reception here.

---

Sorry for late reply I am down south golfing right now. I have used the service from Victoria to Campbell River with no issues

[jp2]

Good to hear! Welcome to PM 

[thao]

Thanks so much everyone! I signed up with public mobile today and there's great reception here in Nanaimo 🙂

[thao]

Thanks so much everyone! I signed up with public mobile today and there's great reception 🙂

[srlawren]

Tagging island resident @ShawnC13 in case there's anything he can add.

[daredogg]

Good job @thao for doing your research first. Some people make the switch and don't realize that Public Mobile (or PM as we refer to it in the Community) isn't your typical cell phone company. For example... there is no number to call if you need support. It's this Community where you can reach out for help. If other users can't help, there are moderators available to resolve your issues should they be more serious. I've been here for nearly 2 years now and am glad I made the switch. Hope you do too! 

p.s. although I don't live in Nanaimo (an Ontario boy here), I was there at Christmas for a week, and my data worked fine. I even came in on the Duke Point ferry, and had service there when we docked. Come to think of it... my data might of worked the whole crossing! lol

[wetcoaster]

---

@thao wrote:

Thanks for the prompt response! Have you used your service on Vancouver Island and it works?

---

@thao

As mentioned by others, Public Mobile is a company in the Telus group and runs on the Telus network. As long as your phone's frequency bands are compatible with Telus' network you can expect that you have access to data.

I'm in the Comox Valley and everything just works as expected. There might be a couple of spots on the Island where the Rogers network (that ChatR runs on) is slightly better due to antenna orientation, but by and large the network coverage is very similar - your data problems on ChatR are most likely the result of artificial zones offered by that provider.

I've had data connection on Public Mobile in Bamfield / the Deer Group as well as up Island in the (south) Broughtons and God's Pocket / Port Hardy. Wouldn't rely on it for life or death situations, but you might get lucky in the fringe regions.

@will13am

The coverage holes on the highway to the Pacific Rim (and elsewhere on the Island, like between Campbell River and Port McNeill) is not a Public Mobile thing - there are spots where there is simply no cell phone coverage, with no provider.

[Anonymous]

It's why I was so delighted to find Public Mobile. They ARE Telus. Telus is king out west. Rogers has weaker, less coverage than Telus out here.

[will13am]

---

@thao wrote:

@meoconthanks for the advice! I haven't signed up public mobile yet. I wanted to ask first before making the switch since the city I'm at on Vancouver Island is not a major known city. 

I'm currently with Chatr and they have reception in this city, Nanaimo, but no data reception/ I'm looking for a talk + data plan.

---

Chatr has zones and so they selectively enable features.  If there is a cellular connection, there is no reason why all of talk, text and data are not available.  The advantage of Public Mobile is there are no zones.  If there is coverage, there is service. 

There is only two major networks in this country.  Both are about the same.  While I don't live on the island, I have been there using this service.  I found no instances where I was left without a connection in the populated areas.  On highway 4 to Tofino, signal was iffy in some places north and west of Port Alberni. 

[thao]

@jp2ok will do, thanks 🙂

[thao]

@meoconthanks for the advice! I haven't signed up public mobile yet. I wanted to ask first before making the switch since the city I'm at on Vancouver Island is not a major known city. 

I'm currently with Chatr and they have reception in this city, Nanaimo, but no data reception/ I'm looking for a talk + data plan.

[jp2]

I have not used my coverage on the island but Telus has the largest network in Canada so I'm confident it will be ok. Best thing to do is ask some of your friends there if they are with Telus or Koodo (also on the same network) and check their signal

[meocon]

@thao Did you try to change your phone to 3G network maybe the signal will better than 4G?

[thao]

Thanks for the prompt response! Have you used your service on Vancouver Island and it works?

[jp2]

Public mobile operates on the Telus network so there should be decent coverage