WCDMA is 3g?

[Slasonder]

I'm looking at transferring over to public mobile and trying to figure out which plan would be similar to my current Telus one. I've got a Galaxy note 9 that I set my network mode to WCDMA only. I don't use LTE, because I find the coverage is poor in to many areas I am at. 

I'd like the same speeds with Public as I do currently with Telus. Do I sign up for the 3g plan, or the 4g plan? 

Model of my phone is SM-960W. 

[krazykiwi · Accepted solution]

---

@Slasonder wrote:

I'm looking at transferring over to public mobile and trying to figure out which plan would be similar to my current Telus one. I've got a Galaxy note 9 that I set my network mode to WCDMA only. I don't use LTE, because I find the coverage is poor in to many areas I am at. 

I'd like the same speeds with Public as I do currently with Telus. Do I sign up for the 3g plan, or the 4g plan? 

Model of my phone is SM-960W. 

---

Hi,

Here is a good link. https://willmyphonework.net/

If you are having poor coverage the 3g will be fine. It is still on the 4g/LTE network just the 3g plans are throttled to 3g speeds

[computergeek541]

---

@Slasonder wrote:

I'm looking at transferring over to public mobile and trying to figure out which plan would be similar to my current Telus one. I've got a Galaxy note 9 that I set my network mode to WCDMA only. I don't use LTE, because I find the coverage is poor in to many areas I am at. 

I'd like the same speeds with Public as I do currently with Telus. Do I sign up for the 3g plan, or the 4g plan? 

Model of my phone is SM-960W. 

---

If you want the same speeds as Telus while connected to the LTE network, you'd have to take an LTE data plan.  LTE speeds are reduced to a lower speed if you take a 3g data plan.

I know that you're saying that you have LTE turned off, but you're going to have to choose between fastest possible speeds and plan cost savings.

[Slasonder]

Thanks! 

Worst case scenario, I guess I'll just change the plan if it isn't sufficient. 

[krazykiwi]

---

@Slasonder wrote:

Thanks! 

Worst case scenario, I guess I'll just change the plan if it isn't sufficient. 

---

I watch hockey games on my ipad hotspotting of my iPhone while at the lake and the coverage ain't the greatest there.

[stonechucker]

@computergeek541, if the user is setting their phone to the CDMA network setting already, they're using the actual 3G network, and should still be able to get the same speeds.

The 3G offerings only throttle access on the LTE network.  The 'actual' 3G network shouldn't be affected at all.

[computergeek541]

---

@stonechucker wrote:

@computergeek541, if the user is setting their phone to the CDMA network setting already, they're using the actual 3G network, and should still be able to get the same speeds.

The 3G offerings only throttle access on the LTE network.  The 'actual' 3G network shouldn't be affected at all.

---

True, but I didn't actually say anything about what the speeds would be like on the 3g network, only that for fastest possible speeds, an LTE plan would be needed (and also user being connected to LTE network).

[stonechucker]

---

@computergeek541 wrote:

---

@stonechucker wrote:

@computergeek541, if the user is setting their phone to the CDMA network setting already, they're using the actual 3G network, and should still be able to get the same speeds.

The 3G offerings only throttle access on the LTE network.  The 'actual' 3G network shouldn't be affected at all.

---

True, but I didn't actually say anything about what the speeds would be like on the 3g network, only that for fastest possible speeds, an LTE plan would be needed (and also user being connected to LTE network).

---

@computergeek541, yes, that is currently what the user is doing, ignoring the LTE, and using strictly the WCDMA (3G) network.  So, in my mind, they could still purchase the 3G speed offerings, and enjoy what should be 'no change in service'.

[srlawren]

---

@stonechucker wrote:

---

---

@computergeek541, yes, that is currently what the user is doing, ignoring the LTE, and using strictly the WCDMA (3G) network.  So, in my mind, they could still purchase the 3G speed offerings, and enjoy what should be 'no change in service'.

---

@stonechucker agreed.  @Slasonder  so long as you plan to keep forcing your phone to WCDMA only, you will actually get the same speeds with a "3G" or full speed ("LTE") plan at Public Mobile, and both should be equivalent to the speeds you are getting on WCDMA with Telus.

[Luddite]

---

@stonechucker wrote:

@computergeek541, if the user is setting their phone to the CDMA network setting already, they're using the actual 3G network, and should still be able to get the same speeds.

The 3G offerings only throttle access on the LTE network.  The 'actual' 3G network shouldn't be affected at all.

---

@stonechucker My experience testing 3G speed is that it was throttled when my phone was set to LTE or 3G. It sometimes took a day or two for the throttle to become effective. Tested just now: 4.4 Mbps down, 1.7 up, Ping 37 ms.