Download speed

[vikingz]

I have the 6gb lte plan and so far no complaints.  There is a definite speed difference from rogers LTE.  Running a speed test at my house on Rogers I was downloading at approximately 21Mbps, with public mobile I am between 4 and 5 Mbps.  I have no idea why that is, since both companies would be using the same tower where I live and yes my phone was actually on LTE.  Thats a huge difference if you ask me but I can live with it considerring how much I am saving.  I was wonderring though, if there is a setting on my phone that could be causing the slower speed on the new network?  The phone is a google nexus 6p.

[sheytoon]

@vikingz, I finally found that eNB.

It's actually a dedicated Bell tower at 44.2587, -76.6106. The antennas are mounted at heights of 28m and 25m.

The nearby Rogers tower is at 44.2645, -76.6047, approximately 500m northeast of the Bell tower. The Rogers tower is co-located with Freedom Mobile. Rogers antennas are mounted at heights of 39m and 38m. Freedom is at 30m.

Another important piece of information is the antenna azimuths. Each of these sites is deployed with 3 sectors, meaning 3 sets of antennas per tower. The degrees are measured with 0 pointing directly north, and other numbers measured clockwise from that point. For example, a sector that is pointing directly east would have an azimuth of 90.

Bell's azimuths are 90, 190, 330.

Rogers's azimuths are 50, 170, 290.

Is it possible you're in the main antenna beam for Rogers, but not Bell? Or is it also possible the additional 10m height for Rogers is providing superior coverage?

In terms of LTE frequency bands (spectrum) deployed, Bell has B2, B4, B7, B12/17, B13, B29. This is 95 MHz for downlink and 85 MHz for uplink.

Rogers has B2, B4, B7, B12, and maybe B5. Total is somewhere in the range of 50-60 MHz for downlink and uplink.

So obviously Bell (PM) has way more capacity, but your coverage might be worse such that your experience would actually improve with Rogers.

Do a speed test next time you're closer to the Bell tower in the centre of one of the azimuths, and you'll see you are not being throttled. The speeds should be pretty good.

[sheytoon]

@ShawnC13, Rogers and Bell/Telus can absolutely have their equipment located on the same tower. It's called co-location or "colo" in the telecom industry.

This is probably a Rogers owned tower, and Bell has radios and antennas at a lower height compared to Rogers.

I'll check the eNB location and provide an update when I get a chance.

@vikingz, to answer your question, it's simply because you have a better signal or there's more available spectrum resources on Rogers at your local site. If you go to Kingston you should see a much better experience with PM.

There's no speed setting on your phone, and no setting on the network that is slowing you down.

If these are the speeds you're getting at home, you could always downgrade to a "3G" plan to save a bit of money. It will still be on LTE, but with a 3 Mbps limit imposed from the network.

[computergeek541]

---

@srlawren wrote:

---

@vikingz wrote:

I am going into Kingston today and I will try a speed test there.  

---

@vikingz please bear in mind that running speed tests can consume a significant amount of your data very quickly.  These are not zero-rated, and every byte of every test counts against your 6GB allotment for the 30 days.  You're of course welcome to use as much of your data as you want this way, but as some folks don't realize these tests count, I thought I'd mention it.  

---

@vikingz ,  the Nexus 6 is LTE-A capable.  One of the more popular speed testing apps is the one provided by speedtest.net.  That app might use a gigabyte in one test if you have a really good connection to the network because it consumes more data when the connection is faster.  With 4 or 5Mbps speeds, I wouldn't be too concerned, but if you get an optimum connection, you'll end up using your entire 6GB in a few minutes.

[srlawren]

---

@vikingz wrote:

I am going into Kingston today and I will try a speed test there.  

---

@vikingz please bear in mind that running speed tests can consume a significant amount of your data very quickly.  These are not zero-rated, and every byte of every test counts against your 6GB allotment for the 30 days.  You're of course welcome to use as much of your data as you want this way, but as some folks don't realize these tests count, I thought I'd mention it.  

[Tony8]

I wonder if Telus dBm signal strength is weaker than the dBm of Rogers?

" pull up the settings menu, scroll down and select About Phone, then select Status. On this screen you will be able to see your signal displayed in dBm as well as ASU"

https://www.tested.com/tech/android/557-how-to-measure-cell-signal-strength-on-android-phones/

[Alex888]

@vikingz Yes, if you pick your own plan you can have 6GB LTE.
You could contact the moderators and make sure that you are getting the speed you are supposed to, you can send them a private message here: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

[vikingz]

Ok everyone, yes there is a 6gb at 4gLTE plan.  Go to PM website and select build your own plan.  You will see it there.

[vikingz]

Ok so I just used the Cell tower map to locate my tower.  Telus tower eNB ID 540132 band 4 is about 5 km away.  the Rogers tower eNB ID 34585 Band 4,7*,12,17 is also about 5 km away so distance is not the issue.  Band 4 download is 2110-2155 and Band 7 is 2620-2690.  That would not account for such a huge difference in speeds.  I am wonderring if I am somehow being down graded in speed even though I am paying for the higher speed.

[hycm53]

---

@vikingz wrote:

I have the 6gb lte plan and so far no complaints.  There is a definite speed difference from rogers LTE.  Running a speed test at my house on Rogers I was downloading at approximately 21Mbps, with public mobile I am between 4 and 5 Mbps.  I have no idea why that is, since both companies would be using the same tower where I live and yes my phone was actually on LTE.  Thats a huge difference if you ask me but I can live with it considerring how much I am saving.  I was wonderring though, if there is a setting on my phone that could be causing the slower speed on the new network?  The phone is a google nexus 6p.

---

6GB plan is 3G speed, not LTE. There are $30/1GB data only for LTE and $47/2GB data, province wide talk only and text for LTE.

[vikingz]

I am going into Kingston today and I will try a speed test there.  Kingston is the biggest city near me.  I will see if there is any change.  Considerring its a decent sized city tower speeds should be better.  We shall see.  As for the tower, I believe that when you are "out in the country" many carriers will use the same tower (rent space) rather than build there own.  I know for a fact that some ISP's use the same tame tower where I am so I cannot see why telephone companies wouldn't but I could be wrong.

[Alex888]

@vikingz You should try speed tests again while close to a tower and see if it improves.

[ShawnC13]

---

@vikingz wrote:

I have the 6gb lte plan and so far no complaints.  There is a definite speed difference from rogers LTE.  Running a speed test at my house on Rogers I was downloading at approximately 21Mbps, with public mobile I am between 4 and 5 Mbps.  I have no idea why that is, since both companies would be using the same tower where I live and yes my phone was actually on LTE.  Thats a huge difference if you ask me but I can live with it considerring how much I am saving.  I was wonderring though, if there is a setting on my phone that could be causing the slower speed on the new network?  The phone is a google nexus 6p.

---

I don't think both companies would be using the same tower.  Telus doesn't share with Rogers, they have an agreement with Bell to share.  So could it be that  you have Rogers Towers that are closer to your home than a Telus or Bell tower?

[Tony8]

Hi, possibly you have a stronger signal from your location to the Rogers cell tower, than the Telus/Public Mobile tower. That could be why you have faster LTE speeds.

This site is interesting, it explains the LTE bands  https://www.androidcentral.com/everything-you-need-know-about-4g-lte-canada

Yes it is true , you can buy a $67 Unlimited Talk/Text and 6gb  LTE data plan, if you use the "build your own plan" page. 

[vikingz]

The Rogers speed test was consistent throughout the day on different test sites.  I know this because I live out in the country and have to use explornet for my home internet service and it is painfully slow.  So slow that if I wanted to play CSGO I actually used a hotspot from my phone as it was extremely faster thatn the 2Mbps speed I get with explornet.  I even used the telus speed test site while on Rogers and got the same results.  Just did a telus speed test with PM and it was 4.1

[duffer900]

---

@mimmo wrote:

All public mobile plans are LTE. It's just that the 3g plans are artificially capped at a  lower speed. 

---

This is what I meant to say... I need to learn how to explain things better 🙂

[mimmo]

All public mobile plans are LTE. It's just that the 3g plans are artificially capped at a  lower speed. 

[vikingz]

Yes I am sure its a 6gb at 4gLTE plan.  Even says so on my account page. $67 bucks a month.

[kelvarnsen]

Have you tried it at different times of the day?

Also don't some companies give priority to speed test sites so that you would get an unrealistic reading? I can totally see Rogers doing that.

[duffer900]

---

@vikingz wrote:

I have the 6gb lte plan and so far no complaints.  There is a definite speed difference from rogers LTE.  Running a speed test at my house on Rogers I was downloading at approximately 21Mbps, with public mobile I am between 4 and 5 Mbps.  I have no idea why that is, since both companies would be using the same tower where I live and yes my phone was actually on LTE.  Thats a huge difference if you ask me but I can live with it considerring how much I am saving.  I was wonderring though, if there is a setting on my phone that could be causing the slower speed on the new network?  The phone is a google nexus 6p.

---

Are you sure you are on the LTE plan? I didn't think there was a 6GB LTE plan. Might be 3g? That sounds like 3g speeds...