Coverage issues in Vancouver Island

[Maryamira]

Hello Public Mobile Community,

Is anyone here from Vancouver Island, or who can inform me about coverage around Victoria and the surrounding neighbourhoods? 

I've been with Public Mobile in Vancouver and loved the Plans and the Service. Things changed when I moved to Victoria as the coverage at my place was almost nonexistent. I had to change the provider to solve this issue, unfortunately.

I am wondering what's in the future to come back again with Public Mobile!

Thank you and enjoy your day/night!

[Maryamira]

Thanks heaps everyone for the information that you shared, I have a clearer view about this situation now and the available alternatives.

[darlicious · Accepted solution]

@Maryamira

The following charts are from your closest telus tower and the rogers and freedom tower (transceivers) that are located im assuming on top of St Dunstan's Anglican Church. The towers on Mt. Douglas are also rogers and freedom. You have surprisingly good freedom signal in your area. If you already have shaw at home you might want to consider shaws new mobile service and back it up with public mobiles $15 plan when traveling outside of your localized area. That way you have  the comprehensive telus/bell network coverage when you hit all the holes in freedom/shaws network (w/ nationwide coverage by rogers). If theres a cell signal in canada somewhere you will be guaranteed to get it!

Rogers transceivers at

N48.4834 W123.3206
Freq(MHz) BW(Hz) Power Azm(°) Hgt(m) Elev(m)

700	5M	955	200	12	61
700	5M	955	320	12	61
700	5M	955	200	12	61
700	5M	955	320	12	61
700	5M	955	80	12	61
700	5M	955	80	12	61
850	5M	185.37	260	12	61
850	5M	185.37	140	12	61
850	5M	185.37	20	12	61
1900	5M	1862.1	320	12	61
1900	5M	1862.1	80	12	61
1900	5M	1862.1	200	12	61
2100	20M	2060.64	260	12	61
2100	20M	2060.64	140	12	61
2100	20M	2060.64	20	12	61
2600	20M	2118.37	140	12	61
2600	20M	2118.37	20	12	61
2600	20M	2118.37	260	12	61

Freedom Mobile transceivers at
N48.4831 W123.3206
Freq(MHz) BW(Hz) Power Azm(°) Hgt(m) Elev(m)

700	5M	437585.27	290	14	69
700	5M	437329.32	110	14	69
700	5M	437201.35	20	14	69
700	5M	437457.3	200	14	69
2100	5M	437286.66	110	14	69
2100	5M	437414.64	200	14	69
2100	5M	437158.69	20	14	69
2100	5M	104469.32	110	14	68
2100	5M	437542.61	290	14	69
2100	5M	104426.67	20	14	68
2100	5M	104511.98	200	14	68
2100	5M	104554.64	290	14	68
2100	15M	437116.03	20	14	69
2100	15M	437244.01	110	14	69
2100	15M	437371.98	200	14	69
2100	15M	437499.95	290	14	69

Telus transceivers at
N*W123.3097
Freq(MHz) BW(Hz) Power Azm(°) Hgt(m) Elev(m)

2100	15M	15.5	90	6	67
2100	15M	15.5	90	6	67

Your closest telus transeiver is lacking the signals you really need. You would have to look at each one to see which bandz are supported. You are much better served at home by rogers or freedom.

[AE_Collector]

---

@mimmo wrote:

@Maryamira where in Victoria are you?

Pm is the same as Telus Koodo bell virgin and lucky. 

---

Well not completely. In most of the major areas Bell and Telus have their own Separate cell sites which aren’t always on the same tower at the exact same location. So Bell Companies service can be different than Telus companies service at any particular location. In more rural locations if only one company has a cell site the other will be “roaming” on it so yeah, coverage should be identical. That’s how I see it at least.

AE_Collector

[AE_Collector]

It would be interesting to see if just switching to 3G only or LTE only would have made a difference. It must be a very localized problem and/or maybe related to the available bands in your phone?

AE_Collector

[ShawnC13]

---

@Maryamira wrote:

Thank you everyone for your answers ^^

I live in Gordon Head somewhere near Cormorant Point. 

I blamed the coverage on the dense trees in the area and topography, but then @mimmo I switched to Chatr to try and it works really fine!

It is really weird because when I see the map that you linked @darlicious , the towers of Telus are closer, but then Rogers has one on Mt Douglas, could that be the reason?

And what are the providers with the white towers on the map?

@Anonymous yeah I also thought something was wrong with the phone but then when the prob was solved dismissed this possibility.

@ShawnC13 you are right, coverage was perfect when going around in Victoria, it is at my place that is hard to catch 😞

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@Maryamira, I know my service dips when I go through Mt. Doug area but not living in the area I don't have any continual data to provide.  Could it be seeing a stronger signal from a US network?  Have you tried to go into settings and Manuallys elect the PM network and not allow it to automatically select network.

[Maryamira]

Thank you everyone for your answers ^^

I live in Gordon Head somewhere near Cormorant Point. 

I blamed the coverage on the dense trees in the area and topography, but then @mimmo I switched to Chatr to try and it works really fine!

It is really weird because when I see the map that you linked @darlicious , the towers of Telus are closer, but then Rogers has one on Mt Douglas, could that be the reason?

And what are the providers with the white towers on the map?

@Anonymous yeah I also thought something was wrong with the phone but then when the prob was solved dismissed this possibility.

@ShawnC13 you are right, coverage was perfect when going around in Victoria, it is at my place that is hard to catch 😞

[ShawnC13]

---

@Maryamira wrote:

Hello Public Mobile Community,

Is anyone here from Vancouver Island, or who can inform me about coverage around Victoria and the surrounding neighbourhoods? 

I've been with Public Mobile in Vancouver and loved the Plans and the Service. Things changed when I moved to Victoria as the coverage at my place was almost nonexistent. I had to change the provider to solve this issue, unfortunately.

I am wondering what's in the future to come back again with Public Mobile!

Thank you and enjoy your day/night!

---

I am in Victoria as well and have used the service for almost 4 years with no issues.  What area of Victoria are you in?

[darlicious]

https://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html

@Maryamira 

You can check the coverage in your area at this site....

[mimmo]

And also which provider did you switch to?  Only rogers, fido, chatr, and shaw should really have a difference, as mentioned earlier the other brands share the network thus should provide same coverage 

[Anonymous]

 @Maryamira 

Another Oracle ShawnC13 is from the area.

What is the make/model/submodel of your phone? Maybe there's something going on there.

[mimmo]

@JoyLuck   didn't know you were also from Victoria.   Nice to meet another Victoria resident.

[mimmo]

@Maryamira where in Victoria are you?

Pm is the same as Telus Koodo bell virgin and lucky. 

You might have done issues in metchosen but I have rarely had any issues in Victoria ever.

[JoyLuck]

I also live in Victoria. Have been with PM since February. Have had no issues at all.