Whos towers?

[pylon]

Hey there PM Community,

Just curious as to whos cell towers PM uses? I searched for Canada's largest 4G LTE network and got Bell but I saw another post saying that Telus is PM's parent company? I've also read that Bell and Telus do some tower sharing to mitigate costs.

So I guess really my question has two parts: Whether or not Public Mobile is owned by a parent company and if not then whos network they are using unless Telus and Bell have identical networks?

Thanks for sating my curiosity, I just want to be able to explain to potential new customers exactly how PM's network works! (Got to get those referal discounts, am I right?!)

[pylon]

Wow, these discussions really do turn into discussions haha. Thanks for all the feedback!

[chukdefatey]

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@deltatux wrote:

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@chukdefatey wrote:

Fun fact: The independent Public Mobile used to run the world's only PCS G Band network. Now it's been rolled into TELUS's stock pile, likely to be used for future LTE deployments.

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Did you just make UP this Fun Fact? Or Did you research or you just knew.

FYI: You fun fact is not correct. Sprint in the US has the G band which is still in use in some markets on CDMA and has been deployed for LTE in a few test markets. 

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@chukdefatey, iirc, Sprint only deployed their CDMA network on PCS band A-F, not G. This may have changed and I wasn't updated on it. More info here: http://www.comparecellular.ca/public-mobile/

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I only post facts, Sprint has G Band Deployed on CDMA in some markets and currently running G Band LTE in some markets & is one of there main band for LTE

[Martin]

Hello,

Both maps are current and thus correct.

When I was in MB, I stayed near Gimli. We had deer just metres away. Nature at its best!

Cheers.

[deltatux]

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@chukdefatey wrote:

Fun fact: The independent Public Mobile used to run the world's only PCS G Band network. Now it's been rolled into TELUS's stock pile, likely to be used for future LTE deployments.

---

Did you just make UP this Fun Fact? Or Did you research or you just knew.

FYI: You fun fact is not correct. Sprint in the US has the G band which is still in use in some markets on CDMA and has been deployed for LTE in a few test markets. 

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@chukdefatey, iirc, Sprint only deployed their CDMA network on PCS band A-F, not G. This may have changed and I wasn't updated on it. More info here: http://www.comparecellular.ca/public-mobile/

[deltatux]

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@Martin wrote:
Hello,

I can assure you that there is no difference in coverage between Telus and Public Mobile.

If PM's coverage appears less than Telus', it's simply due to the former's map being out-of-date.

As a matter of fact, the map was so outdated a few months ago that only a very small portion of BC displayed coverage. It was only after a BC customer brought the error to PM's attention was an updated map deployed.

The same holds true for LTE and LTE-Advanced. There is no difference between the two carriers.

Cheers.

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@Martin, seeing how it is for postpaid customers only, Extended Coverage will not come to Public Mobile and the coverage map properly reflects this. More info from TELUS: http://www.telus.com/en/on/get-help/coverage-travelling/manitoba-extended-coverage/support.do

Cheers!

[chukdefatey]

@deltatux, Probably didn't know that Extended Coverage was only available to Postpaid Bellus Customers.

[Martin]

deltatux,

It seems that both of us were right and wrong.

You stated that Telus customers had extended coverage, but without stipulating that it applied only to postpaid ones.

I made the same error when I said, without elaboration, that the coverage between the two carriers was identical.

LOL!

Cheers.

[Martin]

Hi chuk,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated!

Cheers from Ontario!

[chukdefatey]

Yes,

Postpaid Customers of Bellus have free access to Rogers, MTS & Thunderbay Tel's Network. So if a Postpaid Customer ventures out of Bellus's Native Network you will Roam onto the Networks I mentioned & Prepaid Bellus Customers will have no Service.  

Let me know if you need anymore clarification.

[Martin]

Hi chuk,

If I understand you correctly, the coverage area for a postpaid customer of Telus is larger than that of a prepaid customer because of agreements with other carriers.

Correct? A simple yes or no will suffice.

Thanks.

[chukdefatey]

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@Martin wrote:
Hi chuk,

When you say extended coverage, do you mean:
1: physical coverage area,
2: LTE, or
3: LTE-Advanced?

Cheers.

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Extended Coverage means coverage of Rogers, MTS & Thunderbay tel for Post Paid Clients of Bellus 

[chukdefatey]

Fun fact: The independent Public Mobile used to run the world's only PCS G Band network. Now it's been rolled into TELUS's stock pile, likely to be used for future LTE deployments.

---

Did you just make UP this Fun Fact? Or Did you research or you just knew.

FYI: You fun fact is not correct. Sprint in the US has the G band which is still in use in some markets on CDMA and has been deployed for LTE in a few test markets. 

[Martin]

Hi chuk,

When you say extended coverage, do you mean:
1: physical coverage area,
2: LTE, or
3: LTE-Advanced?

Cheers.

[chukdefatey]

FYI Everyone: I only post facts. PM has excess to all Bellus Native Tower except Bell's 2600Mhz LTE network. Also Prepaid Clients of Bell, Solo, Virgin, Koodo, Telus, & PM DO NOT have access to Extended Coveage. Extended Coverage is Rogers, MTS & Thunderbay tel. Only Post Paid Clients of Bell, Solo, Virgin, Telus & Koodo Have access to the Extended Network of Rogers, MTS & Thunderbay tel.

[Martin]

deltatux,

Can you cite a written reference that states that PM customers do not receive the same extended coverage as do customers of Telus?

I look forward to your reply.

Cheers.

[Martin]

Hello,

I can assure you that there is no difference in coverage between Telus and Public Mobile.

If PM's coverage appears less than Telus', it's simply due to the former's map being out-of-date.

As a matter of fact, the map was so outdated a few months ago that only a very small portion of BC displayed coverage. It was only after a BC customer brought the error to PM's attention was an updated map deployed.

The same holds true for LTE and LTE-Advanced. There is no difference between the two carriers.

Cheers.

[Rick]

You can only really see a difference in Manitoba and I'm pretty sure if you live there you get some sick plans, for example koodo has a $48 plan over there with Unlimited Canada wide calling, Unlimited International text, and 5 GB of data.

[Griff]

@Rick I've also never heard that.

TELUS coverage map:



Public Mobile cover map:

[Rick]

Interesting....I didn't realize that we didn't get the extended coverage....its whatever for anyways I'm never in those areas.

[deltatux]

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@Rick wrote:

Public Mobile runs on Canada's Largest 4G LTE network. The are owned by Telus and use the same network. Telus, Bell and Rogers all have network sharing agreements so that you have coverage everywhere on the best networks in canada.

http://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-cov...

Check out the amazing coverage map as well:

http://publicmobile.ca/en/on/coverage

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@Rick, correction: the network sharing agreement is not available to Public Mobile customers as you can see on the Public Mobile coverage maps. Public Mobile does not get to go on the "Extended" network which is the agreement with Rogers. This same goes with Chatr, Chatr customers use the Rogers network but are not covered by the "Extended" network which is their agreement with Bell/Telus. Since Bell and TELUS share the same network regardless, that's why Public Mobile gets coast-to-coast coverage. It's only that extended network coverage is not included.

For extended network coverage, you need to go on Rogers, Bell, Telus, Fido, Virgin or Koodo mobile.

When they said they offered no-frills service via Public Mobile, they literally meant it as Extended network coverage is considered extra since it costs more for the operator for you to go on "Extended" coverage zones..

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

[Rick]

Public Mobile runs on Canada's Largest 4G LTE network. The are owned by Telus and use the same network. Telus, Bell and Rogers all have network sharing agreements so that you have coverage everywhere on the best networks in canada.

http://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-cov...

Check out the amazing coverage map as well:

http://publicmobile.ca/en/on/coverage

[deltatux]

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@dhanadhan wrote:

Telus and possibly Bells because Telus uses some bell towers. 

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@NDesai, BELL & TELUS share towers. Bell builds most of the towers in Eastern Canada and TELUS builds most of the towers in Western Canada. Customers of both networks can roam freely between the two company's towers. Both Bell & Telus share the 880 MNC.

[NDesai]

Telus and possibly Bells because Telus uses some bell towers. 

[deltatux · Accepted solution]

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@pylon wrote:

Hey there PM Community,

Just curious as to whos cell towers PM uses? I searched for Canada's largest 4G LTE network and got Bell but I saw another post saying that Telus is PM's parent company? I've also read that Bell and Telus do some tower sharing to mitigate costs.

So I guess really my question has two parts: Whether or not Public Mobile is owned by a parent company and if not then whos network they are using unless Telus and Bell have identical networks?

Thanks for sating my curiosity, I just want to be able to explain to potential new customers exactly how PM's network works! (Got to get those referal discounts, am I right?!)

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@Luddite is right, Public Mobile is owned and operated by TELUS. It was acquired in 2013 as Public Mobile used to be its own CDMA mobile network running on the PCS G Band. After the acquisition, TELUS decommissioned the original CDMA network in August 2014 after they moved everyone off the original network on to TELUS's network.

Fun fact: The independent Public Mobile used to run the world's only PCS G Band network. Now it's been rolled into TELUS's stock pile, likely to be used for future LTE deployments.

[Luddite]

PM is owned by Telus but is operating "independently". It shares all the Telus towers and frequencies. Even phones locked to Telus, or Koodo, will work on PM.