PDA

View Full Version : Best Cell Phone Provider??



TalonVelocity
04-23-2003, 06:13 PM
Im thinkin of getting a new phone pretty quick here.. any providers I shuold stay away from? or any I should specifically go for??

2.2vtec
04-23-2003, 06:20 PM
rogers sucks!!! Maybe try fido their the only company now that charges per second!

Ben
04-23-2003, 06:40 PM
Everyone has their +'s and -'s but if you want reliability and vastness of coverage, TELUS is a good way to go.

Ajay
04-23-2003, 06:44 PM
Well I'm going to give you a biased viewpoint because I sell phones for Telus Mobility.

In my opinion Telus is the best cell phone provider in Western Canada. They have clearly the best coverage and a very reliable network. Their plans are competitive with other carriers as well. One thing I do like about Rogers and Bell and even Fido is the phones they do offer. Some of them I would rather have than the ones Telus currently carries. But for the most part phones offered by Telus are very good quality and have a whackload of features.

The good thing about Rogers and Bell is the longest contract you can sign is a 2 year whereas Telus employs a 3 year contract system. You can still do a 2 year contract but it will just be more expensive for the phone you may be looking at.....3 year is always gonna be your cheapest.

If you need to know anything else just PM me or post it here.

TalonVelocity
04-23-2003, 07:06 PM
well Im thinkin of buying that v66 phone for sale here, hows the feedback on that one? pros/cons??

Ajay
04-23-2003, 07:13 PM
From what I know that phone is pretty good as far as features go.

I remember right that phone is unlocked but it can only be activated on a GSM network (Rogers and Fido). GSM is a great network if you plan on using the phone around the world because that's pretty much the standard anywhere else than North America.

The GSM network though isn't as secure nor as reliable as the CDMA network used by Bell and Telus. It's a good phone....but terrible networks to be activated on in this country anyway. GSM in this country isn't the best as of yet.

Once again....a biased opinion coming from me!

TalonVelocity
04-23-2003, 07:22 PM
haha can u hook me up with a nice phone? :P

SoSlowDx
04-23-2003, 08:05 PM
0.02:
Rogers is fine I had no significant problems with mine...

Telus is good too their phones are ugly though haha

Fido's per second billing is good and their phones are nice.

Reception I think for those three aren't bad, depends where you are at times.

Ajay
04-23-2003, 08:28 PM
Yah dude....if you want a phone come and see me.

I work at Chinook upstairs by the food court.

I might disagree with SoSlowDx in the reception thing though....Fido is great if you don't EVER plan on leaving the city. I still have a few friends that have Fido but when we all go outta town it's their phones that are the first to loose signal!

SoSlowDx
04-23-2003, 08:31 PM
yeah my bad haha I don't really go out of Calgary a lot so yeah haha

EVOI
04-23-2003, 08:46 PM
well, telus is good but they really need to get better phone!!
but, if you hate contract, go to fido. I am using rogers now but used to use fido and i actually like fido better than rogers!!!

04blackMAX
04-23-2003, 08:54 PM
i actually use bell....have had it for a few months, seems pretty good

Team_Mclaren
04-23-2003, 09:01 PM
Telus gives u the best coverage, but Rogers got all the best phones and they are intechangable!! so when you want a new phone, all u gonna do is to by one and swap the sim card!!!!

B18C
04-23-2003, 09:17 PM
Do not go with Rogers. I'm with them right now and their coverage SUCKS! Rogers was really good in Calgary but Edmonton is a totally different story. There are tons of places where I get almost no signal while all my friends with telus phones have full signal and I end up having to use their phones.

After moving up here I will never get Rogers again while in Edmonton.

Weapon_R
04-23-2003, 09:39 PM
Rogers is okay, telus is more expensive per month...

Rogers charges for every feature you add (like 7 dollars/month for voice mail and caller id - it adds up) so you should take that into consideration.

Rogers is more generous with their phones, and you can get a whackload of phones for free on a 2 year (which isn't very long, how many people change their phone #'s that often anyways)?

I'm with Rogers, mainly because the GSM network lets me buy phones often and swap cards - and that costs nothing. Their reception is good, except if you are in a deep building/basement. The gsm network is still new so it's bound to improve. Keep in mind that GSM is the world standard.

Fido won't work where you live, i dont think.

TalonVelocity
04-23-2003, 09:42 PM
aww really? per second billing ownz!

98type_r
04-24-2003, 10:29 AM
rogers is cheaper (usually) than telus/bell

telus and bell share a network, so the coverage with those two is going to be the same.

fido has per second billing going for them but thats about it.

ZED_24
04-24-2003, 12:49 PM
Originally posted by vsmSIR
i actually use bell....have had it for a few months, seems pretty good


i agree, im with bell, good phone, clear reception and works good outside the city as well. my company phone is a telus mike, and it sucks, theres plenty of spots in calgary where i loose reception, up in the NW off of john laurie blvd. is one place in perticular.

HRD2PLZ
04-24-2003, 04:11 PM
In the past I have been with Rogers, Fido and Telus. Been with Telus for 2 years now and am pretty happy with them. Best just to shop around see who has the best coverage and plan for you with the phone you like.

rage2
04-24-2003, 04:29 PM
Just like what most people have said, Telus has shitty phones, plus they won't let you activate ebay'd CDMA phones anymore, really sucks. BUT their coverage is by far the best. It's expensive for service, but you get what you pay for.

For the guys on Rogers that say they have good reception, man you guys must be in denial! I was on Rogers for years, I lost half my calls (goes straight to voicemail). The friend's that I have on Roger's, half the time they don't get my calls. I have to re-call them to get their phones to ring! I gave up an AWESOME phone number (830-1234) because the service sucked so bad. In fact, when I called in to terminate my service, I got cut off 3 times :rofl:.

Fido, I used to bash it for reception, but it seems to be getting better. Kenny still has reception problems in his basement, either that or he's ignoring me! :D

chrisgushue
04-24-2003, 05:45 PM
i'd say telus for price, service etc.

kenny
04-24-2003, 05:46 PM
If you're in doubt about how Fido will work for u, go sign up, and test it.... you have 15 days to return the phone and get your money back. Its a good way to test out their reception.

CRXguy
04-24-2003, 06:49 PM
I have no complaints really with FIDO, besides the fact that I get no reception between Airdrie and Edmonton. :(

roopi
04-24-2003, 07:46 PM
If you are going with Rogers signup soon because they are switching their evenings from 6pm to 8pm which is bullshit!!!

Rogers/Fido give you better options on phones since you can use any GSM phone that operates on their band and it is easy and quick to switch as mentioned.

Telus has better coverage. I think Rogers GSM is improving everyday though as the 850 band is slooooowly being rolled out.

88CRX
04-24-2003, 08:27 PM
I just got the moto v60 throught rogers and reception sucks major ass. I can only sometimes get reception in my basement so ya..... its cheap but you get what you pay for.

roopi
04-24-2003, 09:17 PM
Originally posted by 88CRX
I just got the moto v60 throught rogers and reception sucks major ass. I can only sometimes get reception in my basement so ya..... its cheap but you get what you pay for.

that's odd! the v60 has the best reception out of all the phones i have every used!!! and i've used 15+ phones in the past 8 months!!! i always go back to the v60. maybe it's just the basement. how is it otherwise? if it sucks everywhere i'd take it back.

88CRX
04-24-2003, 09:29 PM
ok maybe thats not he one..... v66 maybe?

roopi
04-24-2003, 09:36 PM
is it the silver one with the metal casing and it you can see you is calling when the phone is closed on the external display? if so that is the v60. if it doesn't have the external display it is the v66

MerfBall
04-25-2003, 07:51 AM
Rogers has been saying that their reception will be getting better for years, even back when they were under the Cantel name. I finally got annoyed with the crap reception and went onto Telus. I'm with Rage got disconnected twice when I called to cancel my Cantel contract years ago, ended up using a landline to cancel.

Go with Telus. I have yet to get a dropped call or not get a signal for the past 6 years. Hell I can even get a signal in the middle of nowhere land while I'm out fishing.

Strider
04-26-2003, 12:58 AM
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=123643
:thumbsdow

HRD2PLZ
04-26-2003, 12:26 PM
Someone working in the telecommunications industry told me in December that in about a year, Fido and Rogers would most likely not be around any more :dunno:

Weapon_R
04-26-2003, 12:59 PM
Rogers is not going anywhere.

Fido has a weak market share, but they are going to become much more appealing as companies raise their rates and raise evening calling to 8pm.

Fido still maintains per second billing, and evening calling from 7pm. They include all the extras in their phones for less than the big guys sell their rate plans. They offer cheap phones, the only problem is the signal sucks outside of calgary.

JohnnyBlaze
04-26-2003, 03:47 PM
fido's receptions is pretty shitty IN calgary too

tegdream
04-26-2003, 06:51 PM
Originally posted by JohnnyBlaze
fido's receptions is pretty shitty IN calgary too

:werd:

i used to have a rogers panasonc tx210 and recpetion was great

now on my fido 3390, im sitting on my bed and it constantly cuts out and comes back...friggin annoying as hell...maybe its just the fone?

hmm so u can switch SIM cards between fiod and rogers GSM cards nowadays right?

rage2
09-29-2003, 09:25 AM
Originally posted by JohnnyBlaze
fido's receptions is pretty shitty IN calgary too
:werd:

All I know is, I've been misled (damn kenny)! :rofl:

I bought 11 Fido cell phones this weekend for the office, so I decided to test them on Sunday around town. They work great in the office, they work great at my house. But driving around, and at various places, lots of holes in coverage, and I mean LOTS. Calls getting dropped left and right on the road, screamed "HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME" a whole bunch of times due to poor signal. I dunno how bad Roger's is, but Fido coverage/signal quality is pretty friggin' ghetto IMO.

It's not the phone either, tried a Siemens A56, Sony T300, and Nokia 7210. The 7210 has the best reception of the three, but that still doesn't help in many spots.

Even though Telus is expensive, and they're idiots in terms of a company and customer support, they are invincible in terms of coverage and signal quality.

I guess the GSM factor and ability to use a different phone everyday is pretty cool, but if the phone can't get a reliable signal, it's pretty useless for the road warrior.

ScCab
09-29-2003, 09:58 AM
I have been on fido for the last few month. the reception sucks ass. I get dropped calls. people cant get through. I am going to cacel my service with them pretty soon.

MerfBall
09-29-2003, 10:16 AM
Fido when they first started piggy backed on the Cantel system and poorly at that. I don't think that has ever changed.

Telus will always have better coverage in western canada mainly due to their practice of buying out the rights to land to put up their towers.

thich
09-29-2003, 03:15 PM
man.. this is depressing.
i'm tryin' to figure out what company to switch to after my contract with Rogers is done and over with.
i keep getting my calls dropped or not even received on my phone.

stick with rogers or switch to telus?

rage2
09-29-2003, 03:51 PM
I've only found 1 dead spot where I would drop calls in Calgary on Telus (well, the roads I drive on anyways). It's in Elbow Park I think, if you take 8th street S.W. southbound, towards elbow drive, when you get to the top of the hill (the stop sign) there's about 100ft of road where you would get no signal, and calls will get cut off.

Even though Telus phones are hideous (the v60 series is cool but it's friggin old) they do have the best coverage.

They're expensive too, and I hate their customer service. But the signal quality is awesome.

roopi
09-29-2003, 09:41 PM
Originally posted by rage2

:werd:

All I know is, I've been misled (damn kenny)! :rofl:

I bought 11 Fido cell phones this weekend for the office, so I decided to test them on Sunday around town. They work great in the office, they work great at my house. But driving around, and at various places, lots of holes in coverage, and I mean LOTS. Calls getting dropped left and right on the road, screamed "HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME" a whole bunch of times due to poor signal. I dunno how bad Roger's is, but Fido coverage/signal quality is pretty friggin' ghetto IMO.

It's not the phone either, tried a Siemens A56, Sony T300, and Nokia 7210. The 7210 has the best reception of the three, but that still doesn't help in many spots.

Even though Telus is expensive, and they're idiots in terms of a company and customer support, they are invincible in terms of coverage and signal quality.

I guess the GSM factor and ability to use a different phone everyday is pretty cool, but if the phone can't get a reliable signal, it's pretty useless for the road warrior.

I'm sure you can still take all these phones back if you haven't put too many minutes (<30mins) on them.

If you are using these phones for the office why not go with Telus IDEN phones? Pretty handy if alot of the calls are between employees.

As for the GSM coverage that Fido provides I have found it to be exceptional compared to the Rogers GSM coverage.

Comparing Fido/Rogers GSM to Telus of course Telus is going to win for coverage. Look how long Telus has been building their network for.

Don't forget you could even go Rogers TDMA. They aren't introducing any new TDMA sites though. Only GSM 850/1900 sites.

I'm a GSM guy now. I just love the fact that I can choose from such a variety of phones and not get raped by Rogers/Fido/Telus by buying handsets from them.

From all the phones that I have used on the Fido GSM network the ones with the best RF have been the S200 and a Rogers Unlocked 8390 (this thing works better on Fido than Rogers).


Originally posted by ScCab
I have been on fido for the last few month. the reception sucks ass. I get dropped calls. people cant get through. I am going to cacel my service with them pretty soon.

at least Fido doesn't lock you into contracts and you can cancel.


Originally posted by MerfBall
Fido when they first started piggy backed on the Cantel system and poorly at that. I don't think that has ever changed.

Telus will always have better coverage in western canada mainly due to their practice of buying out the rights to land to put up their towers.

Fido is a GSM network. It has always been a GSM network. Cantel was a TDMA/Analog network. Fido has never piggybacked with Cantel/Rogers. Fido does piggyback with the Telus Analog network but to take advantage of this you would need to use a GAIT phone like the Nokia 6340/6340i.

As for Telus always having better coverage I'll agree that they do have better coverage however it's not because they buy out land rights. It sounds like you are saying they buy rights to an entire area and therefore are blocking out Fido/Rogers towers. Don't forget that Bell has the same coverage as Telus since they use the same towers.



Originally posted by rage2
I've only found 1 dead spot where I would drop calls in Calgary on Telus (well, the roads I drive on anyways). It's in Elbow Park I think, if you take 8th street S.W. southbound, towards elbow drive, when you get to the top of the hill (the stop sign) there's about 100ft of road where you would get no signal, and calls will get cut off.

Even though Telus phones are hideous (the v60 series is cool but it's friggin old) they do have the best coverage.

They're expensive too, and I hate their customer service. But the signal quality is awesome.