Wind reception around Forest Hill South and Yonge along St. Clair (Toronto)?

**leo_orr** · 07-27-2011, 09:23 AM

How is the reception along St. Clair Ave? From the Wind coverage map, there is a big hole in the Forest Hill South and Yonge/St. Clair. Is new tower going up in 2011? I am interested in switch to Wind , the current situation is not very promising. Thanks for sharing your experience.

**Ago Vino Verita** · 07-31-2011, 01:18 AM

One word: Avoid. I lived in that hood. Reception is sketchy. And for the love of sake, don't sign up with anyone in the hope they will 'build a tower,' it's nothing more than wishful thinking we tell ourselves because you might want to try them out and save some cash. In the end, you will just endure crappy reception. Get a test sim if you want to make sure for yourself.

**leo_orr** · 07-31-2011, 05:26 AM

Thank you for sharing. You are right in your assessment of the situation. I asked the Wind rep in store about towers and coverage, he just refer to the standard coverage map and then he talk about return of the phone with 14th days. This is not a good signs.

I will not subscribed to any services of Wind, Mobolicity or Public, currently they are less reliable than the Big 3. Until there is a consolidation of these new entertants, the network and coverage is less than desirable.

**IlikeGSM** · 08-02-2011, 02:46 PM

One word: Sucks

I live in the area.
If you are in Forest Hill Village and go into any store (ground or 2nd floor), you lose signal.
If you go into the huge Loblaws at Bathurst/St. Clair, consider yourself to be in a cave at the bottom of a mine shaft with no signal. There is zero service in there.
If you are in a residence, signal is hit-and-miss - 1st, 2nd, or 3rd floor all the same - some rooms have signal, some don't.
If you are in a basement, fuggidaboutit.
If you are outdoors and not in Forest Hill Village, I'd rate the voice coverage quality about 5 out of 10.

Data performance in the area sucks too - on a phone or on a data stick (I have one of those too).
I'd rate the data quality 2 out of 10.

Meanwhile all around you, people on Rogers, Bell, Telus are happily making & receiving calls, texts, and surfing the web.

Nokia phones are a bit better at hanging on to a signal under these conditions than Blackberries - BB's are virtually useless unless you pull the battery and re-register to the network, but even then you're at the mercy of Wind's network in this area. Mototola android phones are a bit better than the BB's. I've tried two BB's, 1 Nokia, and 2 Motorola's in the area.

**The_General** · 08-02-2011, 03:34 PM

I have to concur with everybody here about the area.
I live just north of UCC. According to the tower map, there's one directly west of me less then a km away, but I can barely get any reception outside, let alone inside my home.
Oddly enough, mobilicity works really well in that area (well, where I live anyways), so I just forward my number to my mobilicity number when I'm home. Its a PITA, but everywhere else I go (work, hangin out) it works fine and the plan can't be beat.

**Prevailing Wind** · 08-02-2011, 05:32 PM

I was in the area a couple days ago and I have to concur signal wasn't great indoors (0-2 bars).

**leo_orr** · 08-03-2011, 05:53 AM

Originally Posted by The_General

Oddly enough, mobilicity works really well in that area (well, where I live anyways), .

I believed the Mobilicity's tower is at 300 St. Clair West (opposite Sir Winston Churchill Park), Public has one up at Poplar Plains Road and Big 3 is at 155 St. Clair West, 355 St. Clair west and along Avenue Road/St. Clair intersection. Wind is the only provider ignoring this part of town. Did anyone report the lack of coverage to Wind's network builder?

**Ago Vino Verita** · 08-03-2011, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by The_General

I have to concur with everybody here about the area.
I live just north of UCC. According to the tower map, there's one directly west of me less then a km away, but I can barely get any reception outside, let alone inside my home.
Oddly enough, mobilicity works really well in that area (well, where I live anyways), so I just forward my number to my mobilicity number when I'm home. Its a PITA, but everywhere else I go (work, hangin out) it works fine and the plan can't be beat.

No offence but even if you pay $40 and you have to forward your call to another provider's service, then the plan has in fact, been beaten. :P

**Ago Vino Verita** · 08-03-2011, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by leo_orr

I believed the Mobilicity's tower is at 300 St. Clair West (opposite Sir Winston Churchill Park), Public has one up at Poplar Plains Road and Big 3 is at 155 St. Clair West, 355 St. Clair west and along Avenue Road/St. Clair intersection. Wind is the only provider ignoring this part of town. Did anyone report the lack of coverage to Wind's network builder?

My friends, network builder is @#$%#@# BS. Unless they put up more towers than just tweaking the existing one will do next to nothing. I am pretty sure they are aware of their weak areas as I assume they have competent engineers on board. I filled so many tickets through network builder that I lost count and it was all for nothing. I think lost count after 10.

Try Mobilicity instead. Oh, and Public, the ghetto 'tard of all providers is soon getting LTE. Go figure.

**IlikeGSM** · 08-03-2011, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by leo_orr

Did anyone report the lack of coverage to Wind's network builder?

I have - dozens of times. Ever wrote Ken Campbell & Tony Lacavera about it on several occasions.

If you look at Wind's site locations in Toronto, this is one area that is not well covered due to terrain changes and multi-pathing. There just aren't enough sites in the area to overcome this yet.

Hey Tony, as one Skuleman to another... let's get something happening here soon.

**reveries3** · 08-03-2011, 02:08 PM

I was rehearsing at a friends house there... His wind phone had zero bars, my mobi phone had 5. Try mobi!!

Sent from my HTC Panache using HowardForums

**Mr.Conviviality** · 08-03-2011, 03:46 PM

I live and work in the area. 5 bars 99.9% of the time on my bb 9780. I'm streaming on Tunein there nonstop.
Yes, I'm on Mobilicity.

**leo_orr** · 08-03-2011, 04:37 PM

Thanks IlikeGSM, you have started a thread on the same subject last March, and no improvement over 17 months indicate Wind lack of focus and efforts on building the network. The company is trying to expand but leaving gaps and holes in mid-town Toronto which reflect poor product penetration strategy and client retention. Wind Mobile - good price but no receptions.

**leo_orr** · 08-31-2011, 10:59 AM

Just check TAFL, look like Wind finally put up a tower at 240 Heath St W. Is there an improvement in the reception? None of towers have show up in any map yet.

**IlikeGSM** · 08-31-2011, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by leo_orr

Just check TAFL, look like Wind finally put up a tower at 240 Heath St W. Is there an improvement in the reception? Can tower show up in any map yet?

I've seen no improvement in the area yet.
Tower may be erected, but not operational.

Calls still take a long time to connect to the network (from dialing to 1st ring).
Phone data is still slow/intermittent (maybe a BB9700 issue).
Still a lot of 'sproingy' sounds and dropouts in calls.