Mobilicity in Calgary ... TERRIBLE Reception

[nuclearbroccoli]

It seems to me that both Wind and Mobi seem to have a half-butted (really? Filters for that word?) approach to planning tower locations sometimes...

Here's one for you (If you don't live in Calgary, bring up Google maps for this one):
Drive Stoney Trail NW, and Wind's signal is fine everywhere - until you go under Deerfoot Trail (2 major highways for those who don't live here) where you lose the signal entirely.

Now, since Crossiron Mills Mall isn't covered either, and it's less than a km north from that spot, then the best place for a tower would be between those two spots, and you cover both easily. 2 years in, and still nothing. However, if you drive east out of the city on Country Hills, you can get a signal out in farm country for a few miles outside the city.
Does that seem like sensible tower placement?
I have friends with Mobilicity who have mentioned the same kind of goofiness in some areas, so it's obviously not unique to Wind.

Sometimes I think the two are both just chucking darts at a map to choose tower locations...

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[Scotch-guy]

^There is an unused monopole just east of Deerfoot in a field on the North side of Stoney Tr. I would assume this was a Shaw installation prior to them deciding not to enter the wireless market at this time. Based on Loxcel tower locations, this looks like it would be an excellent location for a Wind (or Mobi) site. BTW there is no equipment on the pole, was never installed.

[nuclearbroccoli]

^There is an unused monopole just east of Deerfoot in a field on the North side of Stoney Tr. I would assume this was a Shaw installation prior to them deciding not to enter the wireless market at this time. Based on Loxcel tower locations, this looks like it would be an excellent location for a Wind (or Mobi) site. BTW there is no equipment on the pole, was never installed.

Yeah, I've seen that. It's been there for months and I was wondering who it belonged to.

Originally I was thinking that maybe it was put up by Wind when they were supposed to be building out to Airdrie but then dropped it, and then I thought maybe it was a Mobilicity tower...
Who knows...

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[avow1337]

Here's one for you (If you don't live in Calgary, bring up Google maps for this one):
Drive Stoney Trail NW, and Wind's signal is fine everywhere - until you go under Deerfoot Trail (2 major highways for those who don't live here) where you lose the signal entirely.

I am on the phone (bluetooth) and take all the way home every day on Stoney and I am yet to have it drop out at that spot. While I agree a tower near Cross Iron would be awesom (only get service in certain spots of the mall) I dont have trouble with stoney at all (even the far NE corner which isnt on their coverage map).

[nuclearbroccoli]

I am on the phone (bluetooth) and take all the way home every day on Stoney and I am yet to have it drop out at that spot. While I agree a tower near Cross Iron would be awesom (only get service in certain spots of the mall) I dont have trouble with stoney at all (even the far NE corner which isnt on their coverage map).

Driving east on Stoney?
West I have no problems, it's eastbound I have the problem with.

It's irritating to me as I don't talk much while driving, but text instead.
Yes, handsfree.... Genius button. No criticizing. Lol.
No data connection, no work....

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[eblend]

I never had Wind and switched to Mobilicity myself a few month ago, but I find the coverage downtown pretty good, at least in my building. I am at Centenial Place and have coverage around the whole floor 15, however, my friend on Wind did not have any coverage on the east side of the building, or in some rooms on the west side of the building. I signed up with Mobilicity and had no issued at all in my building, or in my edge community of Evergreen. Only place there are issues for me in all the places I have been in Calgary in the last 2 month is by the downtown library, everywhere else downtown seems fine.

So I think it greatly depends on the phone as well. I got the lumia 710 myself (rogers unlocked) and before I canceled rogers, I could not receive calls at my desk with a Rogers, it would ring but I had to walk to a window to actually talk to anyone, with Mobi I can talk at my desk all I want, which is very weird concidering Rogers should have better coverage. My wife has a Nokia N8 on mobi as well and she has better reception in Evergreen then I do, but it never goes to CDN roaming within the city for me, at least not anywhere where I have been so far.

[goflamesgo]

I would say that both Wind and Mobilicity have areas where there is decent reception, and areas where there are issues with reception. I wouldn't say either one is terrible, but there are definitely dead spots at random areas within the city. I find indoor reception is better on Wind in most cases, and data speed is faster as well. I have a BB 9700 and Huawei U8100 and use both every day (Can't resist the $25BTS plan with $22 credit till November).

I'm in the SE and SW part of the city a fair bit. Both are generally pretty good with maintaining a signal outdoor and I rarely every have issues. The issues with Wind I find are in Aspen Woods, or somewhere along 69th Street in Signal Hill, as there is usually absolutely no reception, while Mobilicity can maintain a weak signal. Both struggle on the hill heading up Bow Trail from Sarcee Trail, as I have dropped calls with both carriers numerous times (though Wind seems to be getting better as of late). Wind has beefed up their coverage in the deep South around Shawnessy, Somerset and Woodbine. A year and a half ago you would not maintain a signal, but they all have near full signal now. I find Wind struggles indoors in the east part of Lake Bonavista (flucuates between 1 and 5 bars and hurts call clarity), while Mobilicity seems to stay at 2 bars but doesn't have any issues with call clarity. One advantage with Wind in Calgary is that it maintains a signal pretty well inside malls (Chinook and Market Mall for example), while Mobilicity has absolutely no reception even on the top floor of Chinook. Mobilicity also seems to struggle a bit in Foothills Industrial Park where there are places where I can't get any signal at all, while I have no issues with Wind. I also struggle with loading Youtube videos or any internet video streaming on Mobilicity, but Wind works perfectly fine (and not because of the 15 min data limit restrictions). Both have next to zero reception in CrossIron Mills. I get 5 bars of reception outside in Airdrie on Wind (even on the North edge of Airdrie), but can't make any calls.

If they were the same price, I would lean towards Wind in Calgary if I had to choose between the 2 based on my experience. But if you were looking for a cheap plan ($25 BTS is still available for Mobi's first anniversary here), I would save the $10 and go with Mobilicity. Every carrier in Calgary seems to have areas that have difficulty with reception (Rogers and Bellus included), so I think going to a dealer and borrowing a phone is the best way to try there service out. I tell this to people, if you require your phone 90-95% of the time, you will have no issues with either one. Just don't expect 100% service or coverage while paying rates 30-50% less than those of the Big 3.

[markj]

one area ive had problems with are parts of the airport...too bad mobi and wind dont share towers at least around fringe covered areas

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[plucky duck]

I have been with mobilicity for the last two months and find reception to be borderline bearable. Inside the airport there are dead spots but there are windows everywhere so it's not really an issue for me. I live in the nw dalhousie area where I get 4 bars all the time. No problems with reception at market mall, up in the far nw by Costco.

The issue is not so much outdoors but mainly indoors where there are huge barriers, nut that's an inherent downfall of mobilicity's frequency range.

I find data speed to be acceptable even though it's capped. I was paying $65 with fido prior, so the savings of $40/month is worth the slight inconvenience for me. I am also using galaxy nexus, on ugkl1 baseband.

[xtachx]

Correct me if I am wrong, but isnt the XXK** bands international and UGK** bands US/Canada? Can you try an XXK** baseband and see if the signal improves? UG*** bands werent meant for 1700, so their support for 1700 might be poor.

[nuclearbroccoli]

I get 5 bars of reception outside in Airdrie on Wind (even on the North edge of Airdrie), but can't make any calls.

Where the heck are you getting bars in Airdrie? My phone loses the Home signal just past Crossiron, and it's gone outside Walmart.
Mind you, for some reason I had a full Home signal last fall about 5 or 6 km north of Airdrie that disappeared when I entered the city itself.

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[loxcel]

Big update today to the Loxcel cell tower map at http://www.loxcel.com/celltower

(Thanks to all of you who submitted ideas, comments and suggestions.)

If you select "New Mobilicity" from the drop down, the map will show all changes to Mobilicity towers from 1-April to 8-May. Helpful way to keep up on changes from Mobilicity.

Anyway, this is one of many improvements rolled out today.

Feel free to contact me with comments, notes, criticisms, improvements, or whatever.

Thanks

[Dave114]

Big update today to the Loxcel cell tower map at http://www.loxcel.com/celltower
... If you select "New Mobilicity" from the drop down, the map will show all changes to Mobilicity towers from 1-April to 8-May. Helpful way to keep up on changes from Mobilicity.

I'm a bit confused as to whether the new tower listings are actually new (currently shows 25 new towers in vancouver... which seems a bit strange and unfortunately doesn't include any in the specific area I was hoping for).

If that tower currently showing up on the stampede grounds is indeed new it does sound like good progress though. The saddledome and south-east of downtown has generally been where I've experienced a lot of signal related issues. (Edit: Or am I misreading things... seems to be a microwave-only site although that does often seem to mean a tower coming).

[loxcel]

seems to be a microwave-only site although that does often seem to mean a tower coming).

I have removed "Microwave-only" towers from the map.

Hopefully things will look more normal now.

[markj]

seems like my data is better now with the new 4g network...

but has anyone noticed there is no coverage in the marda loop area in the sw Calgary... seems strange since this is still in the inner city...I get no signal there at all...

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