My ISP is giving me faster speed and increased bitcap and NO EXTRA CHARGE!

[fox]

Not a crit; just a comment. I'm sure I could have made the same comment about any of you who come to PLUG MUG, and probably most PLUG members. I'm sure I'm the outlier here; just about all of our downloading is system updates, email attachments and the like, not media.

[Jason]

I know you were just poking fun at me. I was just poking fun back at ya And yeah, I think Bob blows all of us away for downloading.

And you are getting media though I suppose it's not considered downloading. All TV shows are delivered via digital bits now. Bits, the same kind of bits that come with your Internet service. They just don't count it. Do you see what I mean? That's assuming your wife watches TV. I know you don't watch much.

[Scott]

This thread popped up at just the right time.  I have been contemplating who I want to get service from.

Jason, I saw your post earlier Re: Bell, I am surprised you can't get their Fibe service now.  I know they lit up most of the south end this past summer.  We have had the door knockers constantly the past 2 months.  I was just about to sign up for either their 300/100 {Down/Up} {$104/month) or 1000/100Mb  {$149/month) service.  Both are Unlimited, no contract. 

However, the prices changes you mentioned Re: Start.Ca have won me over.  I think $50/month for 40/10 will be far easier on the pocket book. I wish I downloaded enough to justify the Bell Fibe service, as comparably it is a great deal.  That and I will always have a sour taste for Bell.

Bob, I hate to throw coal on the fire but I am very interested in your experience with Wind/Freedom.  Until your post I had planned on switching to them from Rogers, they currently have a $55 Unlimited NA, 8GB Full Speed plan that peaked my interest, especially as it included 2400 minutes and 1GB data when used outside of their zone including the US.  Any comments, however painful, would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and hey guys!  I wish I could make it out Mondays, I miss you guys.  At the very least I frequently lurk here.

[Jason]

Good hearing from you again, Scott!

I'll let Bob answer most of your questions about Freedom Mobile but have to let you know Bob usually does all his posts once a week in a big splurge so you might have a wait.

But I can tell you what Bob has told me and the most important thing is that Freedom Mobile doesn't have 4G/LTE in Peterborough yet. That probably won't happen until the fall. Also, the 3G service is very bad. About 2 Mbps right now. And... you have to get a different phone to use the LTE when it comes because they're using a different band (I think). I just know it's incompatible with most phones.

So great deal bit cap, cheap for voice and texting. But shitty download speeds in Peterborough (for now). If you get one of their new phones they're selling now, it will be ready for LTE when it comes. And I think it's dual sim so you can also use it on other LTE networks should you leave them.

I'll let Bob know tonight at the meeting that you posted and hopefully, he'll remember to respond to you.

[bobf]

And he did, thanks, Jason! <^8# OK, here goes...

I *loved* the "unlimited" 10GB/mo. plan WIND Mobile had when I decided to change over. And I missed it! (First piss-off!) Had I signed up the first time I attended their kiosk at Lansdowne Place, *that's* what I would've had (I recollect this very clearly because it was definitely an improvement over my 6GB/mo. plan with Telus at the time.) But I had to get my Samsung Galaxy Note II "WIND-unlocked" first (apparently, Telus [et al, I'm sure!] didn't enable the AWS-1 frequencies on phones they sold - BIG surprise, eh?! NOT! And my wife's S III won't do it at all...)

So... for $39./mo., you get "unlimited", and I can say, unequivocally, that it IS unlimited. With a catch, naturally. The first 3GB on this plan are at "full speed", which I construed to mean "high speed", ie. LTE. Frickin' WRONG! Their service is 3G only (second piss-off!), further obfuscated by the fact that my phone, which previously said LTE, now said 4G. Evidently, it doesn't HAVE a 3G to display.

SO... You *know* I monitored developments re. WIND's LTE deployment closely. With my 6GB data plan with Telus, I was downloading @ ~30Mbps sitting in Timmy's. If I needed to download a distro, eg., I just fire up my hotspot and roll - it's either that or Timmy's 640Mbps "barn-burner" offering (and I hasten to point out, we've yet to find an IP address there that would give us real options to date). Post-move to WIND? 3Mbps at best, which I initially thought was just cell tower coverage Telus vs. WIND, until I cleared up the whole "full" vs. "high" thing in my head...

Now, during this time, Rogers bought out Videotron, who had the sole license to AWS-3, a previously-undeployed spectrum. IIRC, part of the deal was divesting themselves of AWS-3, which Rogers et al would never use anyway. So...

WIND mobile bought that spectrum as well. And the minute they did, I *knew* this would not bode well for WIND's existing customers. And I was absolutely right (third piss-off!)!

I'd been awaiting word on how quickly WIND intended to bring up their network to LTE - on the AWS-1 spectrum, naturally, where their entire customer base was deployed. And suddenly I *knew* every friggin' customer would have to go out and buy a new phone, capable of AWS-3 (heretofore unmanufactured) to get LTE. And I was RIGHT - kinda. I had no idea of the clusterf!ck in store...

First, enter FREEDOM mobile. Now, you *KNOW* that when your company changes names, it's gonna change ALL the rules; I've never seen it not (cynical SoB, ain't I?! <^8#)(I've lost count of the piss-offs!)

In a nutshell, if you want LTE, it'll cost you $5./mo. more. But that's 'WAY too easy to be the end of the story...

Let's begin with a carrot on a stick; if you upgrade to LTE now, for the extra $5., you'll get DOUBLE the data, 6GB/mo. instead of 3GB. Big deal - you can do that ANYWAY with a (booster? - I can't recollect just now exactly what WIND called them, but you get the idea...) AND PAYING THE $5. RIGHT NOW WILL GET YOU ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in terms of service improvement - still no LTE (focusing on Peterborough right now, but play along...) *AND*... This will only remain in place for about 6 months or so, IIRC... or perhaps until deployment reaches your area...

There are 3 deployment windows planned - immediate, summer'ish 2017, and late 2017. The first deployment will see LTE *on AWS-3* in metropolitan areas - Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Windsor, I believe... SO, $5./mo. more, AND BUYING A NEW PHONE to get it! And if you come to outlying areas like Peterborough, you get 3G - for your extra $5./mo., on your shiny new phone!! (Another piss-off...)

Great deal... NOT!!

Second deployment probably sees the 905'ish... definitely NOT Peterborough... Peterborough isn't upgraded to LTE until late 2017, or however far that gets pushed back. BIGGER STUPIDITY - they're deploying LTE - when it gets here - on the *AWS-1* spectrum!! SO, if I wait long enough, I can have LTE on my phone for the extra $5./mo. if I want to wait that long. AND IF I GO INTO TORONTO THEN, I believe I *STILL* won't have LTE on my phone - FOR THE EXTRA $5./mo. - STILL without buying a new phone!!

WHAT a dog's breakfast...!! And all of the new FREEDOM mobile marketing claptrap thanks their existing, "LOYAL" customer base for being so committed to changing the face of cellular in Canada today!

And BOY, do I feel HOSED!

Your mileage may vary, hope this helps! Feel free to point out mistakes in my understanding of the situation, but I thank Mike at this point for the nod to Koodo for their $15./mo. unlimited texting service you can add 500 minutes to for $25., and 1 GB data for $30., both of which never expire, so for about $70. (including the SIM card) you can have it all without fear of loss. Man, I'd better get signed up there before they change that next! <^8#