Questions for Bell Mobility customers

[Luke The Drifter]

So I see that Bell, along with Telus now has the iPhone 3GS in their lineup and I'm looking to upgrade to one fairly soon. Telus really hasn't impressed me with their customer service the last few times I've dealt with them so I'd like to change to something else. How is Bell's customer service and how is their network coverage in terms of 3G? I'm avoiding Rogers like the plague. I'm not impressed with their reception and service. Seems like there is no service with them outside of the city with them

 

[CATPRIDE]

I have been with Bell for 15 years, I have had Telus and Rodgers during this time and I will say Bell is better. I travel alot and Bell gives me the best service and range hands down. I have four cell phones in the family and they are now all on Bell. They may not have the best plans but they have the best coverage, JM2CS

 

[tmix]

i like the mike phones for work. do these new phones have mike capabilities???

 

[crm1000]

was with telus but their customer service sucks so i canceled and went with bell they seem to be better so far and i have the palm pre its an ok phone bell and telus share towers so range should be the same

 

[Cowboyup083]

I have looked in to the Iphone both from Telus and Bell. The coverage is only in alberta and BC for 3g coverage, no coverage in Sask and in Manotiba only the major city have 3g coverage. I also told that Telus and Bell Iphone does not work in the USA.

 

[Big kid 33]

mine has been good for the last 4 years
:d

 

[Luke The Drifter]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I'll be talking to Bell in the near future and probably buying out my Telus contract.

 

[RETODD]

Couple of things.

• TELUS and Bell have the exact same coverage as they share the same network.
• Their new 3G+ plans are identical.
• The iPhone from both works globally ... yes that is the US too.
• There is good and bad about both their customer service practices.

When you boil it down...its a Logo....

In the know :d

 

[Luke The Drifter]

Update:

I ended up getting a 16gb 3GS from Telus. They gave me $300 off the the no contract price so I think it was pretty fair. But aside from that, holy hell what a phone. This thing is amazing, the features its has are crazy! So far I'm very happy with it. I also bought a protective screen cover and hard shell case for it

 

[RETODD]

Update:

I ended up getting a 16gb 3GS from Telus. They gave me $300 off the the no contract price so I think it was pretty fair. But aside from that, holy hell what a phone. This thing is amazing, the features its has are crazy! So far I'm very happy with it. I also bought a protective screen cover and hard shell case for it

Thanks for the update Luke...how is the voice quality...how does the new network perform in your opinion?

 

[Haggis]

Update:

I ended up getting a 16gb 3GS from Telus. They gave me $300 off the the no contract price so I think it was pretty fair. But aside from that, holy hell what a phone. This thing is amazing, the features its has are crazy! So far I'm very happy with it. I also bought a protective screen cover and hard shell case for it

What was the price - will be getting one also.

 

[Luke The Drifter]

The price was $400, a little steep but I figure I'm killing two birds with one stone since its a phone and an iPod in one package (I needed a new iPod anyways). So far the voice quality is excellent and and the reception is amazing compared to my old phone. I used to not be able to make phone calls in my basement, and for example my reception used to be nil out by Spruce Grove. Not anymore. This thing rocks! I downloaded the Mammut Avalanche app. Very cool, it links to the CAC for avy updates and bulletins, has a clinometer, compass and altimeter. All that for free too. Next on my list is Google Earth

 

[Sleeper700]

Everyone is on the right track with the 3G+ networks. Here are some more points:

The techie name for the network is HSPA (high speed packet access) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). Bell and Telus (and most North American cellular companies) have traditionally been CDMA based, whereas Rogers has been GSM based. The HSPA network that Bell and Telus have been deploying gets them on track with the world market. This should get them better prices on phones, and access to phones with better features (like the iPhone), as the GSM phones have traditionally been better for features. Another benefit of the HSPA network is faster download/upload speeds. I was hoping to see bigger packages for lower prices, but that doesn't look like it is gonna happen anytime soon.

The HSPA/UMTS network is only a stepping stone to the LTE (Long Term Evolution) 4G network that is going to be installed within the next 4-5 years. Verizon Wireless totally skipped HSPA/UMTS, and went straight to LTE. There have been some reports of 20+Mbps download on the Verizon network. It will be crazy when you get more speed from your phone than your home ISP!

For now, most urban areas in Canada have their HSPA network turned on, but there are still many sites that have not got a full install done. Both Bell and Telus were racing to get the HSPA network somewhat functional so that they could be the "First and Best 3G+ network in Canada". I worked on some of the Bell stuff on Cape Breton Island, that was quite the experience.

As for service, at work, we use Bell phones, and have no issues at all. The plan that we got from Bell was amazing. At home, the wife rarely uses her phone, so we have a pay-as-you-go plan from Telus, and it is the cheapest option for us ($10/month). Bell has better monthly plans, but can't come close to Telus for the bare minimum cheapest pay-as-you-go plan, as Telus includes voicemail, call waiting, and caller ID for free. What I would do is figure out what type of usage you expect to need, and talk to both about the plans they offer. Customer service can be hit and miss from both (I have experienced both).

 

[Jake]

Not many things I regret more than getting a Bell phone and dealing with their customer service.

 

[Big kid 33]

i had good luck with mine it works everywhere