Cel phone question

Small towns everywhere else have data services :wink:  I was in a small town in Alberta (3000pop) a couple of weeks ago, and everybody was all about the text messages. 

I dunno, the more you travel, the more you realize that with respect to mobile phone use, Citywest is way behind the rest of the world.

But hey, we’re getting digital cable – 'cause too many people were switching to satellite, I suppose. 

There’s no reason for Citywest to get data services for mobility as there is no competition.  Too bad for us.

There’s no reason for Citywest to fix its internet service (or at least give us the same level of service they had 9 years ago) as there is no competition.  Too bad for us.

Text messaging is all the rage… and we are getting left in the dust :frowning:  I want to be able to message people outside of town… not just Rupert.  I felt pretty damn left out when my entire contingent of team BC was texting everyone else while we were in Sudbury… I had to keep telling people I couldn’t play along :frowning:

Sadly, Citytel used to be in front of technology, not way behind it.

I remember having DSL was a big deal when it was first introduced in Rupert.  Way before it was available in small towns anywhere else…

I mean, how many other towns of 13000 have an HTMF :wink: 

Maybe Citytel will be bought out by Telus one day.  I guess that will be the only way we’ll ever get real cel phone connectivity.

No, I don’t think that would be a good thing.

But Citywest won’t spend the money needed to provide real service unless they are forced to do so.  They will only do it if competition forces them into it.

You think they would have strung that fiber line down the Skeena and offered digital cable if they could NOT do it and keep the same customers? 

But they know people have no choice, there’s no reason for them to invest, as they aren’t losing customers, despite being so stuck in the past.

Why spend the money on equipment for mobile data services or on decent internet service, when their customers have no alternative? 

It’s just a basic business decision. 

If Rogers or Telus offered service here, you’d see Citywest immediately offer the same stuff (text, data, etc), or they’d lose pretty much every customer.

Are Rogers and Telus prevented from setting up shop here?  Is there any chance of another ISP offering an alternative to CityWest?

I was under the assuption that Rogers would be comming this summer, I know that citywest was given a few years before other service providers were allowed in this was set up by the citywest through the crtc.

I heard that about Rogers too, but I wrote it off as a typical Prince Rumour.  The Rogers site makes no mention of it, though they do mention expansion in other areas.

I guarantee that if Rogers does come along, pretty much everybody will switch.  Every teenager and teenager-wannabe will switch just for text (and the ability to send photos taken on their phones!), while business customers will switch to be able to use Blackberries, etc.  It would be a great loss to Citywest.

That’s why I don’t think Rogers is coming.  Because if it were, then Citywest would have introduced this stuff by now (they’re pretty smart people).

Has anybody ever approached Citywest to ask them, officially, why we don’t have text and data services? 

From the Snoozle of Oct 2006

atowncalledpodunk.blogspot.com/2 … 9825686797

Back in February of 2006, Rogers  began the process of appying for permission to set up two towers along Highway 16 (rumour had it that, they found that many of their customers apparently take cruise ships and couldn’t figure out why their phones didn’t work). At any rate considering the plans of the port to expand to phase two three and beyond, one would think that Blackberries might find their way to the Northwest, so I suspect eventually Rogers sets up shop.

But as is always the case here things tend to get delayed eh… Gaming Centre, Fulton street just a few exaples :unamused:

As for CityWest answering your questions, maybe after they figure out why we can’t get full speed internet they’ll get to work on your blackberrie and text worries… :unamused:

If Rogers is coming, then we’ll have to assume that either:

  1. CityWest will soon introduce text and data on their mobility plans.

or

  1. Citywest is ok with losing all their mobility customers. 

My dad knows some people who work in this industry, and he says that Rogers does have a plan to enter the Rupert mobility market.

I found a PDF file online with a map that shows Prince Rupert in the “future coverage” area.  I can’t edit the PDF file since it has a password, but I took a screenshot.

My dad also doesn’t think that Citywest realizes how valuable data (and texting) will be to people, and that they think that people will be loyal to them even though they can get better service (and roaming) with Rogers.

My dad knows things.

[original attachment deleted after 2 years]

I dunno, I give Citywest more credit than that.

If Rogers is coming (and I’ll believe it when I see it), then Citywest must know they’ll lose pretty much all their cellular customers.  They’re not stupid.

They’ll either have to introduce their own data and text plans, or just get out of the market altogether.

Citywest should do a real bundle – cellular (with data and text!), DSL and digital cable, get a discount.  And I don’t mean free long distance minutes either.  Like put it all on one bill and give a 10% discount or something.

I’d settle for a < 100ms ping!

I remember asking the lady when I bought my new phone how I go about getting the pictures off the camera. At that time she mentioned that Citywest would not be able to get into the exanded data function (text, sending pictures, etc…) until they could partner up with someone as the cost would be prohibitive.

I basically walked away with my crippled phone mumbling to myself “I wonder how cost prohibitive it will be when all your customers switch to another provider.”

I’m with Mig. They will not do it until they have to, but I don’t believe for a second they are stupid enough to not realize that if/when a new provider comes along it will be like rats leaving a sinking ship.

Agreed.  It would be in CityWest’s best interests to get with the times. 
If another mobile phone provider comes to town I will go with them if they can provide me with a cel phone that I can use here and everywhere else.

CityWest knows that they need to upgrade their cellular system to handle text and data.  They also have talked to RIM about Blackberry.  The real problem is the small market size in Rupert.  The expense is quite large (CityWest told me in the neighbourhood of a million bucks to install the necessary cellular equipment and upgrade their existing equipment).  So how much would you be willing to pay for such a service - not much a presume?  So how do you think CityWest should provide the service?  That is why they are talking to other providers.  Apparently RIM wants a minimum order of 300 Blackberry users to set up shop with a provider.  Do you honestly think that CityWest could convert 300 of you to Blackberries?  That was all part of the rationale behind acquiring Monarch Cable and running the fibre to Terrace - first increase your market size and share, then upgrade your services.  I suspect that upgraded cellular service is coming soon given the pressure from large corporate customers and the cruise ship industry (yes the cruise ship industry - apparently they are bombarded by complaints from cruise ship passengers that there is no cellular data and text service in Rupert).

Rogers did apply last summer for licenses to occupy crown land on Mt Hays and beside Hwy 16 on the way to Port Ed for two transmitters.  Their PR stuff on their website also talks about “continuous” coverage all the way from Prince George to Prince Rupert - but their maps show it will be just as spotty as the service from Telus.

Spotty service is better than no service.

How much did Citywest spend on digital cable? 

It’s either spend the money and keep customers, or lose customers when Rogers comes.  Maybe it’s just easier for them to lose the customers and admit they can’t compete.

Or do you think that if Rogers sets up in Rupert that customers should stay with Citywest out of sympathy?

Agreed, MiG.  CityWest needs to get ready for the future now and invest in setting up a complete cellular package for CityWest customers.

  1. Is that it? If that is true I would say they could EASILY find 300 blackberry users. BB is the mainstay of business and people want these units whether they truly need them or not. They don’t have to convert us to BB. The market is there waiting to be tapped.

OK you guys, get real. If Rogers sets up it’s gonna work well in town and fade out just like anyone else’s.
Who’s gonna string fiber all that way from Terrace or build a dozen towers?
Also take those ads with a grain of salt. “The biggest network” could be totally within the Niagara peninsula only. Bell&Telus have agreements everywhere, Rogers doesn’t. I’ve been to many places where my silly little Solomobile works but Rogers doesn’t, but never been to one where Rogers worked and mine didn’t.
I went Solo because:

  1. set me and 2 kids up with $20 cards. No way to run up extra!
  2. texts are free
  3. walkie talkie is $1 per 24hr period. We all get dinged $1 and I sit in the Fort talk to my daughter in Prince and my son wherever his arse is in Canada.