Canadian carriers sign domestic roaming agreement to fill-in network coverage gaps!

[toolcubed]

http://mobilesyrup.com/2015/01/06/canadian-carriers-using-domestic-roaming-agreements-to-fill-in-cov...

"According to an internal document we received, Rogers, and presumably all Canadian carriers, will be introducing “Extended Coverage” by the end of January or early February. We do know that domestic roaming deals have been signed between Rogers (including Fido), Bell, TELUS and Videotron that will practically extend coverage and offer seamless roaming, also called soft handoff, between carrier partners in areas with poor or absent service. As a result, fewer calls will be dropped when transitioning between areas with good coverage and those without.

Rogers and Fido customers will know when they are using the Extended Coverage with a new carrier title, 'Rogers – EXT' and 'Fido – EXT.'"

***Edited Labels.***

[Gdkitty]

Very interesting.

So when in an area say with no rogers coverage.. but there is bell.. would flip over to the bell tower.. but no extra charges?
(hopefully)

And vice versa for bell on rogers, etc.

[toolcubed]

Theoretically, it sounds like that's how it would work.  However, I don't think anyone (except the carriers themselves) really knows for sure yet.  What's going to be interesting is how the carriers will determine when to have their customers roam onto a competitor's network and when not to.  For example, are they going to establish signal level thresholds whereby if a phone drops below the threshold, it's immediately handed off to the stronger signal on the competitor's network?  If so, what's that threshold going to be and will they implement this "everywhere", including all locations where both Bellus and Rogers claim to have coverage?  Or are they going to limit this roaming to specific areas where there's absolutely no native coverage like Newfoundland and Saskatchewan for Rogers customers (similar to what Bell did in Manitoba with their "EXT" coverage whereby they roam on the MTS/Rogers network)?  However it plays out, I think this is definitely a step in the right direction.  European carriers (and even certain US carriers) have been doing this for years...get together to share the cost of building networks, and then compete for customers based on value, price, features, bundles, etc.

[Hmm]

Many people I know got the message, I did not. 

Does that mean my plan is not Extended coverage capable?

[RogersPrasana]

Hi @Hmm 

For more information on Extended Coverage, check out the below link!

Extended Coverage: Now Stay Connected Across Canada

Extended Coverage: FAQs

Extended Coverage dramatically improves coverage for our customers coast-to-coast, but how will this change things for our customers? That’s simple:

In BRITISH COLUMBIA:  Customers travelling to the Rockies, for business or pleasure, can stay connected while driving through Rogers Pass and also while travelling from Victoria to Courtenay! Customers can now take calls, attend video conferences, send email or surf the web all while travelling through areas where they had no connection before.

In ALBERTA: Customers can now stay connected in more of the Oil Sands in the north whether it is Grande Prairie or Fort McMurray.  They’ll also be able to make and receive calls, read and respond to emails while driving through Cowboy Trail and from Lake Louise.

In SASKATCHEWAN / MANITOBA: Our customers can now stay connected while in Waskesiu, or Lake Diefenbaker, or Emma Lake, Meadow Lake or even Moose Mountain

In QUEBEC:  Areas like Mont-Valin in Saguenay or visiting the Mont-Mégantic observatory in Estrie. Highway 117 will now be covered from Mont-Laurier to Val-d’Or. Even travellers in the Gaspésie region are now covered, as well as our customers travelling from Trois-Rivières north to La Tuque.

In ONTARIO:  Customers will now have signal when travelling between Sudbury and Timmins on Highway 144 and Highway 101. And if their journey takes them further North, they can stay connected on Highway 11 from Cochrane just past Hearst

In Atlantic Provinces: Our customers can stay connected in more areas than before.

•             Nova Scotia: Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail. Kejimkujik National Park and Cheticamp
•             New Brunswick: Hopewell Rocks and Fundy National Park
•             Prince Edward Island: Stanhope or travelling back and forth from Wood Island on the ferry.

In NEWFOUNDLAND: Customers can now make a pit stop halfway through the 8-hour journey between St. John's and Corner Brook to make a call in Gander!  Customers can now also stay connected in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Let us know if you have any questions!

@RogersPrasana 

[Thoren62]

I'll tell you from the experience I am having with it, it is anything but seamless. I am in northern Alberta, everywhere we go here my co-workers have excellent service, full bars, LTE. They are all with Bell or Telus. I on the other hand have a signal(one bar), sometimes I receive text messages, but cannot complete calls or anything. When I woke up the other morning to the text saying that I was on the extended service I was elated! 3G! Oh how happy I was...

Well that happiness was short lived, and came to an abysmal end once I walked from my room to the kitchen. Why? Because my phone picked up a rogers signal and put me back on to that network. No more calls, texts, or emails for me. The signal was just enough to end my party, but not enough to be of any use. And I can't force my phone (as far as I have been able to figure out) to stay on the extended coverage network. 

Rogers need to enable the ability to choose the extended coverage network when NECESSARY, in order for it to be useful. I drop calls driving a kilometre or two because my phone gets a whiff of the Rogers network, then when I redial the signal isn't strong enough to get through.

In short, the new extended coverage service provides the same horrible coverage that Rogers customers in western Canada are used to, but with the added salt in the wound of offering hope. Hope that the phone will magically recognize that there isn't enough of a signal to use the Rogers network and let you Roam. 

[RogersMaude · Accepted solution]

Hello @Thoren62 ,

Thank you for your post and Welcome to the Community!

Your device will always connect to the Rogers network if it’s available. Once you’re within an Extended Coverage area, the signal strength may vary and you may experience slower speeds for data. Talk and text services will work right away once you enter an Extended Coverage area. To use the internet for email, maps and more, just check to make sure data roaming is turned on in your device settings.

If you’re on a call when you enter an Extended Coverage area, the call will drop. Once you see “ROGERS-EXT” appear on your device screen, you can call back to complete your call. If you’re on a call in an Extended Coverage area and you move to an area with overlapping coverage, the call will not drop. You will stay on Extended Coverage for the duration of the call.

Delivering the most advanced wireless technologies to Canadians in both rural and urban locations is important to us. We will continue to build out our network and partner with other providers in areas where it makes sense for our customers. Our LTE network reaches Canadians from coast to coast. We continue to add 700 MHz connections across the country and recently began deploying LTE-Advanced, the next evolution of wireless technology, to select markets across Canada.

Thanks again for the feedback!

RogersMaude

[karenm8757]

I got a text about extended coverage but my phone doesn't have EXT when I have the roaming turned on and I'm in an area that it's suppose to work in. Why is this? I cannot find any information regarding this.

[RogersPrasana]

Hi @karenm8757 

Welcome to the Community Forums!

Most devices and plans are eligible for Extended Coverage and show the EXT when you’re in an Extended Coverage area.

Check out the Extended Coverage: FAQs for more information!

Let us know if there’s anything else we can help with!

@RogersPrasana 

[karenm8757]

I've read it, it doesn't help me.

[RogersAsif]

Hi @karenm8757 

Not all devices will show the EXT symbol although you are eligible for Extended Coverage. It depends on your phone model/software.

What phone are you using?

Let us know if you have any other questions or need help with anything else.

RogersAsif

[JRD1]

I have a cottage on Weslemkoon Lake, south of Bancroft Ontario. There is a brand new bell tower in our area in service for over a year now. I have been thinking of switching to Bell or Telus for my mobile service as I do not like to have no phone service in case of emergencies. 

I have been with Rogers Mobile forever and don't want to change. I have put off upgrading my phone to see if you guys would start offering service or enter into a tower share with Bell.   I was excited to hear about the Rogers-EXT, but was at my cottage this weekend and still no cell service.  

Options for me??

[RogersAdam1]

Hi JRD1,

Welcome to the Community!

Do you have the Roaming setting turned on on your device?

[Gdkitty]

That would be my first thought.

I know, by default i beleive on my iphone5 when i got it, that roaming was turned OFF.

Which is what i wanted, as otherwise.. in those cases, you would get ROAMING charges 😞

That reminds me.. i have to go and turn it off now 😛

@RogersAdam1, are you able to double check, that its been enabled EVERYWHERE? or is it a roll out by area sort of thing?

[RogersMaude]

Good evening @Gdkitty,

Click here to view our coverage map!

It now includes areas of Extended coverage 

Talk and text services will work right away once you enter an Extended Coverage area. To use the Internet, just make sure data roaming is turned on in your network settings. Since it is considered domestic roaming, it will not incur additional charges, unless you travel to another country!

Hope this helps!

RogersMaude

[JRD1]

Yes, roaming on.  Have tried on several occasions this summer and still no service.  I have a Blackberry  Bold 9900.  Is tis a compatible device?

[RogersPrasana]

Hi @JRD1

Thank you for your post!

What type of wireless plan are you on?

EXT Coverage is available on our Share Everything Plans.

@RogersPrasana

[JRD1]

My plan is Talk & Text w/1GB Data

[RogersAsif]

Hi @JRD1

@Shorty241 has also mentioned they are unable to pick up Extended Coverage in Weslemkoon Lake.

I’d like to help in getting your issue resolved. Since the issue you’ve described involves accessing your account, I’m going to have a member from the @CommunityHelps team reach out to you in Private Message, please check our Messages from the Envelope icon in the top right hand side of your screen of the Forums page.

RogersAsif

[JRD1]

Update,  I just got off Live Chat with technical on this issue.  I can now solve everyones questions on this.  Rogers has taken the liberty of simply removing the EXT coverage from the map for this area.  I guess all of the people like me who have wasted countless hours researching this, changing phone plans that they have had for years, and heaven forbid actually purchasing a new phone on Rogers instruction to ensure they could recieve a service that now looks like never existed in the first place are just supposed to say thanks.  The technical service guy went almost as far as to call me a liar and kept telling me that there was no issue because there is no EXT service in the area, and that he could not comment on what I "might" have seen on the map a week ago!!.

[Shorty241]

Thank you JRD1  Finally, a correct answer!!   It was On the Map.  

It can be so frustrating when I was constantly told there was service in that area, Have  the correct phone, plan etc.  Being told I was doing something wrong.     I was just there at the lake for 3 weeks, without service of any kind.     Rogers has one spot to fill in that map to make southern Ontario all red.  When will they do this?   That is another question I'm sure will never get answered properly either.