cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

57
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

I got a text recently indicating that my PAYGo phone will no longer work in the US as of July 1, not even for 911. Here's the information on the Rogers Website:

https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/3g-shutdowns-pay-as-you-go

I have an iPhone SE (2020) which is perfectly capable of using LTE, so I'm assuming this is a Rogers decision. I'm assuming that Rogers is limiting the PrePaid (PAYGo) customers so they can't use their perfectly good phones in the US. (There is perhaps some agreement/reciprocity with the US providers involved)

Is this affecting other Canadian PAYGo (Pre-paid) service providers?  I plan to contact the CCTS regarding this development.

https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/

13 REPLIES 13

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

sadchel
I plan to stick around

I would like an answer to that too!

Also, will we be able to use public wifi in the US? 

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

57
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

I have submitted the following to the CCTS today. I suggest that others affected by this also send something similar, see link in post 1.

My complaint is regarding a text from Rogers. I’m on a Rogers pre-paid wireless plan.  The text states that I will no longer be able to make calls, even to 911, in the US starting July 1.

Rogers intimates this is because the US is shutting down certain cell phone frequencies, link below:

https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/3g-shutdowns-pay-as-you-go

Although Rogers make this seem like a technical issue related to 3G, it is not, because my iPhone SE 2020 is perfectly capable of handling LTE, but Rogers appears to be limiting my phone’s usefulness.

Rogers should not be able to “take away” a service for pre-paid customers and “force” them to switch to post-paid.  This also affects Fido, owned by Rogers.  911 safety is a major concern.


 

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

Bplayer
I'm a trusted contributor

I just tried to submit a CCTS complaint but could not continue when it got to the prompt that asked if I had contacted my service provider about the problem. Saying that I have, when I have not, is not a good way to initiate a complaint. Any other suggestions.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

57
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@Bplayer wrote:

...Saying that I have, when I have not, is not a good way to initiate a complaint...


We have, in this forum.  😉

Also, it's highly doubtful that such a unilateral change in pre-paid policy would be handled on an {individual complaint) basis.

I was mainly attempting to make CCTS (CRTC) aware of a unilateral change that should not have been made.

PS. I checked Telus (Public Mobile) and their pre-paid plans appear to use LTE, based on their website.  I have also not seen any such announcements/notices from other providers.  I searched the web and the only other provider that has this issue is Fido, which is owned by Rogers.  This is not a technical issue, as intimated by Rogers, rather, this is a business decision which is attempting to force people to switch from prepaid to postpaid.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

Bplayer
I'm a trusted contributor

Complaint submitted.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

They are not mandated to offer Prepaid Service branded and trademarked as as Pay As You Go, not Pay Go, so its totally up to the executive decision in the high-up's of the company on how to run the company.  Customer feedback is likely a small percentage.  its like a customer begging you to offer something at your restaurant that you may not want to offer.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

57
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

I agree that Rogers may not be mandated to offer this service, but I have the following additional comments.

1. They have been offering this service for a long time (over 13 years at least).

2. They have provided very short notice (only 2 weeks) to research and find alternatives.

3. Unlike restaurants, where there are thousands to choose from, there are only a select few service providers, and in this case it's a dish that Rogers have been offering and that others do offer.

4. Their text and link make it sound like this is a technical issue, rather than a business decision which is dishonest.

5. In my posts, I use PAYGo as an acronym for Rogers trademarked Pay As You Go.

6. One other item is the issue of no access to 911 in the US. Although people are supposed to stay on top of their plans, people may believe that since they have a phone, it'll be able to be used in an emergency to dial 911.  This is a safety concern.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

Roaming in the USA is not something Rogers has control over.  The networks in the USA ultimately have the final say/decision if they want to allow an agreement with Rogers to roam on their networks.

Like Canada, the USA is also shutting down older  technologies.  When the older technologies shut down, Rogers has to inform you if any interruption in your service, they have put a notice on their web site that Pay As You Go will cease to operate in the USA.  Rogers can very well have New Negotiations with other US Providers to have Pay As You Go service resume in the future.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

57
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

You're much more of a phone expert than I, however, the issue of 3G shutting down in the US is not affecting other Canadian prepaid service providers because they use LTE. Rogers could allow LTE use on prepaid plans and there would be no problem maintaining prepaid service in the US.  The only phones that would be affected would be one or two very old 3G phones.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

Yes other carriers likely have agreements in place to use 4G networks when in the USA or those agreements are older grandfathered agreements with provisions to use newer technologies such has 4G/5G when it was made available.

 

Rogers could have very well made some bad agreements back in the day either chosen specific Technologies in their old agreements with US roaming providers and had NO Intention to peruse newer agreements or has put negotiations on the backburner and given it very low priority to re-negotiate newer agreements for the time being.

  You are more than welcome to vote with your wallet and take your business to a provider who provides you services you want, or you can stick around and complain and hope for change. 

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

Bplayer
I'm a trusted contributor

My submission to the CCTS was rejected as it is not in the scope of their mandate. They suggested that the CRTC may be an alternate.

I would have thought that cellphone and roaming services would be part of front end of the system, and control and billing would be a back end. That is how I would have designed it from the ground up, but many Rogers systems seem to be cobbled together. Oh well.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

57
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

1. I received an e-mail from CCTS asking for additional information/clarification.   Information sent.

2. I contacted Rogers through "Share a Concern" and received a call back.  The CSR stated that there was nothing to be done for prepaid customers (other than switching to post-paid).  The CSR did state that possibly, at some future time, prepaid customers may have wireless access in the US, but there was no timeline and no guarantee for these Rogers/US Provider agreements.

Re: Rogers PAYGo Customers Cannot Use Their Phones In The US After July 1.

57
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

I received a second e-mail from the CCTS and they stated "this matter is not an eligible complaint".  Since I have pushed as far as I could and since I also got a call from Rogers, I will stop banging my head against this wall.

I have not decided what I will do since I'm not planning on travelling to the US for a while.

Topic Stats
  • 13 replies
  • 2300 views
  • 1 Like
  • 4 in conversation