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.
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.
@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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yeah, Rogers must have negotiated some sort of terms with their "partners" in the US. I was able to make a call in Buffalo late last year, just as a test, I believe with AT&T. The coverage was a bit spotty though since I had no signal when I looked later in the day in a different location - phone said SOS only at the top of the screen. Obviously, I didn't try the SOS, but I wonder if it'll work since Rogers originally said not.
SOS only means there is another network available compatible with your phones frequencies but you do not have permission to roam onto it due to no roaming agreements in place by your carrier, but if you are in an emergency, you can place a 911 call the call will complete.
@Pauly wrote:
1. SOS only means there is another network available compatible with your phones frequencies but you do not have permission to roam onto it due to no roaming agreements in place by your carrier,
2. but if you are in an emergency, you can place a 911 call the call will complete.
1. I realize that, however,
2. if you read the first link in post 1, Rogers states that you will not have access to 911 in the US.
https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/3g-shutdowns-pay-as-you-go
"you will not be able to make or receive wireless calls (including 911 calls)"
They are unable to guarantee 911 calls in another country because they have no control over the other networks, so if it worked in one area and you try in the future and are not able to complete your call, it might be a liability issue so in the eyes of their legal team, they simply say you will NOT have access to 911 even if the technology and handset frequency behind the scenes allows the calls to complete.
Rogers was also referring to 3G handsets, if u have a handset that has up to 3G technology, and 3G has been decommissioned, then yes no network will exist, but its also been a long time since 3G only phones were being sold, lots of people (not everyone) who use pay as you go also have a phone which is compatible with at least 4g, some people may even have a pay as u go handset compatible with 5g., but this is a blanket statement meant to "catch all" and eliminate liability. no one wants to put extra conditions and stipulations in their terms of service that is constantly changing.
The fact of the matter is, they announced Pay As You Go will stop working altogether, so there is no point to even try using it in the usa, they want you to use a postpaid account if you want to use your phone in the USA and that is their official statement, So if someone needs to use their phone, get a postpaid account not a prepaid (formerly known as Pay As You Go)
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