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The funny thing is there is a massive microwave relay station up one of the peaks on saltspring. Not sure if it is still used but it used to be one if the main telecommunication links between Vancouver Island and the mainland. It is hippy dippy land though they have their own dumb fake currency even.
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Aug 26, 2013 07:24
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As a former resident of Saltspring I can confirm the idiocy of the hippies that make up a large proportion of the islands demographic. To add to the irony the proposed location for a Rogers tower has been on a fire hall which already has a more powerful radio (not surprisingly). They also enjoy protesting high voltage power lines. Sure is nice having 0-1 bars on Rogers when I visit. I was there this weekend and I literally got better reception on the ferry ride over... from AT&T.
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Aug 26, 2013 11:10
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priznat posted:they have their own dumb fake currency even. Is it some kind of leaf or wood chip?
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Aug 26, 2013 17:04
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Yeah, the big relay up there is still in use. One of my co-workers was up there setting up a new hop just last weekend.
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Aug 26, 2013 17:11
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CLAM DOWN posted:Is it some kind of leaf or wood chip? I was hoping it would be dried banana slugs or something but sadly: http://saltspringdollars.com/
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Aug 26, 2013 17:20
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Sassafras posted:Saltspring Island's residents are a bunch of hippies who have been blocking anything resembling modern technology (read as witchcraft, cell phone towers) as best they can for decades. Dear lord quote:Close to 100% of ‘no danger’ reports on cell antennas have come from scientists funded by the wireless industry. Close to 100% of independent studies show considerable levels of danger --- including at the levels put out by this proposed antenna. AND, EVEN IF THE SCIENCE WERE AMBIGUOUS, IT’S NOT UP TO ME TO PROVE THAT THIS ANTENNA WILL BE KILLING MY LITTLE BOY --- IT’S UP TO YOU TO PROVE – AND I MEAN PROVE - THAT IT WON’T BE.
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Aug 26, 2013 17:23
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CLAM DOWN posted:Is it some kind of leaf or wood chip? Bitcoins  Squibbles posted:I was hoping it would be dried banana slugs or something but sadly: http://saltspringdollars.com/ That $2 note 
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Aug 26, 2013 17:31
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Lexicon posted:Dear lord Evil cell phones are killing our children! Escape Goat posted:To add to the irony the proposed location for a Rogers tower has been on a fire hall which already has a more powerful radio (not surprisingly). They also enjoy protesting high voltage power lines I wonder how they feel about the radios present on literally every boat around their island, or car stereos, or....never mind, it's impossible to logically argue with people like that 
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Aug 26, 2013 17:35
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CLAM DOWN posted:Is it some kind of leaf or wood chip? From the stories my friends and family island residents tell me, I assumed it was 
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Aug 26, 2013 18:01
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VR Cowboy posted:From the stories my friends and family island residents tell me, I assumed it was Consumable currency, keeps inflation in check.
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Aug 26, 2013 18:43
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Jan posted:Consumable currency, keeps inflation in check. If there was any place in Canada that would introduce a currency you could smoke, it would probably be Saltspring.
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Aug 26, 2013 18:48
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If you grew and smoked as much weed as I'm sure is on that island you would be paranoid too!
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Aug 26, 2013 19:49
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I have a personal phone with a 705 area code. I no longer live in "the 705", but I've kept the number because I like it, I don't want to have to track down hundreds of people and give them a new one, and the only people who call me are either businesses or have a Canada-wide plan. My work will soon start paying for my phone and plan, but I need to have a local number. Ideally I'd keep the 705 number on my phone, and then find some sort of service that will give me a local number and forward it to my 705 number. I understand Google Voice does this in the US (with the added ability to change the number it forwards to on the fly, which would be super useful for me) but is not available in Canada. Is there anything similar?
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Aug 27, 2013 16:25
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If you're technically not-dumb you could get a twillio account. You need some form of hosting or openVBX account also. You can get a phone number for 1$/mo + $.01/minute for inbound calls. You can make it as complex or simple as you would like, including voice prompting, voicemail, hunt groups, etc. Otherwise you can just shell out for a Vonage number for 19.99 for 500 minutes and park the number to your 705.
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Aug 27, 2013 16:44
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Kreez posted:I have a personal phone with a 705 area code. I no longer live in "the 705", but I've kept the number because I like it, I don't want to have to track down hundreds of people and give them a new one, and the only people who call me are either businesses or have a Canada-wide plan. Last I used them, Dell Voice was more or less Google Voice for Canada. Voice quality over 3g was mediocre, but it had the option to ring a second number after X rings if you didn't pick up. That might work, if you can set the ring number low enough.
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Aug 27, 2013 17:12
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I use voip.ms which is pretty good, you can set up voicemail and forwarding and all sorts of stuff without having to actually connect it to a SIP device.
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Aug 27, 2013 22:42
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CLAM DOWN posted:Yeah, Saltspring is one of the hot spots for the psycho idiots who think smart meter radiation will kill you and your plants, so I'm not too surprised to hear that. Oh my goodness, not to derail, but one of my good friends is a guy that "goes all in" when he dates a girl, and he's currently dating one of those hippies chicks so obviously he believes everything she tells him. He called me earlier about starting a class action lawsuit against Hydro Quebec over the smart meters they just installed in his neighbourhood... he claims it instantly makes him sick and he can "feel" them.... Anyways, back to phones. My 3 year contract with Fido ends in like a month or so. I have a decent plan with 6gigs of data and free incoming calls for something ridiculous like 57$. I definitely want to stick with this contract, but I also want the new iPhone when it comes out. What are the chances of me keeping this plan as long as I stick with Fido, and what are the pros/cons of waiting for December before renewing so I can get a 2 year contract. I'm guess they will make the phones more expensive, but is it really going to be that bad?
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Aug 28, 2013 03:45
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I'm in a similar position and will be buying phones outright from now on. It simply makes better financial sense to stick with the old plan, especially if you use a lot of data. Do the math for your situation.
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Aug 28, 2013 04:07
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Duro posted:what are the pros/cons of waiting for December before renewing so I can get a 2 year contract. I'm guess they will make the phones more expensive, but is it really going to be that bad? They already do this, and yes, it is. Discount brands like Fido and Koodo got kicked in the balls pretty hard with the new regulations since they must have their devices completely paid off in two years. There's virtually no chance of getting that plan if you renew on a new iPhone.
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Aug 28, 2013 13:21
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So... moving to Canada, have a Nexus S that I want to upgrade, don't use my phone much (50 minutes, 50 texts and 300MB of data a month or so). My best bet is probably to grab a discounted Nexus 4 and go pay-as-you-go, yea?
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Aug 28, 2013 15:22
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OilSlick posted:They already do this, and yes, it is. Discount brands like Fido and Koodo got kicked in the balls pretty hard with the new regulations since they must have their devices completely paid off in two years. There's virtually no chance of getting that plan if you renew on a new iPhone.
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Aug 28, 2013 15:48
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toe knee hand posted:So... moving to Canada, have a Nexus S that I want to upgrade, don't use my phone much (50 minutes, 50 texts and 300MB of data a month or so). My best bet is probably to grab a discounted Nexus 4 and go pay-as-you-go, yea? Prolly. Where are you moving to? Carriers can vary depending on province, here. Also, buy and get the phone before you leave, if you're in the States.
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Aug 28, 2013 15:55
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toe knee hand posted:So... moving to Canada, have a Nexus S that I want to upgrade, don't use my phone much (50 minutes, 50 texts and 300MB of data a month or so). My best bet is probably to grab a discounted Nexus 4 and go pay-as-you-go, yea? You're better off going month to month than pay as you go, prepaid is a giant overpriced sham here. Definitely buy the phone before leaving as it'll work on the carriers in Canada without issue. As mentioned, your city and province determine which carrier and what prices to expect. If you're in SK or MB you'll get better plans than you had in the US, if not it'll probably be more expensive. If you aren't from the US you will shake your head at the prices.
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Aug 28, 2013 16:04
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mediaphage posted:Prolly. Where are you moving to? Carriers can vary depending on province, here. Also, buy and get the phone before you leave, if you're in the States. Nah I'm in the UK, it's cheaper in Canada. I'm moving to Victoria but might end up moving elsewhere for work. How's cell phone coverage in Yellowknife? But regardless, I'll have most flexibility if I've got an unlocked phone and can shop pay-as-you-go, no? e: I had been planning on getting a phone on a contract (and then not having to make this quick decision about the N4) but with contract prices getting ridiculous and the N4 being so cheap right now I am reconsidering. For my phone usage, which is low, both Koodo and Virgin have prepaid options that'd be significantly cheaper than a monthly contract. toe knee hand fucked around with this message at 16:10 on Aug 28, 2013 |
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Aug 28, 2013 16:07
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toe knee hand posted:Nah I'm in the UK, it's cheaper in Canada. I'm moving to Victoria but might end up moving elsewhere for work. How's cell phone coverage in Yellowknife? But regardless, I'll have most flexibility if I've got an unlocked phone and can shop pay-as-you-go, no? If you're from the UK, then you're used to a high-quality, diverse, and cheap selection of PAYG offerings. Take all of that, and delete it from your mind, at least for the duration of your time in Canada. It doesn't work like that here. To the extent that PAYG exists at all, it's mainly a gigantic ripoff and coaxing tool to get people onto contracts. Last I checked, data wasn't available as a PAYG offering whatsoever (though this may have changed). Your best bet will be a month-to-month contract through Koodo or perhaps Fido (both of which are shambolic fake brands of the big-3 carriers - existing only to provide the illusion of choice and price discrimination), depending on your specific needs.
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Aug 28, 2013 16:12
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Godinster posted:Rogers is allowing people to keep their legacy plans on two year terms, Fido might be as well. I'd give a call to Fido, Duro That's only because they're not legally allowed to make unilateral changes to cell phone contracts.
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Aug 28, 2013 17:28
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I just moved to Toronto from the US. The first day I got here I tried to get a Bell plan with the UofT faculty discount, but I didn't have a Canadian credit card at that time so they refused me. I have a credit card now, and I was thinking of trying again. However... I have a Verizon Galaxy S4. Are there any Canadian carriers that I could get 4G LTE service on using my current phone? I know the S4 is the first phone to use Verizon's new LTE spectrum, and I was curious if anyone knows whether there are Canadian carriers that also use this spectrum. On the off chance that I can unlock the phone and just buy a new SIM card here, that seems like it would be the best option.
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Aug 28, 2013 20:22
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Oakland Martini posted:I have a Verizon Galaxy S4. Are there any Canadian carriers that I could get 4G LTE service on using my current phone? I know the S4 is the first phone to use Verizon's new LTE spectrum, and I was curious if anyone knows whether there are Canadian carriers that also use this spectrum. On the off chance that I can unlock the phone and just buy a new SIM card here, that seems like it would be the best option. You will get 4G HSPA on all three of the carriers. No LTE as we use a different frequency for that. Our HSPA is pretty fast, so I'd just unlock and use the S4. less than three fucked around with this message at 20:38 on Aug 28, 2013 |
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Aug 28, 2013 20:36
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less than three posted:You will get 4G HSPA on all three of the carriers. No LTE as we use a different frequency for that. Do Verizon phones even handle HSPA given that they don't use it themselves? Basically my rule of thumb is: "if you could use the phone on AT&T you'll be able to use it in Canada", as we use all the same frequencies up here as they do. Dallan Invictus fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Aug 28, 2013 |
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Aug 28, 2013 20:46
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less than three posted:You will get 4G HSPA on all three of the carriers. No LTE as we use a different frequency for that. Our HSPA is pretty fast, so I'd just unlock and use the S4. It's a Verizon phone though. It's my understanding that Verizon just uses CDMA and LTE, with the caveat that the S4 can access newly-purchased high-speed frequencies that may also be used by certain Canadian providers. When I've used data roaming here (only very briefly) I always got 3G, but I figured that might have something to do with Verizon's roaming partner arrangement.
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Aug 28, 2013 20:50
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Dallan Invictus posted:Do Verizon phones even handle HSPA given that they don't use it themselves? According to Verizon's page, yes. Quad-band. It'd be garbage for roaming otherwise. http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/smartphone/samsung-galaxy-s4
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Aug 28, 2013 21:05
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grack posted:That's only because they're not legally allowed to make unilateral changes to cell phone contracts. Yeah, but they can require a rate plan change if you wish to re-sign your contract. If they do allow you to retain your old plan on a two year term, a more important question is will they give you a discount on a new iPhone? I've looked at other carriers and they all appear to require a higher rate plan in order to qualify for an iPhone subsidy. Last I checked Koodo's standard price for an iPhone 5 was the same as Bell's. I have serious doubts they'd give you a fully discounted iPhone 5/5s/6/whatever with a $57 plan.
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Aug 28, 2013 22:19
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If I'm prepared to pay for an iPhone 5s out of pocket what's likely to be my best bet? Ideally I'd like to come out of it having spent roughly $800ish on the phone on a $60 month to month plan with unlimited calling/texting/2+ gigs of data. If not taking a $150 tab with Koodo or something is just leaving money on the table I'm fine with a tab but it'd take a ridiculous deal to get me to sign a contract.
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Aug 28, 2013 22:47
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BGrifter posted:If I'm prepared to pay for an iPhone 5s out of pocket what's likely to be my best bet? http://mobility.telus.com/en/BC/plans/shareplus_plans.shtml unlimited with 2gb for $65.
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Aug 28, 2013 22:58
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Is there any reason I shouldn't get Koodo's Tab Medium with the new iPhone when it comes out? $400 up front and the $50/month data plan sounds pretty good to me. I don't need a ton of data either, and I'm okay with paying $5 for 250mb extra should I need it. I'm with Rogers currently but my contract ends mid September and their network on the Sunshine Coast is complete poo poo.
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Aug 29, 2013 01:25
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OilSlick posted:Yeah, but they can require a rate plan change if you wish to re-sign your contract. I think I have a discount that might expire (that I was hoping to get them to re-apply on the new contract), so I think that ultimately I technically have a 67$ contract. I'm still willing to pay that much to keep the data and free incoming, but I'd like a discount on the phone as well when I get it. I know that there's no way I'll be paying 125$ for my phone like I did when the iPhone 4 came out, but I'd be ok with paying something like 300$ If my only choice is to pay full price right off the bat, I have no incentive to even get a contract. I might as well just buy the phone straight up and keep what I have now indefinitely
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Aug 29, 2013 01:30
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Duro posted:I think I have a discount that might expire (that I was hoping to get them to re-apply on the new contract), so I think that ultimately I technically have a 67$ contract. I'm still willing to pay that much to keep the data and free incoming, but I'd like a discount on the phone as well when I get it. I know that there's no way I'll be paying 125$ for my phone like I did when the iPhone 4 came out, but I'd be ok with paying something like 300$ Right now on Rogers in Ontario, you can keep your existing price plan and get full device subsidy when you upgrade if the monthly service fee for voice + data is $60 or greater. That doesn't include discounts, value packs, or other add-ons. Keep in mind that this could change well before the launch of the next iPhone, if they decide they aren't making enough money.
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Aug 29, 2013 02:04
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From what I've seen on carrier websites, anything under the minimum required plan does not offer any device subsidy for iPhones. So there doesn't appear to be any middle ground, it's either get a more expensive plan, or keep your cheaper plan but not get a cent off the device, even if you take a contract. With Bell they offer a couple hundred bucks off for smaller data plans with the exception of the iPhone, and even then it may not be worth it. Also a reminder if you're planning on buying your iPhones outright, get them at the Apple store. They're the same price but come unlocked for free.
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Aug 29, 2013 15:35
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 Union rally on Friday in Toronto against the spectre of Verizon entering. http://mobilesyrup.com/2013/08/29/u...jobs-in-canada/ quote:According to CAW President Ken Lewenza, “there is the falsity being circulated right now that allowing Verizon in Canada will automatically lower costs for consumers. Not only will this not be the case, Canadian jobs are at stake.” So Verizon won't be any cheaper, but thousands of jobs will still be lost apparently.
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Aug 29, 2013 15:41
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Lexicon posted:
I think that it's likely that Verizon will just "play ball" with the big 3 leaving us with a big 4 given the situation in the states. I don't know about losing Canadian jobs though, wouldn't they have to hire people to build out and maintain their Canadian network?
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Aug 29, 2013 16:40
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