OFFICIAL WIND Mobile Discussion Thread

[Simulated]

Its been fine here in Richmond all day.

[JKam]

I've had issues in Burnaby, New West and East Van the last couple days. But hey.. I can't complain too much when my bill is $40... lol

[knight604]

up now apparently.

[G-spec]

I have been having some really annoying issues with wind over the last few weeks, started off as very bad data connection, couldn't surf web properly, then bit by bit lost reception often, and today was the cherry on the cake, network died...

I don't know, things have been solid since I signed up almost 2 years ago, but recent events have me thinking it's time for them to upgrade their shit again, I don't know if it's because they have too many people signed up now and it's stressing out the network or what, i'm no expert, but I know it's been a shit show for well over a month for me and all my friends everyone I know with Wind, so SOMETHING is definitely going on... and their Phillipines based call center will be of any help, nor are their privately run Wind locations who only care when you're there to buy something.

my parents house by Champlain Mall is apparently a limited coverage zone according to Wind's coverage map, but really is a dead zone, none of us get any reception there, the stretch of marine from around boundary until victoria, and even further up some streets like Kerr up to Champlain Square.... how the fuck can there be a dead zone there

[Acura604]

^^ tried out WIND for exactly 1 month. Went through the trouble of getting a free iphone5 replacement to accomodate the required band. as a suburbanite, the experiment was a disaster. Frequent no service , roaming and totally dead spots... switched back to Rogers pretty quickly.

[G-spec]

Acura, you're unlucky... I been with wind 2 years roughly and this last month has been the worst I and anyone I know with Wind has experienced

[yoall]

anyone having issue's with the wind network right now?

[Graeme S]

Good in North Burnaby.

[yoall]

I'm in Richmond. Still nothing yet. Was good for the past 2 years.

When my tab is up. Might need to reconsider.

[JKam]

really? My reception was back up since Saturday in Burnaby. Was having issues on Thursday/Friday only.

I'm pissed that my $15 roaming add-on was charged to two billing cycles. My trip was on the end and beginning of the two cycles but I only had it on for 6 days total. So I got charged $30 for 6 days of roaming... Pretty good in relation to the big 3 but shitty for Wind...

[yoall]

Sorry. It was spotty on Thursday. Back up and running. Today it went down on me. Nothing for the past 5 hours.

Checked my setting and rebooted my phone. Nothing yet.

Edit: my bad. Had installed a bad ROM that didn't have my modem. All good now.

[willystyle]

Originally Posted by G-spec

I have been having some really annoying issues with wind over the last few weeks, started off as very bad data connection, couldn't surf web properly, then bit by bit lost reception often, and today was the cherry on the cake, network died...

I don't know, things have been solid since I signed up almost 2 years ago, but recent events have me thinking it's time for them to upgrade their shit again, I don't know if it's because they have too many people signed up now and it's stressing out the network or what, i'm no expert, but I know it's been a shit show for well over a month for me and all my friends everyone I know with Wind, so SOMETHING is definitely going on... and their Phillipines based call center will be of any help, nor are their privately run Wind locations who only care when you're there to buy something.

my parents house by Champlain Mall is apparently a limited coverage zone according to Wind's coverage map, but really is a dead zone, none of us get any reception there, the stretch of marine from around boundary until victoria, and even further up some streets like Kerr up to Champlain Square.... how the fuck can there be a dead zone there

I know how you feel. I've been with them for almost 3 years. Everything was good and dandy until about 6 months ago, when the data speeds and cellular reception strength isn't as good as what it was before. There are so many dead zones, even in areas where there is suppose to be coverage. Particularly in the Killarney area, like you've mentioned. I frequent that area quite a bit nowadays, and it sucks that I need to roam to get coverage. However, I don't think I will quit just yet, until it becomes unbearable. I bought my own phone so I can come and go as I please.

Originally Posted by yoall

anyone having issue's with the wind network right now?

Nope, I haven't had any network problems since their meltdown last week.

[Simulated]

Originally Posted by JKam

really? My reception was back up since Saturday in Burnaby. Was having issues on Thursday/Friday only.

I'm pissed that my $15 roaming add-on was charged to two billing cycles. My trip was on the end and beginning of the two cycles but I only had it on for 6 days total. So I got charged $30 for 6 days of roaming... Pretty good in relation to the big 3 but shitty for Wind...

from what i've read on Hofo, their US roaming billing isn't consistent. some people like me only got charged a pro-rated amount for the time we actually used the service. i was billed $2.xx for the 5 days (all within same billing cycle) that i've used it out there.

[quasi]

I tried it for one day and it wasn't for me. It worked in my house but it didn't work at my office, no bars nothing. Outside/Inside didn't matter which was a deal breaker for me. I returned the phone the next day, was pretty painless so I'll give them credit for standing behind the return policy. If I had reception I would have stuck with them but obviously no reception where I spend most my day is kind of a problem.

[dub.g]

Wind has officially been sold by Vimpelcom to the man who started the company, Tony Lacavera and a partner investor

Tony Lacavera and West Face buy Wind Mobile from VimpelCom

Wind Mobile founder Tony Lacavera will partner with Canadian private equity firm West Face Capital and others to buy out Wind's majority shareholder, foreign telecom conglomerate VimpelCom Ltd.​

The move brings a tentative end to a multiyear drama in which the Russian-Dutch company has been trying to offload its tiny sliver of Canada's wireless market, which it acquired when it bought Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris's company Orascom, which was Wind Mobile's original financier before it launched in 2009.

After word of a deal emerged in Canadian media on Monday, VimpelCom confirmed it has sold its stake in Globalive (the company that owns Wind) for $135 million — but the new owners will also assume about $150 million worth of debt.

Wind Mobile seeks deep-pocketed partner
Wind Mobile backs out of 700 MHz spectrum auction
The investment group now taking control of a Wind Mobile also includes Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LG Capital Investors, Serruya Private Equity and Novus Wireless Communications — subject to regulatory approvals. (Novus Wireless Communications applied to bid in a recent government auction of wireless spectrum, but was unsuccessful.)

"With stable, long-term ownership and secure financing, Wind Mobile is moving into an exciting new phase," Lacavera said Tuesday.

Tony Lacavera and West Face buy Wind Mobile from VimpelCom - Business - CBC News

[FerrariEnzo]

question is, will they have the money to purchase the new spectrum next year and also stay afloat...

[Purely]

My mom signed with wind 3 years ago~ on a $16 plan (call/text) and her current windtab has been paid off. Is the only option to buy another phone outright from wind/other places if she wants to stay on the $16 plan? (I see minimum $35 for discounts with windtab).

Thanks!

[CRS]

Originally Posted by gYU

My mom signed with wind 3 years ago~ on a $16 plan (call/text) and her current windtab has been paid off. Is the only option to buy another phone outright from wind/other places if she wants to stay on the $16 plan? (I see minimum $35 for discounts with windtab).

Thanks!

I think it grandfathers to the cheapest windtab.

I have a few $29 plans that make the $30 tab.

[ToneCapone]

Originally Posted by G-spec

Acura, you're unlucky... I been with wind 2 years roughly and this last month has been the worst I and anyone I know with Wind has experienced

Originally Posted by willystyle

I know how you feel. I've been with them for almost 3 years. Everything was good and dandy until about 6 months ago, when the data speeds and cellular reception strength isn't as good as what it was before.

My friend is on his second year with Wind using a bb bold 9900. Right when his second year hit his reception went to absolute shit. His signal bars were always low, no signal in his house, and a realy annoying one was that only one person could talk at a time. He called and called and complained and every time the fuckers said "sorry bro must be your phone, it's time for an upgrade buddy!". Finally when he was about to give up someone at Wind said come to our service center in Queensborugh and do a free sim swap. That fixed his problem completely. He had full bars again, decent reception in his house, and even that one way voice path issue seemed to have dissapeared. I don't know how a sim could make such a difference, I mean isnt it the phone thats got the antennas built in? But that action resolved the issues he had.

I kinda suspect that once you been with them for a while they quietly move your sim # to a low priority line. I mean all the stories are like that right? First you get Wind and think it's great- it's way better than what some people say! Then one day the service goes to shit.

Startec long distance does this. New customers get the best lines, existing customers get routed through shit networks until they complain, then they get the good ones for a while and it's back to shit.

Not fully bashing on Wind cus after all their prices kick ass. With this in mind i'm heavily debating switching from my 75/m Telus plan.

[JLC]

Hmm...
I'm tempted to make the switch from Robbers to Wind...but all this discussion about their reception issues really makes me wonder if its even worth it.

I lost my retention plan last year when I had to get a new phone (subsidized) and had to go onto one of their new 2yr plans. I'm paying $95 plus taxes which is a major bitch.

I wonder if I can go to Wind, sign up for a new number, test it out and if the signal is fine/acceptable (especially at home because I work from home), then port my rogers number over (either port over to replace the wind number, or cancel the wind contract and sign up new altogether).

Anyone done this? Curious as to the best way to "test" their services before actually committing with porting my number over.

Thanks!

[bcedhk]

i just signed up yesterday.

they have a 15 day trial period for you to test their reception as long as the talk time is 0 minutes. If you dont like it, you get a full refund.

I used it so far in new west, richmond and burnaby and the reception is decent.

[willystyle]

Originally Posted by JLC

Hmm...
I'm tempted to make the switch from Robbers to Wind...but all this discussion about their reception issues really makes me wonder if its even worth it.

I lost my retention plan last year when I had to get a new phone (subsidized) and had to go onto one of their new 2yr plans. I'm paying $95 plus taxes which is a major bitch.

I wonder if I can go to Wind, sign up for a new number, test it out and if the signal is fine/acceptable (especially at home because I work from home), then port my rogers number over (either port over to replace the wind number, or cancel the wind contract and sign up new altogether).

Anyone done this? Curious as to the best way to "test" their services before actually committing with porting my number over.

Thanks!

That would be the best way to go. You have 14 days to refund your plan (or phone if you decide to get a new one). Test it out at your home, office, and the routes in-between. It's not for everyone, and it won't be better than Roger's. In fact, you will notice the speed is much slower; however, you get 5GB of un-throttled speed and pay 1/3 of what you're paying now, for some, that's worth it.

But make sure when you sign up at WIND, you get a new number and not forward the one you're currently using at Rogers. Transfer your number only when you want to switch over.

[JKam]

Burnaby (Brentwood area) isn't bad, everything works as it should.

Reception sucks in Surrey (Guildford to Panorama Ridge). Dropped calls, poor data speeds, poor call quality. For reference, I can't even tether the ipad to facetime when I'm in Surrey and IG takes 5+ seconds to load pictures.

The one thing that bothers me the most is randomly going into roaming and it takes 15+ minutes to get back to local. BUT I'm paying $44.xx every month for unlimited everything vs $80+ so I accept it..

If you skytrain a lot, going to Burrard will be a pain in the ass. No reception there and it'll take 15 minutes to get it back once you're on the surface level. Definitely try it out and see if it works for you. It's not for everyone but you get what you pay for.

[JLC]

Originally Posted by willystyle

That would be the best way to go. You have 14 days to refund your plan (or phone if you decide to get a new one). Test it out at your home, office, and the routes in-between. It's not for everyone, and it won't be better than Roger's. In fact, you will notice the speed is much slower; however, you get 5GB of un-throttled speed and pay 1/3 of what you're paying now, for some, that's worth it.

But make sure when you sign up at WIND, you get a new number and not forward the one you're currently using at Rogers. Transfer your number only when you want to switch over.

Thanks for the tip.
I actually read that last sentence as "forward your rogers number to your wind number first and then transfer your number only when you want to switch" which is a wonderful idea i didnt really think about. I now can see thats not what you actually said...but all good! lol

I'm gonna head into wind today to start an account and get this going. My rogers tab is only decreasing by $20/month. If I can save $40/month on my plan, id be an idiot not to switch immediate (if its worth it).

[dashosh]

No signal between 22nd Street and Edmonds skytrain station. No signal in basements. No signal at the big stores such as IKEA or Walmart. But it is $40 unlimited calls and Internet, so apologies accepted