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2012-08-30 at 16:08

Call waiting

By Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com
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THUNDER BAY – Although there could be competition soon, TbayTel says their only concern is providing customers with the best service they can.

While an employee of Bell Mobility announced plans for Bell and Virgin Mobile to open two retail stores in Thunder Bay in October during a job fair Wednesday, the company would not confirm whether the information was accurate when contacted Thursday.

“Bell is looking to expand its retail operations into the Thunder Bay area.  An official opening date has not yet been set for the Bell store,” Bell spokesman Albert Lee said in an email.

TbayTel director of corporate relations Barry Streib said no matter what, TbayTel will keep upgrading its infrastructure and service and is committed to reliable service.

“We’re going to continue to invest significantly in our 4G network, in our infrastructure to ensure that we deliver the best customer experience possible,” he said.

Streib wouldn’t say whether or not Bell and Virgin would be using part of that infrastructure.

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Comments

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Wolfie says:
Hooray for competition!
8/30/2012 4:33:51 PM
Tbaylifer says:
Less profit to Tbaytel will mean high municipal taxes for us all as Tbaytel has been off setting our taxes with that yearly check.What you save on one hand will be paid out on the other.
8/30/2012 4:37:50 PM
ring of fire dude says:
Of course it will mean higher taxes , even with the dividend from TBayTel , Council still spent our tax money like drunken sailors on the Marina , Art and whatever else they thought would bring this bush league city into line with a city like Duluth .
8/30/2012 5:32:42 PM
Tiredofit says:
Perhaps it may lead to higher taxes, but I doubt it. If TBayTel really wants to keep my money and business, fix what's broken. I do give them credit for finally admitting the truth, and the so called 50% discount for 3 months they promised me (what they fail to tell you is the discount is ONLY on the initial base fee, not you entire bill, my so called 50% was only about 18% of my pre tax bill). Crap like that just leaves a sour taste in my mouth, if its only going to be 18% tell me so, I can do math you know, my 3G phone has a calculator. When the connection shows 4G, like it does in Duluth and Toronto, I'll accept you calling it 4G Mr. Streib
8/30/2012 5:40:52 PM
cob says:
Let taxpayers pay taxes and phone customers pay their phone bills. Enough smoke and mirror budgeting by the City. I am tired of subsidizing the city under the guise that it is a dividend.
8/30/2012 7:02:59 PM
010665 says:
I love it when Tbaytel hands out checks and people think how wonderfully philanthropic and well run it is. It can only do that because it's a monopolistic operation that in the absence of competition has been charging excessive rates for often poorer service. You have been paying those higher municipal taxes all along , they are called tbaytel cell phone bills! It takes people's money and then gets them to praise it when it gives a little bit of it back to the same people it took it from! A little competition will be great.
8/30/2012 7:53:32 PM
tbayguy009 says:
Let's be clear about this.

NONE of TBayTel's profit's have been going into general operating expenses for the city.

The approx. $15+ million a year has been used for the renew Thunder Bay fund, which goes towards big dream projects.

Not for basic road repairs one bit.

So, they will collect the sames taxes regardless, but maybe won't have the 'slush fund' to build that multiplex dream.

So, in effect, this competion will reduce the ability of TBayTel to extort money on behalf of city councel for 'service'.

Once again, customers will have more choices. If TBayTel is afraid of that, then it is just an admission of guilt. They are admitting that they could and should be doing better.
8/31/2012 5:35:04 AM
sky high says:
Don't fret the increase to municipal taxes will be marginal, but just think-there'll be more jobs in Thunder Bay. There's always a silver lining to things such as this. Plus Tbaytel just might, might, might, make their service better now that there will be competition.
8/31/2012 7:46:42 AM
green plant says:
Thank GOD! I am out in the community a great deal and have many clients/customers/family and TBAYTEL has been the "topic of conversation" for the last two weeks. I believe the best and the right thing would have been for TBAYTEL to step up to the plate and admit they have a problem that they do not know how to fix - re-imburse every holder for half the billing. Dropped calls, air dialing and no service has made an impact on my earnings/lifestyle but it hasn't stopped tbaytel from theirs.
8/30/2012 5:06:02 PM
kbecker says:
I have maybe had an issue here and there with TbayTels network, and when I did, the staff were an absolute pleasure to deal with, understanding and helpful. TbayTel has admitted several times that they are aware of the issues they are having, and they are working to get the network to a reliable standard. Some people int his city are just so narrow minded and do not want to listen. Good luck dealing with Bells worldwide call centers, 2 hour wait times, etc. TbayLifer is right as well, Bell is not going to give money back to this city like TbayTel does, cheaper cell phone? Yay...higher municipal taxes? awwe.
8/31/2012 8:55:15 AM
TheFloyd says:
Those of you who have never dealt with Bell Mobility before are in for a big surprise. Their coverage is far less than TbayTel/Rogers and you won't have direct access to customer service/tech support with Bell. Though the grass always looks greener, you may find things are even worse once you're on the other side of the fence.
8/30/2012 5:14:23 PM
ranma says:
I just wish Tfailtel would stop lying to with saying they have a 4G network. It is NOT a 4G network at all, heck it is barely even 3G with the speeds they provide. Their service is horrible, their support staff are overwhelmed with angry customers, and management continues to get their huge salaries while doing absolutely NOTHING to fix the problem. Case in point, Grandview Mall has been a dead zone since Tfailtel started their network..and yet no upgrades, NOTHING. Intercity area took over a year before they admitted there was a problem, Con College and LU areas. It seems management either does not use the network at all, or they are full on blinders because of their huge salaries and do not want to take any chance to lose their cash.

If anything, management at Tfailtel has to be replaced, because they sure are not addressing the issues in a timely manner at all.
8/30/2012 5:33:55 PM
kbecker says:
If you were'nt so ignorant, you would have read the notices that TbayTel not only sent out, but were advertised on tbnewswatch.
The International Telecommunications Union reclassified networks such as Tbaytel’s 3G HSPA + to 4G last December because the global standardizing body found that new handsets were already too advanced to be considered 3G.

's-3G-network-now-4G-after-global-governing-body-expands-definition

Get a clue, there can signs and notices and letters as big as the sky, and ignorant, narrow minded people such as yourself would still be oblivious.
It is the brand that has changed to 4G, the technology by the very nature is by definition 3rd generation (3G in case you don't get that) which is why the phones still say 3G on them in Thunder Bay.
8/31/2012 11:04:20 AM
Tiredofit says:
Theres a difference between the handset and what it actually connects to. When I'm in Toronto I get unbelievable speed and it shows as a true 4G connection and I don't ever have issues with dropped calls, etc like I do here.

You seem to be a real big fan of TBayTel, good for you, but the reality is, the service does suck in this town, plain and simple. It's not limited to just the cell service either. People will jump ship in the hopes of better service and the odds are players like Bell are going to be much better at it than TBayTel, they have the experience and qualified technology behind them, I give TBayTel kudos for trying to compete with the big boys, but sometimes you can't do it. Rogers is laughing at TBayTel (this I know for a fact), they made out like bandits on the deal knowing how crappy things were, it was a win win for them to do that deal

People aren't ignorant as you put it, they're just fed up and want what we pay for!
9/1/2012 7:23:51 AM
gotti says:
when is somebody gonna do something to make tbaytel accountable for their awful service?? i cant beleive they cant get the system to work properly and nothing is being done about it, they want the bills they send every month to be paid but they dont provide the service that the bill says they provide!!
8/30/2012 5:34:51 PM
trent says:
One day Thunder Bay residents will be able to enjoy proper "4G" service. Try using data on your phone when roaming out of town on Rogers network. It's much faster, even in smaller communities. TBayTel has continued to say they are improving their network, hopefully this new competition will put a fire under thier butts.
8/30/2012 5:42:40 PM
Marak says:
We need competition BIG TIME!! Just today I'm driving down Arthur Street and two of my calls go straight to voice mail!!!! And that's with 4 bars on my phone! This has been going on for awhile, no way it should take this long to fix! We need competition to make TBAYTel better....they are a little to cozy with the status-quo...
8/30/2012 6:15:32 PM
spacko says:
Basic cellular service with Tbaytel is incredibly unreliable. I have repeated dropped calls and missed calls that never ring. Everyone I talk to is completely fed up with the problems with Tbaytel. The service quality in the intercity area is awful, you're lucky if you get one bar in the parking lot. There is going to be a mass exodus to Bell Mobility as soon as they are open.
8/30/2012 6:39:48 PM
chbaker says:
I can't wait...

My tbaytel service is TERRIBLE. I was pretty happy with Rogers, but now my phone service just sucks since I was FORCED to move to Tbaytel.

8/30/2012 6:51:11 PM
kbecker says:
I was Rogers before the transition as well. I was receiving letters in the mail 3 months before the transition stating what is happening. Rogers stated that they would be automatically transfer your account to TbayTel when the time comes, you had a CHOICE to cancel free of cancellation charges, OR go to another provider like Telus or Koodoo at the time. TbayTel did not force anybody, if anything, they helped us Rogers customers. If anything, we should be upset with Rogers for not investing anymore money into their GSM network in northwestern ontario and up and leaving. They faield us, not TbayTel, get your facts straight before you make a comment.
8/31/2012 9:51:50 AM
pc says:
We have pay as you go and it works most of the time except when we are out in the bush on our mini bikes.
I would not use bell if they handed it to me for free.
8/30/2012 7:11:16 PM
sam says:
The city should sell tbaytel now while the valuation of the company is relatively high.
8/30/2012 9:02:02 PM
kbecker says:
wow...stupid words spoken by a stupid person. wow, sell TbayTel...not 100% city owned and operated anymore by the way, you seriously think City of Thunder Bay would SELL TbayTel? and then what? Buy Bell? wow...did you type that comment with your face?
8/31/2012 10:02:02 AM
sla100 says:
Its about time, I will be switching over all of my services to Bell. They can raises my taxes again, I am sick of Tbaytels service.
8/30/2012 9:27:12 PM
wayne says:
Tbaylifer, you make it sounds as though TBayTel will 'die' if healthy competition moves into town. It's time that their monopoly on poor worst-in-class service is challenged. By the way, their dividends to the City do not offset taxes.
8/30/2012 9:56:19 PM
panzerIV says:
The real question is: Will Bell be bringing LTE to the Thunder Bay market? If so Tbaytel will need to work something out with Rogers because that will be a huge disadvantage to Tbaytel.

The next questions need to be:

- How much can the City expect to lose from the competition?
- Should they lower the dividend allowing more freedom for Tbaytel to invest in towers and technology?

Personally, I don't have any problems with Tbaytel that would cause me to leave the service. I have no problems paying a little more for something that would stay in the community instead of paying some millionaire CEO in Toronto. Competition is good though for the area and should push Tbaytel to make there service a little better.
8/31/2012 2:19:19 AM
hardrawkin says:
This isn't about better service, it's about making money. We pay way to much for Cell phones in this country.
8/31/2012 7:40:44 AM
keiths31 says:
Before everyone jumps ship to the new carrier, remember how much money TBayTel provides to the city coffers. We are in a great and unique situation where the money we spend on telephone stays local. Yes TBayTel has had issues while upgrading to the 4G network (I've wanted to throw my BlackBerry against a wall a few times the last week and a half), but in the big picture TBayTel is a great thing for the community. I'll keep my TBayTel cell service, home phone service, internet and TV even if it does cost a few dollars more.
8/31/2012 7:47:45 AM
tbayguy009 says:
"TBayTel provides to the city coffers"

Here we go again.

The extortion of the public is based on exactly that hypocracy. How many times does it need to be restated. This is nothing more than a ponsey scheme from the customers, through city hall into the hands of the councelor's buddies (contractors) who build what THEY want.

Not to fix roads or not to upgrade sewer systems, or not even to help the citizens who were swamped from the sewage backup. The dividende keep squirreled away by council itself. And the guard it from ever being allowed into the general account.

Let's also be clear TBayTel's 'meat hook's' extend far out to the east, west, north and south of the city. All to finance city pet projects.

The monopoly needs to be challenged.

It is time TBayTel to sink or swim on it's own merits. Not by pretective legislation that has kept this place in a bubble.
8/31/2012 12:53:00 PM
The Beaver..... says:
Tbaytel's high charges to us the consumer,and the high Dividend payout to the City has in the end been little more then a form of City Taxation on all of us.It had become a game between City Council and tbaytel and tbaytel was expected to contribute more and more each year.Well folks that game is over..from here on in its deliver the goods and service or the other guys will.As for raising Taxes on an annual basis that too will come to an end because the there will be a Taxpayer revolution
if that continues.
8/31/2012 8:12:14 AM
grs says:
So Bell opens up a new store and thousands of people flock to it to sign up with Bell and ditch TbayTel. What's going to happen when all those people try to use their shiny new iPhones and connect to Bell's network via Bell's one and only tower in the area? I see similar complaints happening and the nimbys (a lot of whom will probably sign up with Bell) will have to allow for Bell to put up more towers.

I hope everyone complaining and saying they can't wait for competition realizes that unless you get an old CDMA phone your coverage will be just like it was with Rogers before Rogers used Tbaytel's towers? That being only coverage in the city with nothing once you're 10 km outside of the city.
8/31/2012 8:50:42 AM
Watching says:
I understand the service with Tbaytel has not been top notch. It is very frustrating. However, I truly hope that they survive, not only that, I hope they find a way to thrive again. If they are squashed, it will do the people of this city little to no good. Sure it will be nice to have a more reliable service, but I believe Tbaytel will remedy theirs in time. The consequences of their demise seem too great, in my opinon. Taxes will go up. Sure, that's a given. It will negate most savings on a cell phone bill. What doesn't seem to get much mention though, are things like the Bluesfest, or Thunderwolves, or the countless other events and sponserships that will undoubtedly go by the wayside if Tbaytel is laid to rest. Will these things survive, or be laid down to? I don't know, but I certainly can't tell you the last time I was at a Shaw Cable sponsered event. I'm unhappy with my service too, but I'm looking at the whole impact before making any decisions. I hope everyone else is.
8/31/2012 9:03:46 AM
kbecker says:
Lol, Intercity, college, university, Grandview mall...I have never once had service issues in any of these areas. And asking around, none of my family or friends have any issues with TbayTel either, and I have an Iphone. If there are people that apparently do not have reliable service in town here then of course you will want to change, just stop complaining and whining about it because there is a lot of us getting great service from TbayTel and I will still say that they are a great company to deal with.
8/31/2012 9:06:28 AM
stuck? says:
Stop complaining and whining about it? And just let the company walk all over us without attempting to fix their services? Why should we pay for a service that we don't receive?

Of course nobody is holding a gun to our heads saying we have to stay with Tbaytel, but honestly, if people didn't complain about the service they aren't receiving, how else would a problem be fixed, or brought to light even?

I find it terribly hard to believe that you have NEVER encountered any type of service disruption in those places. I don't flat out think you are lying but I just find it hard to believe as countless, COUNTLESS other people have COUNTLESS issues in all of these places.

I live in the vicintiy of 3 different Tbaytel towers and I still can't get any amount of a good signal.

By your logic we should just shut up and take it up the pooper? Maybe you can, but I don't think the rest of us will.

Nice to hear that some people aren't having all kinds of problems though. nice and positive.
8/31/2012 12:01:16 PM
trueself says:
Hooray for competition! I am sure Bell's service, pricing and customer service will be absolutely perfect and no one will have any complaints. We will soon see I guess. I used my phone in southern Ontario this summer and had more signal problems and failed texts than I have had in Thunder Bay...just sayin.
8/31/2012 9:59:18 AM
bttnk says:
This will force Tbaytel to improve their service, invest in infrastructure and become a leaner operation, all things they have taken for granted with a near monopoly on communications. This is a good thing Thunder Bay.
8/31/2012 10:09:53 AM
sam says:
As competition increases, the dividends tbaytel delivers to the city that comes from overpriced services, will shrink dramatically. When the dividends turn into a trickle why would the city want to own the asset. Sell now and perhaps get a decent price.
8/31/2012 10:21:33 AM
tbay1983 says:
Just wait to you have a problem with your bell phone and you wind up talking to their call centre in the Philippines or India who has no clue where Thunder Bay is let alone why your phone doesn't work in certain locations around the city. By the way if you compared bell and tbaytel's pricing you will find that bell is more expensive.
8/31/2012 11:26:25 AM
trent says:
TBaytel, you're dead to me. They have had more than enough time to iron out the "bugs" in their network, but service is still garbage in Thunder Bay. Maybe it's time to put the brakes on expanding up North until you can guarantee every resident of Thunder Bay gets adequate service.
8/31/2012 11:42:04 AM
trueself says:
Sell Tbaytel and then what? Four hundred plus employees (who are your friends, neighbours or family) are added to the unemployment line. How does this help Thunder Bay?
8/31/2012 11:43:28 AM
pub27 says:
99% of mobile phone companies in Ontario, and most of Canada for that matter, use BELL towers, except between Hearst and Thunder Bay, it's about time this "monopoly" is addressed....oh and the 1% is Tbaytel mobility. Look up any service providers coverage area, and see for yourself.
8/31/2012 12:19:28 PM
dman31029 says:
Cell phones. The worst invention of the last 100 years. All you slaves to your phones make me laugh.
8/31/2012 1:11:03 PM
pancakes4pedo says:
You are right. Nothing but a gadget to make unimportant people feel important.
8/31/2012 4:15:05 PM
pylon says:
everyone will rave about bell, until they get their first bills. Good Luck.
8/31/2012 1:12:17 PM
Northshore77 says:
Looks like we have a few tbaytel employees who post here :)
8/31/2012 2:16:33 PM
Weiner1 says:
I think it is ridiculous that some people are suggesting to sell Tbaytel because like any other company out there they are having some service problems. If they sell tbaytel it will be like any other company, all the calls will eventually go overseas and hired contractors will do the work. Is that what we really want our local friends and family out of jobs? And can you imagine the fantastic service you are going to receive with everything out-sourced? Also Bell is coming to Thunder Bay this is a good thing it creates more jobs however you better check out their coverage before you jump ship. And hey people lets keep in local!
8/31/2012 2:30:08 PM
ALK says:
A few months ago I went to the TBaytel store to upgrade my phone (about 3 years old - flip phone with actual number buttons! lol)and was informed that as soon as I turned on my new phone I would be with the new network....I said, and quote "is this the new network that never works?" The sales lady just looked at me for a few seconds and then said "Affraid so" I then said no thanks, I'll keep my old phone. There seems to be only a few of "us" left who don't have data plans on our phones and I never have a dropped call or missed txt msg. So basically I can't upgrade if I want to continue to get good cell service :( And I don't know about anyone else, but TBaytel's internet service sucks too!!!
8/31/2012 3:21:13 PM
sam says:
Tbaytel like city hall is bloated, city hall will remain bloated because, of course, they have no competition. But now that there is competition coming, tbaytel may shrink dramatically because of market share loss. There will be job losses and of course profitability and dividend payouts will decrease. If the company is sold to another operator you would think that some tbaytel employees will have jobs with the new company. I dont know the current value of tbaytel, but I would bet it is a lot higher than it will be 10 years from now.
8/31/2012 4:52:17 PM
ranma says:
kbecker, you are ignorant, and abusive. Period. The ITU standard was never changed. PERIOD.

LTE and WiMAX are REAL 4G. Maybe if you were educated in technology you would understand this. Instead it seems are you too busy being educated by Tfailtel and their propaganda. The ITU standard was never changed. Tfailtel is 3G, not 4G. The phones do not dictate what the service is, the carrier does. And Tfailtel is not a 4G carrier.

So please continue to drink the Tfailtel koolaid, just don't expect other people to join you in that poison.
9/1/2012 1:17:52 AM
debt collector says:
"ranma" your own example disproves your theory.

And I quote...

"3.9G (2008-Present): Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and HSPA+."

If you are going to argue a point, it's probably best not to point to evidence that invalidates your argument. Your own "evidence" clearly shows that tbaytel's HSPA+ network is considered "4G."
9/2/2012 2:51:08 AM
kbecker says:
I think what a lot of people are forgetting here...regardless of what you have been told by commercials, and service providers, and cell phone manufacturers. You do not NEED a cellphone, yes it is very convenient in situations (re: stuck on the highway, emergencies, camp phones etc) However we lived without them for years before, and they have really only taken off in the last 6 years or so with the "smartphone revolution". People, even if TbayTel or Bell or whoever is saying "best phones, blah blah blah"...its still a priviledge, not a right. And it is still your choice to sign a contract with a company. REgardless of what you heard, you CAN live without your cellphone, try not to forget that.
9/1/2012 10:13:52 AM
kbecker says:
ranma:

TfailTel? are you 6 years old or are you a grown up? See, I cannot quite tell because of your immature (but quite clever, and so fresh) assessment of a companies name. Again, TbayTel Launched its network as 3G because thats essentially what it was. The International Telecommunications Union reclassified networks such as Tbaytel’s 3G HSPA + to 4G last December because the global standardizing body found that new handsets were already too advanced to be considered 3G. TbayTel did not make this decision, TbayTel Launched 3G,International Telecommunications union reclassified it for TbayTel. I have had Rogers in the past, Bell mobility as well when I lived out of province, and ever since I have been in Thunder Bay, TbayTel has been the best company to deal with, they have admitted to their issues (again if you have read anything) and are consistently working to fix it. If you think upgrading a mobility network is a quick and easy fix then it is you who needs to be educated.
9/1/2012 5:04:33 PM
canrebel53 says:
grs, my Daughter has Bell and when she comes to visit she has no trouble what so ever using her phone. I run the HWY from here to Toronto and to Winnipeg and I lose phone service all the time. Other guys that a running the same lanes as me are using Bell with no dropped service. Once you sign up with them your phone runs on roam and picks up towers they have in the States and towers they are using from other Providers.
9/2/2012 10:11:31 PM
debt collector says:
Your whole post is an "opinion" filled with misinformation.

1) Bell does not own spectrum in the USA; your statement is invalid.

2) The only provider Bell roams on in Thunder Bay is tbaytel, so that statement is invalid.

3) Bell's CDMA service roams on tbaytel from Goulais River (west of SSM) to Shoal Lake (east of Manitoba border). Those who have service throughout are using tbaytel. Again invalidating your opinion.

4) Bell has no 4G service on Hwy 17 until after KOA hill, because they don't have a 4G roaming agreement with tbaytel. Another stake through the heart of your argument.

5) Bell has no 4G service from just west of Twin Cities crossroad until Upsala where they pick up DMTS' 2G Edge service. Further invalidating your opinion.

6) I have a Bell 4G phone and I can tell you there are a number of places my service is lacking in TBay: Westfort, Northwood, Current River, FWFN, Cumberland St, Harbour Express Way, James St, Mountain Rd, May St, Oliver Rd, Hwy 61 ... etc
9/3/2012 2:36:00 PM
Dan Dan says:
Tbaytel has 4G service in name only. It is true that certain 3G networks were "reclassified" as 4G networks, but this is little more than a marketing scam.

Tbaytel is seeing its userbase whittled away by Shaw Cable, who provides competitive telephone, television, and internet services.

If Tbaytel doesn't fix its problems (both network and customer service), then soon they will not have any subscribers left.

Council may want to consider selling while this company still has value.
9/6/2012 11:55:50 AM
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