How do you like Wind? - Shaw Purchases Wind

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by Yellefan

Are data speeds still awful?

Its not big 3 fast...but its good enough for youtube clips and hotspoting to my computer. Granted, im not watching netflix in high def or anything too data intensive.

The biggest issue for me was driving to the mountains. You cant use your phone for gps, reviews, directions, surfing the web, etc. You can still call via roaming with rogers. But the roaming internet speeds were 2g last time i checked...so basically useless.

I got a work phone recently, which ive been using as my personal phone (why pay 40 on wind when you can pay 0 to bell?). The difference between the two services within the city is minimal.

[DoubleK]

I find the speeds passable. I stream occasionally and it doesn't buffer for too long.

I mostly have it for travel to the US. You can't beat the $15 unlimited deal they have.

[keratosis]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

The guy said they were hoping to have Okotoks service up and running by April.

If that's the case I'll have to seriously look into it. Right now Wind is of no use to me.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Yellefan

Are data speeds still awful?

We stream netflix in what seems like non-stop in our vehicle (2 little kids, they fall asleep so easily if we don't). It works just fine for them; and the stream quality seems quite good. A common trip is from Mission area/Parkhill (just south of downtown) to Crowfoot shopping complex (up by Ranchlands, Arbour Lake etc) and it works fine.

There is the occassional time it will buffer (to clarify not on each trip, just once in slightly less than a blue moon it will buffer a bit before it starts up), but for the cost I am paying that;s a fine trade off.

[FlameOn]

They are actually quite passable in Calgary. I'm consistently getting at least 4-5Mbps anywhere I go in Calgary when the signal is okay. I'm now pushing 10Mbps from my house. This is a lot better than it was a year ago and they seem to be very aggressively replacing their old hardware in Calgary.

We also seem to have a lot more towers in Calgary than Edmonton, not sure why that is.
http://www.cellmapper.net/

EDIT: FYI for the upcoming LTE, this will be on band 66 so it'll be a matter of when Wind can source phones that'll support that band as much as getting the towers up and running.

[Burninator]

I tired Wind and the data was so slow at my downtown office it was unusable. It was under 0.5 Mbps download.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I tired Wind and the data was so slow at my downtown office it was unusable. It was under 0.5 Mbps download.

This however is a good point - driving through downtown is a good chance it will be buffer. PRetty hard to use too while on the train downtown as well.

[FlameOn]

Apparently upgrades have started in Vancouver, they'll be rolling out across Canada
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases...562436631.html

Speeds post upgrade look pretty good. 15Mbps down, 2Mbps up
http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/1618608379

[jschick88]

Richard Southern ‏@richard680news 5 minutes ago
BREAKING - Shaw Communications is buying upstart cell phone company WIND Mobile for 1.6 billion.

[jschick88]

In a blockbuster shake-up of Canada’s mobile phone industry, cable and Internet giant Shaw Communications is buying upstart WIND Mobile in a deal valued at about $1.6 billion.

If approved by regulators, the deal could go a long way toward helping the federal government meet its stated desire for a fourth national wireless carrier to challenge the market dominance of Rogers, Bell and Telus.

“This transaction represents a transformational step in the history of Shaw and we are excited about our future growth prospects in mobile,” Chief Executive Officer Brad Shaw said in a statement released late Wednesday.

The move by Shaw comes as a surprise, since the Calgary-based company had announced in 2013 that it was abandoning plans for a cellular division and would focus instead on cheaper Wi-Fi options for mobile customers.

Earlier this year, it sold its unused wireless spectrum to rival Rogers for $100 million. To receive regulatory approval for the transaction, Rogers agreed to transfer some of its spectrum to WIND, strengthening the competitive ability of the company which is now being acquired by Shaw.

http://globalnews.ca/news/2405800/sh...-in-1-6b-deal/

[darockwilder]

Originally Posted by jschick88

http://globalnews.ca/news/2405800/sh...-in-1-6b-deal/

I'm pretty sure this will suck for rates in a hurry.

Oh well, it was cheap while it lasted.

[DoubleK]

Am I wrong to be super choked about this?

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Am I wrong to be super choked about this?

You are not. I hate this deal. I know Shaw is just going to try to squeeze profits from them.

[aaronck]

Does WIND have contracts, or can the existing customers expect a big jump in rates as soon as they take over?

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by aaronck

Does WIND have contracts, or can the existing customers expect a big jump in rates as soon as they take over?

Wind has never had contracts or service agreements but have always honoured legacy pricing. Not sure now this move is going to affect that. Can't see this going well any way I look at it from a price perspective.

At least Wind has the capital to buy spectrum now.

[psyang]

I'm pessimistic. Their plans are a deal if you can get by with their spotty coverage, but with their cross-country infrastructure upgrades that just started in Vancouver, and their recently announced LTE network, Wind was going to be an absolute steal. I have little hope that Shaw will honor Wind's price plans, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

[Igster]

Originally Posted by psyang

I'm pessimistic. Their plans are a deal if you can get by with their spotty coverage, but with their cross-country infrastructure upgrades that just started in Vancouver, and their recently announced LTE network, Wind was going to be an absolute steal. I have little hope that Shaw will honor Wind's price plans, but I'd love to be proven wrong.

You won't be. This is just another one of the big Canadian companies who have 1.6 BILLION dollars to throw at a company that provided some competition in this country.

Soon it will be the evil big 4 instead of 3. Gotta' love Canada sometimes. Just more proof that the rich get richer and I bet we see it almost right off the bat.

[wooohooo]

Winds infrastructure isn't good enough for shaw to bill top dollar. Give it a few years and yeah.

Although I have a buddy that works for shaw and says they're a great company to work for. So there's that?

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

Winds infrastructure isn't good enough for shaw to bill top dollar. Give it a few years and yeah.

Although I have a buddy that works for shaw and says they're a great company to work for. So there's that?

How long has he worked there? The shine tends to disappear relatively quickly, after 6 years there I had to get out

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by MattyC

I feel like I must be doing something wrong with Wind. If I leave the city, even for 5 feet (my Dad lives in Springbank and I have no service out there) I'm roaming. If I'm downtown in many buildings, I'm roaming. If I'm in the bathroom at work, f***ing roaming.

No wonder they have to lower the roaming rates, I literally roam everywhere.

Matty, what device/modem is it?