Poor Cellular service

[cwevenson]

I have been bouncing around for months now with mobility providers and Apple.  I have an iPhone X and it was initially configured to accept LTE connections but Apple has since changed it to only connect to 4G because my calls would drop.  It use to be the only way I could get a call in my area is to have it assisted with wifi but you turned that option off.  There are moments when I get no cellular service at all even when I am only 14 minutes from a major city like Calgary.  The service is horrible and there are dead zones in the town which you could be standing beside a cellular tower and not get any cellular.  Frankly, I am thinking of going back to Telus because I need my phone for work and I am missing work calls because I can not depend on getting a call. 

[VirginPlusAntgio]

Hi @cwevenson,

Thanks for your post.

It sounds like you have been testing network coverage with multiple carriers and have been in contact with Apple in regards to network coverage in your area. Can you share what city or town that your located in/near? We would like to resolve your Wi-Fi calling issue, for more information on Wi-Fi calling click here, if you're still having issues with the function after, please let us know so that we can look into it further.

To verify the available coverage in your area click here.

[cwevenson]

I live in Okotoks, am exactly 14 minutes from Calgary.  I have seen cellular towers in Okotoks and my buddy says on average he can never get greater than one bar in Okotoks when attempting to call.  He is also on virgin.  

[VirginPlusAntgio]

Hello @cwevenson, 

We have sent you a Private Message. Please check your Inbox, next to your Profile avatar. Unsure of where to find your Inbox, see this link.

[matt2]

ive noticed a pretty big degrade in cell service over the last year or 2 and just gonna go with another company, spent a good amount on a new phone and just continously getting worse some how. boggles my mind.

[VirginPlusAntgio]

Hey there @matt2 ,

Welcome to the Community and thanks for your post. 

Do keep in mind that many factors can limit signal strength; topography, environmental conditions, line of sight to towers, types of buildings in your area, etc. 

In order to best assist, please provide the following details;

• Where are you located when experiencing the issue; Indoors, outdoors or both?
• Is the issue happening only in one location or everywhere?
• Have you tried to reset the network settings and also try restarting your phone?
• Are you using an eSIM or physical SIM? If using a physical SIM, try turning phone off and removing the SIM for 2 to 5 minutes and try again after.
• Have you tried turning on your Wi-Fi calling?
• Which connection setting are you on? If on 5G Auto or 5G On, try selecting LTE to see if you can notice a difference.

In the meantime as well, we'd recommend checking out our How To article on Troubleshooting voice calls for tips and advice that may help.

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

[cwevenson]

I’m in Okotoks, Alberta.  And I can’t enable wifi calling it is not an option on my iPhone 13.  I have verified coverage and it’s kind of hit and miss, walk out to the airport and you can see the tower outside of Calgary and walk to the Dog park and I can see the cell tower in the center of Okotoks.  We should have great coverage with we’re the cell towers are but even now I have 1 bar and I’m sitting in the backyard.  

Most times for me to send or receive calls I have to walk to an open field or better yet the edge of town.  Get out of Okotoks driving North and I gain reception.  But the town is a sinkhole for cellular.  I physically can’t receive work calls in town.  Actually considering getting a landline and down grade my cell phone to a cheap flip. 

[VirginPlusKris]

Hi there, @cwevenson. Thanks for following up with us.

When was the last time you tried activating Wi-Fi Calling on your phone? The iPhone 13 is a supported model when it comes to that feature. We'd recommend trying to power off your phone for 10-15 minutes, then turning it back on and trying to set up Wi-Fi Calling again. If you're unsure as to how, check out our page on Wi-Fi Calling for more details.

Otherwise in regards to your reception issues in Okotoks, you had originally posted about it quite a while ago. Had you managed to speak to Tech Support since then to open a ticket? If so, were they able to provide you with any further details or information as to the issues you're experiencing?

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

[cwevenson]

I got a note some time ago from Virgin saying they are discontinuing WiFi Calling and, thus, it would no longer be supported. So, even if the option was there, I never turned it on.  I can turn it on as there is a setting, but I have no idea if the system supports it in my area.  I also avoid your techs for some useless reason if I get technical help, then a rash of extra telemarketing calls flood in from Virgin.  If I use your technical service, this does not give you the license to harass me. 

[Fredrick]

I had a BYOP $70.50 - 20GB plan for years and it was fantastic for me.  Recently I switched to a BYOP $55 - 30GB Plan, and every since then the network has been atrocious.  Same phone the entire time.

I live in a big city and my bars are always 2/4 standard now, dropping to 1/4 frequently.  Loading anything with data is very slow and sometimes doesn't load at all (instagram posts, snapchat messages, YouTube videos).

Called Virgin Support and they got me to do a Network Reset on my phone, which hasn't improved anything.

I don't get why switching plans would cause such poor performance on the network.  I'd hate to switch providers but might have to at this point.  Any suggestions?
Thanks

[Jmorash]

I am in Calgary and this has been my experience also. I am now on a $62/100Gb 5G plan and there is so much lagging with multiple sites. I am in the middle of the city and typically only get 2 bars, frequently dropping to just one. I’ve done all of the usual restarts and clearing cache etc. Nothing helps. 

[Rang]

My data drops with 1 -2 KM away from my Residence in Calgary all the time.requested to check further with contact center agent today.