FAQs
Helping build telecom infrastructures is only part of EORN’s work. It has also created a variety of resources to help advocate for improved connectivity and to help communities use improved broadband to drive improved services, efficiency, and economic growth.
At EORN we receive questions about cell service from residents of eastern Ontario daily. While the topics of the questions vary greatly, there are some common threads. Now we have collected many of your questions and have prepared three frequently asked question documents below.
What Impacts the Quality and Strength of My Cell Phone Signal
Distance: the farther you are from a cell tower, the weaker the signal.
Obstacles: certain materials such as brick, concrete and metal can interfere with signals when you are indoors. Mountains and even dense trees and foliage can also block or weaken signals.
Weather: heavy rain, snow or thunderstorms can weaken signals due to atmospheric interference.
Yes. Newer phones typically have better antennas and are designed to support more advanced network technologies (such as 5G or 4G LTE). Also, phones that don’t have the most recent software installed may experience poor performance.
Most likely because of coverage gaps. Especially in rural or remote areas, there might be fewer towers, and you can lose signal in between them. Also, it could be congestion in the network. For example at ONroutes along Highway 401 during peak summer vacation time with many people stopped and using the network. This could lead to dropped calls.
Some mobile carriers throttle (slow down) data speeds once you’ve used a certain amount of data within a billing cycle, depending on your plan. Make sure to check your carrier’s policy.
This could be due to network congestion. Even with strong signal strength, if many people are using the network at the same time, your connection could be slow.
Yes. Some thick or metal phone cases can interfere with the phone’s antenna, reducing signal strength. If you experience frequent signal drops, try using a different case.
→ Move to a different location.
→ Use Wi-Fi calling if your carrier supports it.
→ Try a cell signal booster at your home.
→ Restart your phone.
What You Need to Know About Roaming
Roaming is the ability of a mobile phone to access network services such as calls, texts and data on networks other than that of your own carrier. Roaming enables a user to use their phone in areas where their carrier may have limited infrastructure, enhancing accessibility.
→ Bell, Rogers and Telus own most of the cellular infrastructure in Canada and provide the most extensive coverage. Customers of these carriers rarely need to roam domestically.
→ For smaller and regional carriers there are domestic roaming agreements that allow carriers such as Freedom Mobile or Eastlink to provide service outside their network coverage areas by utilizing the networks of larger carriers such as Bell, Rogers or Telus.
→ Customers of these smaller and regional carriers may incur roaming charges if the usage is outside the terms of their plan, but in some cases it’s included.
→ Some providers such as Public Mobile or PC Mobile, rely entirely on the infrastructure of larger carriers. Users experience similar coverage to the hosting carrier but may have different pricing plans and services.
Many carriers bundle roaming with their plans, allowing users to roam on partner networks without additional charges. However, some plans impose fees or data caps for domestic roaming, particularly for regional carriers.
International roaming allows Canadian cell phone users to use networks of other carriers in other countries through roaming agreements. Conversely, foreign visitors roaming in Canada use Canadian carriers’ networks. Most often international roaming is not included in carrier plans, but sometimes it can be included depending on the type of plan you have.
Yes. This can happen and this can occasionally lead to extra charges. To avoid this, when you live or travel close to the U.S. border and you don’t have international roaming as part of your plan, make sure to turn off the roaming feature on your phone.
What You Need to Know About 9-1-1 Calling
Yes. Any cell phone customer in Canada can dial 9-1-1 and connect to emergency services, even if their carrier does not have infrastructure in the area. However, the phone must still be able to detect a usable network. This is a regulatory requirement and part of Canada’s public safety framework.
Yes. Even if a phone does not have an active plan, it can still make 9-1-1 calls as long as it has a functional battery and can connect to any available network.
Yes. Phones without SIM cards may display “Emergency Calls Only” when attempting to dial and your call will go through.
No. Some older or non-functional devices may not support 9-1-1 calls if they cannot detect a usable network.
In Canada, people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech impairments can register for the Text with 9-1-1 or T9-1-1 service. This feature allows texting emergency services, but it must be pre-registered with the user’s carrier.
Yes. Emergency calls are given high priority on cellular networks, ensuring that they have a higher likelihood of connecting even during periods of high network traffic.
The Enhanced 9-1-1 or E9-1-1 system provides the caller’s approximate location to emergency services based on the device’s GPS or the cell tower being used for the call. The accuracy of E9-1-1 depends on the phone and available infrastructure.
