Telus Mobility Wireless Mobile Internet Stick warning!!

Did you know that Telus Mobility is NOT a Better Business Bureau Accredited Business?

Don't buy an older Telus high speed USB wireless internet stick because it may not be as fast. The people with older wireless sticks may want Telus to supply them with a new wireless stick and sell you their old one to you (keep reading).

Telus high speed wireless stick may be slower than Telus's ADSL telephone line internet that is more secure. (keep reading to find out how we know this)

Telus's 3G+ network for wireless internet offers theoretical peak download speeds of 21.6 Mbps and 5.76 upload speeds.
Actual speed may vary by device and due to congestion, distance from the cell, local conditions, hardware, software and other factors, therefore typical speeds will range from 4-6 Mbps (download) and 2-4 Mbps (upload). 4-6 Mbps is a far cry from 21.6 Mbps download speed Telus is telling everyone about its wireless network, and not as fast as Telus ADSL 10-15 Mbps.

The word "device" in the paragraph above can mean wireless high speed USB stick.

October 22, 2009 Telus sold us the Sierra 598 USB wireless stick that comes with the "Wireless Watcher" software. The Wireless Watcher software says for 1xEV-DO Rev. A network average data rates are 450-800 kbps (downlink from the network) and average data rates are 300-400 kbps (uplink to the network). Sierra's website says Max Uplink Speed 1.8 Mbps and Max Downlink Speed 3.1 Mbps.

Telus failed to warn this Sierra USB 598 wireless stick customer that the new faster wireless network would require a new faster internet stick and Telus chose instead to sell this customer an older USB stick that would be obsolete in two weeks after Oct 2009. The Sierra USB 598 high speed internet stick is unable to utilize the new faster speed on Telus's newer faster 21.6 Mbps network that has typical download speed from 4 mbps - 6 mbps. It wasn't until July 6, 2010 that the customer finally figured this out.

July 6, 2010 Telus was offering the Sierra 306 Internet key and advertising it as the fastest available wireless stick, providing web to go at 3G+ speed, HSPA+ capable. Manufacturer-rated for peak speeds of up to 21 mbps. High speed wireless Internet access with manufacturer rated download speeds up to 21.1 Mbps and upload up to 5.76 Mbps*
In fine print it says the following:
* Typical device download speeds from 4 mbps - 6 mbps and upload speeds of 0.6 mbps - 1.5 mbps. Users in the Quebec and Ottawa regions will experience the following 3G+ speeds until TELUS completes the rollout of 21 mbps in Q2 2010 at which time the above listed speeds will be in effect: manufacturer rated peak download speeds of 14.4 mbps and upload speeds of 5.7 mbps. Typical device download speeds from 2.6 – 4.8 mbps and upload speeds 0.6 – 1.5 mbps. Actual speeds are dependent upon a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) device capabilities, signal conditions, network traffic, and location.

July 6, 2010 Telus was also offering the Huawei E182E high speed internet stick with download speeds up to 21.1Mbps and upload speeds up to 5.7 Mbps*
In fine print it says the following:
* Typical device download speeds from 4 mbps - 6 mbps and upload speeds of 0.6 mbps - 1.5 mbps. Users in the Quebec and Ottawa regions will experience the following 3G+ speeds until TELUS completes the rollout of 21 mbps in Q2 2010 at which time the above listed speeds will be in effect: manufacturer rated peak download speeds of 14.4 mbps and upload speeds of 5.7 mbps. Typical device download speeds from 2.6 – 4.8 mbps and upload speeds 0.6 – 1.5 mbps. Actual speeds are dependent upon a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) device capabilities, signal conditions, network traffic, and location.

If you go over your data plan by 1 GB = 1024 MB = $51.20 per 1 GB for overage, you may want to consider a bigger plan if you think you may go over the data limit permitted with your plan instead of paying $51.20 for 1 GB.

When Telus's $85 wireless high speed internet stick plan price was reduced to $65 March 2010, Telus didn't bother to reduce my bill. We were told we would have to watch for Telus price changes and ask for the reduced price.

There previously use to be a $35.00 account setup fee but as of May 27, 2010 when we looked, the setup fee has been reduced to $10.00. We want our money back if Telus doesn't have to charge the $35 set up fee since this is just a recent discovery of Telus.

And if you live in the basement, you may have to move your wireless USB stick upstairs to get a good enough signal.

$30 reconnection fee if you are cut off. Where does it say this on Telus website?

$65 per month on Telus's largest wireless stick plan and you only get 5 MB data compared to 100 MB data with Telus ADSL largest plan for $50 per month.

U.S. Roaming Data Rate² + $3/MB
²Additional data is charged by the MB or GB and is rounded up to the closest KB (1 GB = 1,024 MB; 1 MB = 1,024 KB). Data usage is subject to a monthly overage limit of 10 GB.

International Roaming Data Usage² + $25/MB
²Additional data is charged by the MB or GB and is rounded up to the closest KB (1 GB = 1,024 MB; 1 MB = 1,024 KB). Data usage is subject to a monthly overage limit of 10 GB.

(see newer bill just a little ways down this page and older bills nearer bottom of this web page)

CCTS said that this is Telus response to my complaint

TELUS has agreed to credit your account for the wireless stick, however about the modem they say they do not refund equipment purchased from other shops.

I bought the ADSL modem back in 2002 at Future Shop with Telus name on the box and Telus contents inside the box showing me how to hook up to Telus ADSL. I paid $300 for the modem and I was suppose to get a rebate on it of close to $200 after I hooked up. Future Shop failed to tell me that Telus needed to have a port installed before I could use the modem and so I waited for 9 months before Telus installed a port. This was in Richmond BC. Since I waited so long to get hooked up I lost the $200 rebate because by that time Telus had changed their rebate on the modem. I only used the modem for a little while and there was no ADSL service where I moved to.

I am furious at Telus's remark saying they do not refund equipment purchased from other shops!

And if you want to NOT pay your Telus wireless stick bill, just don't pay it and maybe you won't have to pay?

Telus payment reminder bill has no amount owing showing on it, and on the back of the bill it says this:

We were cut off Telus high speed wireless internet stick service for being behind a month or more of payment and with no notice from Telus saying we would be cut off if no payment was received. This notice shown below does not even tell us what the late amount owing is? This notice only says we are late with payment and it does not say please call to make payment arrangements either.

Telus Mobility payment reminder does not mention how much payment this customer is behind by. Isn't that strange?

Telus said if they cut you off, there is a $30 reconnection fee. Wonder where it says this on Telus's website in the plan section or any other section, because we can't find it. Telus told us they would not charge us the $30 reconnection fee this time since we were an unhappy customer and never received sufficient notice. Well if there is a next time we want to at least be be forewarned about the charge unlike how we were warned this time with no warning. We had no clue we were about to be cut off or that there is a $30 reconnection charge.

It was May 25, 2010 that $100 was paid towards Telus high speed wireless internet stick plan of $85.00 per month and we were behind payment by one month now. On May 26, 2010 Telus cut us off and the wireless internet stick would no longer work. We called Telus and it was as soon as Telus hooked us up again and the same day of May 26, 2010 that Telus supervisor assistant phoned asking why we were unhappy about Telus high speed wireless internet stick service. Telus assistant said Telus supervisor saw this website. Telus was told that the wireless internet service is overpriced for what it is and that we would prefer ADSL because we don't use the internet while travelling and because we don't own a laptop and that the wireless stick is the only service available at this residence besides satellite internet which we heard slows down if you go over your limit. Telus said they would record this complaint saying that since there was no ADSL service available in the area and that we can only use the wireless stick to get high speed that Telus may consider a special price plan for customers in this type of situation, but that Telus couldn't promise anything.

On May 26, 2010 in this same conversation by telephone, Telus advised us that they reduced their wireless stick plan price in March 2010 from $85 per month to $65 per month for 5 GB data and that Telus will reduce our bill and backdate it to March 2010. Thanks for the information two months later on May 26, 2010 Telus. Meanwhile people are overpaying for two months are they? Its funny that we can't find the March 30, 2010 bill and its May 26, 2010 now. Never do we loose bills. We looked everywhere for the bill and can't seem to find it anywhere. We did find the April 30, 2010 bill and it still says $85 per month and not $65 as shown below.

If Telus USB high speed wireless internet stick $85 LARGEST price plan was reduced to $65 in March 2010, then why does the bill for April 30, 2010 still say $85. Check it out by clicking the pages below for larger print.

On May 26, 2010 Telus was informed that their USB high speed wireless internet stick does not get very good reception. While watching a video, the video and sound is choppy. We have an aluminum stove burner tucked around the wireless stick now to try and draw a better signal as Telus repair suggested, plus we also have a 6 foot USB extension on the stick to try and get it as high in the room as we can get it because the computer is in the lowest floor of the two story house and Telus told us it doesn't work well in basements. Well this basement isn't really a basement but has 3 foot cement walls with two foot being below ground level and the other foot is above ground level. We would call this the bottom floor and not a basement, but anyway. If we move the wireless stick around, the signal changes to weaker or stronger. It said somewhere that the stick should lay flat and that is kinda hard to do trying to hang it off the ceiling. Telus new plan pricing is $65 per month for high speed wireless internet stick that only permits 5 GB and it is still too high a price to pay for what it is and what you get. We would call it theft if it weren't legal! Telus Mobility USB high speed wireless sick does not compare to Telus ADSL as you can see in the table a little farther below.

Then on May 27, 2010 Telus office of the President phoned to discuss the same thing I guess. Not sure why they called again. We reiterated that we wanted ADSL and so Telus said they would call back when they find out if ADSL will be available in the area and maybe when it will be installed or not installed. We have been asking for ADSL since 2003. When Telus called back a couple days later, Telus said they won't be bringing ADSL to our location.

And if Telus wireless stick believes we will take this webpage down if Telus can make us a happier customer after the fact, they are dead wrong, because we aren't forgetting what has happened in the past. This customer didn't wait 6 months for Telus telephone landline service having to call the TV news station to finally get some service from Telus only to forget it ever happened. This customer did not forget that they will be stuck with a useless wireless stick when another service provider shows up. This customer WILL NEVER FORGET BEING OVERCHARGED by at least $20 per month from Oct 2009 until March 2010 that we will never see. Just as soon as a new internet company comes along (as we have heard its coming), we will no longer be using Telus services. Telus should have thought of how it treated its customers a long time ago. We have been on Telus land line and internet service since about 2003 but nothing changed much until now? I doubt any one of us in our subdivision have forgotten that there has been no high speed internet service until approx. Oct 2009 when ADSL has been available 5km's up the road for a long time already. I know I won't forget that I paid twice as much for Telus high speed USB internet stick as what Telus ADSL costs, and that Telus couldn't charge me the same $85 per month for ADSL instead of Telus USB wireless internet stick.

As of May 27, 2010 when we looked at Telus website it said Telus ADSL High Speed with no contract and not bundled costs $22 per month for the first 6 months and then $50.00 per month thereafter, and you get 100 GB data per month compared to $65 per month on Telus high speed wireless stick plan that you are only permitted 5 GB data. Telus must be hoping that you go over your 5 GB data limit on the wireless stick because they kept asking over the phone how much data was used. Telus was told we didn't look lately and we don't care, we just want to be able to use the internet when we want, not when Telus gives us the best deal. Telus was told that the internet was hardly used the one month and used lots the next. If you go over the data limit allowed on your plan, it is 5 cents per MB and not GB like on Telus ADSL high speed internet plan. There is 1024 MB per 1 GB. So in other words 1 GB = 1024 MB x .05 cents = $51.20 per each 1 GB over on Telus USB high speed wireless stick plan and above the 5 GB data Telus wireless internet stick largest plan allows before you start paying over and above Telus wireless plan cost. Telus ADSL largest plan only charges $2.00 per GB over.

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Telus website on May 27, 2010 says Telus wireless home networking is included in Telus ADSL price plan, but as far as we know you received wireless home networking with Telus old high speed ADSL modems too .. that is if it is the same wireless home networking. We can't see how this is something new that Telus is offering, if that is what Telus is trying to claim. Buddy just down the road, has an older Telus ADSL modem and his vacation rental downstairs in this same house can get on the net if the vacation rental had a security key number from buddy upstairs. Buddy's older modem had a built-in firewall too I think, but I can't say for sure now.

"The typical ADSL connection can handle about three megabits of data per second, Jenkins explained. With our wireless cellular network, you can actually get speeds up to 21 megabits per second," he said. "So, it's actually better technology over a wireless network than what you traditionally get over copper cables."

Telus tells us that ADSL service in rural areas is too expensive. TELUS TELLS US THAT WIRELESS INTERNET STICK IS FASTER THAN ADSL, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT WE READ ABOUT THE SPEED OF OUR SIERRA USB WIRELESS STICK IN THE WIRELESS WATCHER SOFTWARE THAT GETS US ON TELUS WIRELESS NETWORK. See specs below. Sierra Wireless stick link says Wireless download speed up to 3.1 Mbps and upload to 1.8 Mbps

Article from Okanagan Advertiser about why there is no ADSL service in rural areas and why Telus only wants to install wireless internet. Telus admits that high speed wireless internet service costs its customers more than ADSL at between $100 - $200 per month and that the average user uses 5 GB per month which is the largest wireless internet stick plan that Telus provides. Telus would have you think everyone is an average user and that nobody uses more than that. Telus probably thinks that the best way for Telus to make money is to get people to go over their data limit and pay $51.20 per GB for it.

TELUS WIRELESS WATCHER SOFTWARE FOR THE SIERRA WIRELESS USB STICK (model 598) SAYS THE FOLLOWING

	Telus USB Wireless Internet Stick (largest wireless stick plan) Mobile High Speed 60 using the Sierra Wireless USB 598 wireless stick	Telus ADSL Turbo (Telus's largest ADSL plan)
Download Speed	1xEV-DO Rev. A coverage supports Internet connections with data rates up to 3.1 Mbps (downlink from the network). Average data rates are 450-800 kbps (downlink from the network). Actual speed depends on the network conditions. (according to the "Help" section in Sierra Wireless Watcher software that came with Telus plan and the Sierra USB 598 internet stick in Oct 2009.) 1xEV-DO Rev. 0 coverage supports Internet connections with data rates up to 2.4 Mbps (downlink from the network). Average data rates are 400-700 kbps (downlink from the network). Actual speed depends on the network conditions. (according to the "Help" section in Sierra Wireless Watcher software that came with Telus plan and the Sierra USB 598 internet stick in Oct 2009.)	10 - 15 Mbps
Monthly Plan No Contract - No Bundle	$65 per month	$22 per month for first 6 months/$50 per month after 6 months
Monthly Plan No Contract - Bundled with Telus TV or something else Telus	don't see any bundled plans	$17 per month for first 6 months/$45 per month after 6 months
Wireless home networking	don't see any wireless home networking	included
Internet security services	don't see any internet security services	included
Email Accounts	at least one email that we know of, and it doesn't say here	10
Webspace	doesn't say you get any webspace	100 MB included
Upload Speed	1xEV-DO Rev. A coverage supports Internet connections with data rates up to 1.8 Mbps (uplink to the network). Average data rates are 300-400 kbps (uplink to the network). Actual speed depends on the network conditions. (according to the "Help" section in Sierra Wireless Watcher software that came with Telus plan and the Sierra USB 598 internet stick in Oct 2009.) 1xEV-DO Rev. 0 coverage supports Internet connections with data rates up to 153 kbps (uplink to the network). Average data rates are 40-80 kbps (uplink to the network). Actual speed depends on the network conditions. (according to the "Help" section in Sierra Wireless Watcher software that came with Telus plan, the Sierra USB 598 internet stick in Oct 2009.)	Up to 1.0 Mbps
Download /Upload usage	5 GB per month with a monthly overage limit of 10 GB 5 cents per MB for additional data (so 1 GB = 1024 MB x .05 cents = $51.20 per each additional GB over 5 GB)	100 GB per month $2 per additional GB
Pay-Per-Use Text Messaging	15 cents per sent or received text message Premium messages are not included. An additional 10¢ charge will apply for each text message or attachment sent outside of Canada and the U.S. Text messages sent or received while roaming internationally will be charged at $0.60 per message.	FREE here

This information below is now getting older, so some of the information we talk about Telus wireless and ADSL price plans are no longer valid.

You have to purchase Telus Mobility high speed wireless USB internet stick and then you choose an internet data plan to use the wireless USB key (stick) with. You pay a one time fee to purchase the wireless stick if you want a one year plan and you get the stick for free on a 2 or 3 year plan when we looked on Dec 17, 2009. You need to choose a lengthy plan or pay big dollars for the stick. If you purchase the wireless stick and choose the one year plan you pay $129.99 (Dec 17, 2009) to purchase the stick. We paid $49.99 on Oct 22, 2009 to purchase the Telus wireless mobile internet stick model 598 on a one year data plan. Dec 2009, if you choose a two or three year data plan you can have the stick for free Telus Mobility website said. In Oct 2009 Telus Mobility's wireless stick cost $79.99 on a two year plan and now Dec 17, 2009 you get the stick free with a 2 year plan. It is cheaper for the stick if you choose a longer plan and so that is how Telus gets you staying on their plan longer.

One thing that we don't think is fair is that Telus sells us the wireless stick to try out their data plan, which we decided we could not afford after trying it out, and now we are stuck with Telus Mobility wireless internet stick we can't utilize for anything! Its like having to buy Telus Mobility the bulldozer so we can pay Telus to landscape our yard and then when Telus Mobility is done, we are stuck with the bill for the bulldozer that we have no further use for! What choice do we have but to try and sell the bulldozer when the contract is finished or when we fire Telus for their poor job, whichever comes first.

Well beware Telus Mobility would stick it to you for 2-3 years alright, if they can just get you to buy the stick and get you connected. Telus Mobility will suck you in to start with, before you are really aware of how much DATA (data = surfing and downloading) you really use. We didn't know we were going to use that much data, and Telus pretty much forced us to guess as that was the only option Telus gave us. After you are hooked up its too late for you. Telus Mobility told us it will cost us $200 to get out of the Telus Mobility 1 year data plan we choose and we are stuck with the stick, or sell the stick with the contract until we complained to the CCTS. We were still in our trial period of 2 months and Telus said we can't get out of the contract now without paying a $200 penalty or selling the stick during our trial period???? That is not nice of Telus!

We can't afford Telus high speed wireless internet stick when we use closer to 8 GB of data in one month and Telus Mobility wireless internet stick largest plan only gives you 5 GB. And to top it off, each MB after 5 GB costs 5 cents..... many 5 cents per MB really add up.

$51.20 for 1 GB overage on any of Telus Mobility wireless high speed usb mobile internet stick (key) data plans????

WE FEEL TELUS MOBILITY HIGH SPEED WIRELESS INTERNET STICK IS A RIP OFF BECAUSE THE LARGEST PLAN IS ONLY 5 GB DATA AND WE HAVE TO PAY $95 PER MONTH FOR THAT COMPARED TO 100 GB DATA WITH TELUS' ADSL PLAN

TELUS IS RIPPING US OFF BEING A RURAL CUSTOMER WHO HAS NO CHOICE IF WE WANT HIGH SPEED INTERNET
There is no other high speed internet available where we are, other than Telus wireless internet stick or satellite which we were told slows down if you go over your permitted alottment. We don't want satellite either if they want to slow it down. That is not what high speed is all about. Although Telus ADSL high speed internet is available just 5 km's down the road, Telus said they won't install it in my subdivision because it costs too much. Telus is so slow installing ADSL that 5 km's outside Armstrong BC just got hooked up to ADSL in the last year or so, although ADSL has been available in Richmond BC at least before 2002 and Telus has started rolling out its Digital TV subscription before they even have ADSL installed? One thing at a time Telus ... please? Sunwave.net high speed cable was the only high speed internet serving the outskirts of Armstrong at one point and then all you got with a sunwave.net email address was tons of junk mail.

And if that's not enough Telus Mobility charges $3.00 per MB roaming in the U.S. on their wireless mobile internet stick plan.

In case you don't know what ADSL is. ADSL is high speed internet over the phone line. You can talk on the phone at the same time as you are using the internet.

TELUS MOBILITY WIRELESS HIGH SPEED INTERNET STICK LARGEST PLAN ALLOWS YOU ONLY 5 GB DATA?

WE USED 5697.056 MB = 5.56 GB data (see bills below) in the first billing cycle that was an entire month, but we hardly used the internet! We only watched a few U-Tube videos, did some upgrading, sent some emails, loaded this website, and surfed some. Luckily the first two months are free if you go over the data that Telus allows you for the plan we choose at that time, and so we didn't have to pay for our overage we are about to tell you about.

Billing coincides with the first of the month, but we initiated our account on the 22 of the month. Billing was pro rated from the 22 until the end of that first month. Our first bill came with charges from the 22 of the month until the end of that month plus a whole new month. Does this mean we used up our first unlimited usage month and we only have one unlimited usage month left, we hope not! We are still not sure about this because we never went over after... kept it under the limit just in case.

To start with we didn't know what plan to choose so we chose the $60 per month data plan which allows us 3 GB data thinking that would be enough. We soon found out we were totally wrong and maybe we should have picked the largest plan.

Sometime after Oct 22, 2009 when we signed up for Telus high speed wireless mobile internet stick, the $60 plan we purchased became the $65 plan as shown on Telus website. We were still billed the $60 per month and our bill did not increase to $65. There were no wireless stick plans available between $35 and $45 when we looked Dec 17, 2009. Just $30, $35, $50, $60, $85 plans were available. We have now upgraded to the $85 per month plan. The bill comes to about $95 per month with all the taxes.

We received our first bill which we were billed from the 22nd of the month when we signed up until the end of the following month. This bill said we used 652.117 MB of data between Oct 22 and Oct 31, 2009.

It wasn't until the second bill that we found out how much we may go over our allowable 3 GB data usage. The data we used between Nov 1, 2009 and Dec 1, 2009 showing on the bill Telus sent us was 5697 MB of data.

We went over by 2.56 GB of data that first entire month billing period. We were only allowed 3 GB

2.56 GB = 2621 MB x 5 cents = $131.05 plus the $60 per month plan = $191.05 month before taxes, and system access fee.

Luckily we were still on the first two months free for data we used over our allowance.

We want Telus ADSL and screw the wireless internet stick. We have a home base and don't want or need wireless, but Telus refuses to bring ADSL to us rural people whom only live 5 km's from where Telus already feeds its ADSL. And in that way Telus can easily rip us rural area people off with the high price of this wireless internet. I feel my home is helping to support business.

Who else do you know that wants to pay $295.50 to get high speed internet over $25 per month dial-up?

There were at least 20 properties in our subdivison of 40 homes that wanted high speed, but that is not enough for Telus, is what Telus told us. Do we want to buy Telus equipment for their office we were questioned and then maybe Telus would think about it we were told, and that Telus equipment is expensive. Well there are only 43 homes in the subdivision 5 km's up the road, and Telus Communications feeds its ADSL to that subdivision? Why can't they bring ADSL here for 20 homes?

We have no choice but to pay for Telus or Rogers wireless high speed internet stick, or pay for satellite internet if we want high speed! We were told that satellite slows down once you reach your data usage, so that is why we choose Telus.

And that is just what we think of Telus.... they are ripping us off!
No difference between Telus or Rogers ... they are both ripping customers off on their wireless plans!

There is Telus TV now, and rural people still don't have access to ADSL??????
Telus ADSL has been around at least 10 years already!

Our Telus Mobility wireless internet stick installed a small program on our computer automatically when we plugged it into our USB port on the computer. This little program called "Sierra Wireless Watcher" is where you can check your data usage but it doesn't seem to work, and you have to log onto Telus website to see your true data usage. Telus Mobility Sierra Wireless Watcher reported we used 4 GB on many different days, which is definitely not true!

If we choose the largest Telus Mobility plan and paid $85 per month for 5 GB of data we still would have been over by 2.6 GB data which is 2662 MB x 5¢/MB = $133 + $85 plan = $218
We would rather pay $58 per month for ADSL than pay approx. $300 per month for Telus's wireless high speed USB mobile internet stick!

One more thing is we paid $50 for Telus's wireless stick on a one year plan, and the stick can only be used through Telus. Dec 10, 2009 Telus wireless internet stick is selling for $129.99 on a one year plan, plus you still have to choose a data plan. Rogers was going to sell us a stick for $179 but Telus was cheaper at that time. For these companies to require customers to buy and pay for the stick is like asking a landowner to buy the bulldozer so the hired company can excavate!

Another thing is look at your data usage, we were sent a text message and we are not on a cell phone but an internet stick!

Just checked data usage and from Nov 16 - Dec 16 we used 8,000,857 kilobytes = 7.6 GB

If you want to know your internet usage before you get rooked, there are software programs you can try like this one that measures bandwidth usage for cable internet. We did not try this software so not sure how well it works but you could try it.

If we cancel the contract with Telus Mobility, Telus just made $200 and sold a stick, sticking it to the customer ... and how many customers will this happen too? It is better for us to pay a one time fee of $200 to dissolve the contract than $200 per month and more to continue to use the Telus Mobility high speed wireless internet stick. We are going to have to go back to dial-up internet. How much money do you think Telus will make off its wireless mobile stick to support its brand new cellular wireless EVDO A network which runs both cell phone and wireless mobile internet stick? Who is subsidizing who here?

Telus Mobility charges per minute for the cell phone, but charges nothing per minute for data but instead charges by MB or GB for the internet. With Telus Mobility wireless mobile internet stick, you can leave your internet hooked up all day and if you don't surf or download, including updates, etc it doesn't cost you money, as Telus Mobility does not charge you for time but instead charges you for data you download like pictures and things you see on a web page when you are surfing the web.

For us, it would be much cheaper to pay the $200 and get out of Telus Mobility contract!

Tell us what you think of Telus Mobility wireless high speed USB mobile internet key by filling out the form nearer the bottom of this web page!

Notice how we were charged a system access fee. Telus is not charging this system access fee anymore but instead raised the cost of the plan to help cover it. Could it be because people are starting a class action lawsuit in regards to system access fees? You may want to join this class action lawsuit yourself ... click here if you want to know more about the class action lawsuit in regards to system access fees.

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Second Bill page 3 of 3

Make sure you read the fine print of the bill as you cannot complain about your bill after 1 month.

This bill shows the cost to purchase the Telus Mobility wireless internet stick was $49.99 on a one year data plan back on October 22, 2009, but on Dec 17, 2009 Telus website says the stick now costs $129 on a one year data plan. We think its because Telus would rather you not choose that plan. We bet Telus changed the price of the stick so that you will choose and get sucked into the 2 and 3 year plans. Don't get rooked. Know your usage before you sign anything.

Telus high speed wireless internet stick bill $49.99

Once you start using your internet stick you are locked into your contract unless you pay early termination fees.

Understand how much it may cost you if you decide to terminate your contract early.

BEWARE... once you start using the stick you are locked into your contract.

This contract talks about a phone when Telus Mobility only sold a high speed wireless internet stick?
We wonder if this contract can even be legal when it talks about a phone of which we did not receive. Is the internet stick considered a phone?

*As with all wireless technologies, actual speed may vary due to the device being used, network congestion, distance from the cell site, local conditions and other factors.

Here is one folding booklet offer we saw when we signed up for Telus Mobility high speed wireless internet stick also called Telus Mobility Mobile Internet Key. This offer came in the Canada Post mailbox.

(click cow to see larger print)

Telus Mobility high speed wireless mobile internet stick is $79.99 on a 2 year plan after we paid $49 for Telus wireless internet stick on a one year plan Oct 22, 2009?? This offer is good till Dec 31, 2009 it says.

This same folding booklet that came in the mail is advertising Telus wireless high speed mobile internet key on a 2 year contract for $79.99. it looks like Telus changed the terms before this contract offer ended Dec 31, 2009 and now offers the stick free on a 2 year contract. With no contract term, Telus wireless stick costs $249.00 according to this booklet.

The USB stick we received from Telus was the Sierra 598 USB stick similar in looks to the one in the photo above.

Then on the other hand when you don't use Telus Mobility Wireless Internet Stick service much in a month, you are still paying the same high fee. We only used 2006.737 MB = 1.959704102 GB = $95 in Feb 2010 but are paying for 5 GB and paying the entire $95 for it.

Page 1 of 3

Notice it says in the upper right corner that you can complain to the CCTS in regards to Telus Wireless USB stick.

Page 3 of 3

This portion of the Telus Wireless USB Stick bill shows we only used 1.96 GB (rounded up) data in Feb 2010, but are paying for 5 GB data.
2006.737 MB = 1.959704102 GB

Rogers offers first 2 months data with no overage charges: Choose a data plan, then use your device for 2 months so you can monitor your usage and choose the right plan for your needs.

THREE DIFFERENT Rogers "Rocket Sticks" are available. The fastest having download speeds up to 21.6 Mbps on the Rogers HSPA+ network (stick costing $74.99 on select 3 year plans), and the next lowest download speed being 7.2 Mbps with the Rocket stick costing $0.0 on select 3 year terms. This information may have changed by the time you read this, but this is what we read on Dec 17, 2009

Telus Mobility high speed wireless mobile internet USB key speeds are the following:

Telus Mobility wireless high speed internet mobile stick says it has broadband (cable internet) like speeds here. Don't see it anywhere on the contract how fast Telus Mobility wireless mobile internet stick is... it just says "EVDO 3GC dynamic user" on the contract. What does that mean ... pull the wool over your eyes, find out how fast the wireless network is at supper time like we did?

When we click on the program that automatically installs when you plug Telus Mobility wireless high speed internet stick into the USB port on the computer it says "1 x service available, EvDO Rev. A dormant" and if we click beside that spot that says 1x and click on the other spot that says EVDO, it says "1 x service connected, EvDO Rev A connected" ... not sure what that means except we do know that the 1x network is Telus Mobility older network and EvDO is the newer faster Telus Mobility network. We also know our internet seems to slow down around supper time and later trying to load Telus Mobility own website.

DISCLAIMER: We are not asking you not to purchase Telus Mobility or Rogers services. We just want you to be aware of what you may run into before you run head first into a brick wall is all!

When we told Telus Mobility customer service we felt ripped off getting sucked into the wireless internet thing at $60 per moth Telus customer service rep. said Telus wouldn't do anything about it and would that be all?

Well Telus Mobility, no that is not all... this web page went up, we hope to your disadvantage!

Goodbye to cellphone system access fees?
By Peter Nowak, CBC News - Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Fido currently charges postpaid customers a system access fee of $6.95 a month. (J.P. Moczulski/Canadian Press)The cellphone system access fee may be heading toward extinction with reports that Rogers Communications Inc. is relaunching its Fido discount brand without the hated charge.

The Toronto-based company will relaunch Fido on Tuesday, according to the National Post, with new plans and a new logo. Rogers will also scrap the $6.95 monthly system access fee on postpaid customers. Prepaid Rogers and Fido customers already do not pay the fee.

Liz Hamilton, a spokesperson for Rogers, declined to comment.

"We don't predict future pricing either on specific plans or rate cards," she said.

Industry observers said the company's move is likely to spell the end of the system access fee, which is thoroughly hated by consumers.

"It's the No. 1 complaint about cellphones," said John Lawford, counsel for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. "People are getting a little more traction with their pushback in a lot of telecom issues now.… We just might see the end of it. We'll see them slowly disappear."

Lawford warned, however, that the removal of the fee may not necessarily translate into lower monthly bills. At the very least, he said, the bills will be more transparent and easier to understand.

"If their bill isn't split into a thousand pieces, people will be able to see that," he said.

The relaunch would be an effort to head off increased competition from new cellphone providers that are starting up across Canada next year. Toronto-based Globalive Communications Inc., which operates long-distance and internet provider Yak, has announced it will launch a network across the country except in Quebec, in the second half of 2009.

Montreal-based Quebecor Inc. has also announced it will launch a network servicing Quebec through its Vidéotron subsidiary within 12 to 18 months.

Another newcomer — BMV Holdings, a firm backed by several high-profile investors — last week said it will roll out service next year to Ontario and Quebec.

Halifax-based Bragg Communications Inc., which operates cable provider Eastlink, is also expected to announce its own cellphone network in a few weeks. Toronto entrepreneur John Bitove may also launch service in major Canadian cities through his company Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises.

All of the newcomers won spectrum during the government's auction of airwaves this summer. All are expected to offer lower-cost services than Canada's existing three national players, Rogers, Bell Canada Inc. and Telus Corp., and none will charge customers a system access fee. BMV, for example, last week said it will offer unlimited talk and text service for $40 a month with no additional fees.

The market is set to go from what the government last year deemed uncompetitive to crowded next year, and existing providers are being forced to lower prices and make services more transparent to prevent an exodus of customers when the newcomers launch.

Telus scrapped fee with Koodo
Vancouver-based Telus was the first major provider to scrap the system access fee for postpaid customers when it launched its discount brand Koodo in March. The company still charges the $6.95 fee to its own Telus-branded postpaid customers, as does Rogers with its core offering.

Bell charges all of its customers system access fees on its core and Solo discount brands, ranging from $3.95 for prepaid service to $8.95 on some postpaid plans.

Julie Smithers, a spokesperson for the company, would not comment on whether the company had any plans to drop its fees.

"We'll always be competitive in our markets," she said. "But we don't comment on future plans."

The Montreal-based company on Monday announced it would allow customers to carry over unused minutes from one month to the next, although the feature is only available to customers who sign a three-year contract before the end of the year.

A number of smaller airtime resellers, including Virgin Mobile and President's Choice, also do not charge a system access fee.

Canada's existing cellphone companies — Rogers, Bell and Telus, as well as MTS Allstream and SaskTel — are currently embroiled in a class-action lawsuit over system access fees. Regina-based lawyer Tony Merchant claims the companies have misrepresented the charges as government-mandated fees for years and is seeking a repayment of nearly $20 billion. Merchant's lawsuit was certified as a class action last year and is still before the courts.

The fee began as a government licensing charge in the 1980s to cellphone providers for using public airwaves. In 1986, the government transferred the collection of the fee to cellphone providers, who were to incorporate them into their monthly charges. Instead, the carriers opted to keep them separate.

The cellphone companies say the charges, which no other carriers in the world break out separately, are for ongoing maintenance and investment in their networks.

Merchant also this summer launched another class-action against the cellphone companies for their 911 fees. The companies are required to collect this fee by Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, but the mandated rate is a maximum of 11.5 cents per month.

The carriers, which are charging 95 cents, are therefore profiting from a government-mandated charge, Merchant says.

911 call centre operators can now instantly access a caller’s cellphone number and the location of the cellphone tower nearest to the caller. Using this information, emergency responders are only able to determine if a caller is in a sector within the area served by the tower, which could be a radius of up to four kilometres from the tower in urban areas and 20 kilometres in rural areas.

Feb 1, 2010 new enhanced features will make use of wireless-location technologies to greatly improve the ability of emergency responders to locate a person using a cellphone to call 911. For instance, wireless service providers can use Global Positioning System (GPS) or triangulation technology and then automatically transmit the caller’s location to the call centre operator. This will allow emergency responders to determine a caller’s location generally within a radius of 10 to 300 metres from the cellphone. NOT ALL CELL PHONES ARE GPS CAPABLE.

Even if your cell phone does not have any pre-paid minutes or a service plan, you will still be able to dial 911 in an emergency situation. However, you will receive wireless 911 services as they exist today. Emergency responders will not be able to use the enhanced features to determine your location with a greater degree of accuracy.

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/t1035.htm

Why is my Sierra Wireless modem locked?

Some service providers configure their GSM Sierra Wireless modems during the factory calibration process for use only on their networks. Sierra Wireless modems that are configured this way (MEP locked) will work only with SIM cards from their parent service provider.

Mobile Equipment Personalization (MEP) is a GSM feature that restricts the use of mobile equipment to specific SIMs.
An MEP code may be used to remove the lock, allowing SIM cards from any service provider to be used in the Sierra Wireless modem.
If you would like to use your GSM Sierra Wireless modem with a different service provider, you must obtain the Sierra Wireless modem’s MEP code from the service provider that sold you the Sierra Wireless modem.

NOTE: Sierra Wireless cannot provide you with an MEP code.

For example, you may have an AT&T modem made by Sierra Wireless and see that it is locked to work with AT&T SIM card. The AT&T Communication Manager displays a message such as “Wireless device is locked.”

If you would like to use a T-mobile SIM card or you’re traveling to Europe and want to use a local SIM card, you would need to contact AT&T support and request a subsidy unlock code ( MEP code) from them.

You can order an unlocked Sierra Wireless modem directly from the Sierra Wireless web site:

We sent a complaint to the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) and they have responded. We sent further information. Then Telus called to offer us out of the contract. We told Telus we didn't want out of the contract because we wanted high speed ADSL internet and that the only other internet available here is dialup or satellite. We told Telus we wanted ADSL again. I don't know how many times over the last 7 years or so we have asked Telus for ADSL. We even trying to send Telus a petition with 20 homes signatures from one subdivision, which Telus said they had no address to send the petition to. That was the end of the conversation with Telus and then we received an email from CCTS to wait. Since then we read about Telus donations in the newspaper and so send another email to CCTS about these donation as an addition to the same complaint. We are waiting to hear back now. By the way Telus would not give back the cost of the USB stick, but would only allow us out of the contract. Gee I guess I should buy the guys bulldozer too when he comes to excavate my land too?? What good is this stick to me if I am not on Telus services? Telus should be the one to offer the stick for free so that people can use their service and when someone doesn't need the stick anymore it can be reused through Telus. I don't know how the charge for the USB key can ever be legal, except that somewhere down the road the system failed.

Food bank to benefit from wildfire funds - Photo
Castanet.net by Wayne Moore - Story: 54491 - May 12, 2010

The Westside Community Food Bank is about to receive nearly $25,000, thanks to funds raised during the 2009 wildfires.

A cheque for $3,164 will be turned over to the food bank through proceeds of commemorative t-shirts from the 2009 West Kelowna complex fires.

T-shirts have been sold by the West Kelowna Fire Department.

Proceeds to date total $3,164, monies which will be turned over to the food bank.

Fire Chief Wayne Schnitzler, told council 765 t-shirts are left to sell. He says if all of the shirts sell for the $20 price, that would mean another $15,300 for the food bank.

T-shirts are still being sold through the fire hall, municipal hall office and will also be available at various events throughout the community and around the valley.

Meantime, Mayor Doug Findlater told council nearly $22,000 remaining in the Fire Relief Trust Fund will also be turned over to the food bank.

"This is the balance of the Fire Relief Trust Fund of donations that was provided last summer. The Red Cross and community committee that administered those funds made a determination that it should go to the food bank," says Findlater.

"The two largest donors which are the Telus Community Ambassadors and the West Vancouver Police Department, have also indicated they in fact support these funds being given to the food bank."

Mayor Findlater will present a cheque representing the balance of donations to the trust fund to the food bank Thursday afternoon at the food bank office.

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Telus Mobility High Speed Wireless Mobile Internet USB Key

is a Rip Off

TELUS MOBILITY WIRELESS HIGH SPEED INTERNET STICK LARGEST PLAN ALLOWS YOU ONLY 5 GB DATA?