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Its been two years since 5G came out. When will Fido start offering it?

Trololol
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

As in the title, 5G started rolling out in January 2020 for Rogers. Its almost 2022, when is Fido going to offer the service?

29 REPLIES 29

minpin
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Agree with one of the Fido moderator who posted any enhancements to its 4G LTE network would be a capital cost investment.   And then passed on to Fido's subscriber base  i. e.  +$4/month beginning in 2024 for ongoing improvements to its network.  If you really want 5G pay out your Fido phone and switch.

IMHO Fido won't upgrade to 5G due to the sunk costs of its 4G LTE network

Trololol
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Can you explain how Fido has a sunk cost on its 4G LTE network? Last I heard Fido is using Rogers infrastructure. 

HangTen431
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Public Mobile is now offering 5G. Why isn't Fido? The technology has been around over 2 years now and Fido customers use Rogers' infrastructure.

Hey there! At this time, Fido will not offer customers access to a 5G network. 5G devices are compatible with Fido’s existing 4G LTE network, and we are continuing to invest in our LTE network to enhance speed and coverage, delivering a stronger connection. Don't hesitate to reach out to our customer service if you have any other questions. You can use any of the contact methods found here



MK78
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

@FidoSarah wrote:

Hey there! At this time, Fido will not offer customers access to a 5G network. 5G devices are compatible with Fido’s existing 4G LTE network, and we are continuing to invest in our LTE network to enhance speed and coverage, delivering a stronger connection.


With all due respect that's completely false, Fido doesn't invest anything in the LTE network, it's simply Rogers network. And Rogers stopped investing in the LTE network in the existing areas, they have been expanding 5G network.

 

So please we would like a genuine answer, not corporate speak.

We understand your point of view, however, rest assured our goal is to constantly improve our service and netowrk. We hope to offer a 5G network in the near future. Feel free to keep an eye on Fido.ca for any future updates.

 



minpin
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

A  +$4/month surcharge will begin in 2024 to all post paid plans; unless you buy a Fido phone and financed.    

mcmxlv
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Ok, I would ask you to understand this... Koodo under Telus is offering the same phones and plans at the same price as Fido, but with 5G service as opposed to Fido's 4G LTE. Recently, I needed to add a line for my youngest child, and due to issues with Fido with adding an additional line, I opted to go with Koodo. I've been a Fido customer for 12 years, have 5 lines with Fido, and I'm looking to upgrade 3 phones on 3 of those lines. With all else appearing to be equal besides the 5G, I'm seriously considering migrating the rest of my Fido lines to Koodo and purchasing new phones on their Tab program. If you can't compete with Koodo in offering 5G, and your prices on phones and services are the same, can you give me any tangible and compelling reasons for why I should stay with Fido and not fully make the switch to Koodo?

Hello Mcmxlv,

 

  I replied to your other post below.

 

Hope this helps 😀

 

Cheers

 

 

 


Hey @YlwRandy I was really looking forward to 5g myself and then I went on a few trips and realized it's not all great. In Iceland, the local Sim I bought was for 5g and to be honest (not a gamer here) I really couldn't differentiate between 4g and 5g. Same in the UK and Europe. I know the main carriers provide 5g and you could move up to premium carrier and check it out for yourself, but I personally think for most people the difference would be negligible. I'm happy to pay less and not have it than to pay more and be disappointed. Just my 2 1/2 cents worth of trying it out. Let us know if you try it on one of the major networks and what your experience is. Cheers 



YlwRandy
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Since Rogers and Fido utilize the exact same networking systems, by default, 5G was technically turned on by default. Rogers, not Fido made the decision to disrespect the Fido users and show the hundreds of thousands of Rogers users that THEY mean more, dollars and cents wise than the Fido users do. This business model is seriously flawed, because if you have a very detailed look at the difference between the Fido and Rogers plans and the cost, year over year both companies plans and their monthly costs have become increasingly closer to each other. I was with Fido when they were MicroCell. Back then they were seriously cheaper than Rogers. There is no legitimate reason for Fido, or should I say Rogers to not flip that switch. Will it ever happen???

Only when all the Fido customers complain enough or just abandon the Rogers group of companies. 

godloveyou
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

It will be a 5G label with 4G speed. 

Exactly like the current situation. It is a 4G label with 3G+ speed.

Providing 5G speed will necessarily mean increases in cost which I'm sure most of you do not want this to happen. Our parent company offers 5G  speed so we're here to provide options at different prices. 😉



mcmxlv
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Koodo is offering 5G service, and their phone and plan prices are virtually identical to Fido. How is it that Koodo can offer 5G, just like their parent company, without necessarily meaning an increase in cost? This could lead to Fido customers leaving for Koodo, and I'd bet money that most at Fido and Rogers do not want this to happen. If Koodo can offer the same 5G service as their parent company, with competitive options at identical (and in some cases better) prices compared to Fido, it begs for an answer to the question of why Fido can't do that too, and to why should I stay with Fido. I ask because I'm literally on the verge of leaving Fido because of this. Looking forward to receiving a meaningful and non-condescending reply. Thank you.

Hello Mcmxlv,

 

  Welcome to the community!

 

 Firstly, I do not know if, or when, Fido might introduce access to 5G services. I do understand some of the other 1st-tier flanker brands already have those services. However, no one here would be privy to that information. Any announcement would be on Fido.ca.

 

  However, being competitive does not necessarily mean having to match the other providers. Sometimes, it means offering something the other providers do not. Until recently, Fido has offered the 5 Hours of Unlimited Data as well as Fido Xtra which are not available from the other providers (see here). That said, Fido has announced that the Fido Xtra program is ending November 30th, 2023. 

 


@mcmxlv wrote:

Koodo under Telus is offering the same phones and plans at the same price as Fido, but with 5G service as opposed to Fido's 4G LTE.



@mcmxlv wrote:

... How is it that Koodo can offer 5G, just like their parent company, without necessarily meaning an increase in cost?...


  I'm not sure those claims are entirely true. Yes, Koodo does currently offer a Black Friday promotion for the same cost and amount of data as Fido. You seem to think it's with 5G service. However, it is not. That promotion is at 4G speeds.

 

  If you wanted access to 5G speeds, you would need to avail of one of their plans with a higher data allotment, which Fido does not offer. So, while Koodo might offer access to 5G services, the cost of those plans are pricier than any of Fido's current offerings.

 

  It's possible Fido may have plans to introduce some other feature or service which could replace the Fido Xtra program. However, that would be entirely speculation. Unfortunately, no one here would know about future plan features. Even if there were individuals who are privy to that information, they would not be able to discuss such matters until they are officially announced. As mentioned below, any new offerings would be made public on Fido.ca.

 

  Customers need to choose what features are important for themselves. Some customers may want access to 5G services, while others might prefer the 5 hours of extra data each month.

 

** edit ** Aside: When determining what features are important for themselves, people should also take note of what is included in the plan offerings. They are not necessarily the same. For example, Fido offers Unlimited International text messaging (sent from Canada) with all of their Data, Talk, & Text plans. However, Koodo considers that feature to be a Perk. **

 

Hope this helps 😀

 

Cheers

 


mcmxlv
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Thank you for your response.

 

You are right about the promotions. I should have clarified, the plans I referred to were the Koodo $55 70GB 5G BYOP promotion and the exclusive offer to me from Fido on my primary line for $55 60GB 4G LTE.

 

I moved one of my secondary lines to Koodo. I was paying $50 for 20GB 4G with Fido, now I'm paying $34 for 50GB 4G. That's a 32% savings, for the same speed and services I had with Fido. Fido has the same promotion running, but on new lines only. To get the deal, I had to switch the line to Koodo.

 

As for 5G, I've had my 5G device that I got through Fido for almost 3 years. I assumed that Fido had plans to bring 5G if they were selling 5G devices. To find out they still had no plans for 5G was disappointing to say the least.

 

It sent me looking into all my options, where I found 5G for the same price as Fido's best offer to me for 4G, and prices for 4G at a significant savings over what I'm currently paying or being offered by Fido. I learned about the strengths and weaknesses of Rogers and Telus' respective network infrastructures, and determined either would have good coverage for me.

 

I have no complaints with the 4G LTE service from Fido. It consistently works well for me in my area. But if 5G isn't coming, and Koodo has it if I want it along with 4G at a significantly lower rate than Fido is offering me, it makes it hard to justify staying with Fido.

 

Thanks again for your reply.

Hello @mcmxlv,

 

I understand how many of you wish to advantage of the 5G network. We work hard on improving our 4G LTE constantly. Any news regarding changes to our network will definitely be shared on the Community. 

 

 



pandajj222
I'm a participant level 1
I'm a participant level 1

For what it's worth, I just switch over to Koodoo on the $29/30gb plan yesterday and iirc this plan did not came with 5g speeds, at least not according on the board/sign in store. However, I just noticed that my phone does say 5g instead of LTR/4G now.

Doctorevil
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Its not to save us money. Its ti keep there profits up. Dont be fooled

 

JC008
I'm a participant level 1
I'm a participant level 1

In case you haven't visited a Fido store lately, the moment you ask for options they'll suggest you switch to Roger's. They'll even suggest the same when you chat with them online. It is the biggest indicator that they want to end Fido brand.