600 MHz vs. 860 MHz in Ontario

[homer_j]

Only in Greely, Manotick, Metcalfe & Navan leftout of 860MHz bandwidth.
It's pretty easy to see with the URL when picking your city.

http://www.shoprogers.com/store/cabl...nt/ontario.asp

Rogers, get your act together and upgrade everybody left!!!

[GaryE]

Carleton Place and Almonte are showing as 860 systems and they are further away than Manotick.

[kApOO]

For those wondering for all Ontario, here the market that seems to still be at 600MHz

GRAND RIVER: Grand River (Rural).
LONDON: Belmont, Delaware.
MIDLAND/OWEN SOUND: Collingwood (Rural), Midland, Owen Sound, Penetanguishene, Wasaga Beach.
NEWMARKET: Holland Landing, Holt, Mount Albert, Sharon.
OTTAWA: Greely, Manotick, Metcalfe, Navan.
ST. THOMAS: Port Stanley, St. Thomas (Rural).
TILLSONBURG: Tillsonburg.
WOODSTOCK: Beachville, Woodstock (Rural).

[bigoranget]

Is there any other areas other then Guelph that still have Analog premiums?

[slecomte]

Contrary to the new lineup listings, Ottawa-Cumberland remains 600MHz with no date for an upgrade according to multiple CSRs.

We're appear to be stuck with our 4 HD feeds (TSN, SNET, ABC and CBS).

Interestingly, there is an HDTMP (270) that appeared for the Super Bowl and carried Global HD for a couple of weeks that is now wasted with a test pattern. With some help I'd like to lobby Rogers to at least put Global HD back and use the bandwidth.

Anyone have any contacts in the Rogers Planning department?

[Canadianflyfisher]

I'm in Manotick too.

My 8300HD gets some use, but not nearly what it should with only 4 HD channels. Picked up the Samsung 5085W a couple of weeks ago. Great looking set with HD and even digital SD, but analog looks bad. I'd settle for all digital channels at this point.

The last CSR I talked to in Jan. mentioned that the neighbourhood was scheduled for some upgrades this summer, however they could not provide assurances that a bandwidth upgrade was part of the upgrade.

I noticed the test pattern, but wasn't sure of Roger's intentions. I haven't studied the new line-up in great detail, so I'm not sure what happens to the 5th channel on March 31st.

Also have High Speed Extreme.

I'm holding out on VOIP until they upgrade our neighbourhood. I'm happy with Rogers, although I'd be a lot happier with 860MHz.

[ruralOtown]

Just a quick note that areas that were upgraded last year in rural Ottawa are 860mhz, while those that were upgraded in 2003 are still 600mhz.
The 860mhz areas are: Carleton Place, Almonte, Carp, Munster, Richmond, Vars, Carlsbad Springs, Osgoode, Kars, Russell and Embrun. They were formerly 550Mhz one-way areas and were upgraded to 860mhz two-way this past summer.

We now have the same services as urban Ottawa. My house is in eastern rural Ottawa in the 860 Mhz zone.

[homer_j]

I spoke with the "cable guy" and said Rogers Ottawa submitted their proposed upgrade costs to Rogers "Head Office" for approval.

So, pending approval, work cannot start.

That is where we are at.

[bigoranget]

I never noticed the difference between the 600Mhz and 860 Mhz systems. I knew they had less HD channels but I didn't know they didn't have timeshifting etc.

[homer_j]

Its funny that the NO duplicate mapping of analog channels ie. Sportsnet, CNN, etc.. don't re-appear elsewhere in the NEW theme digital channel positioning.

Couldn't they re-map the analog # (TSN:30) to another analog re-map # (TSN:407)

They only re-mapped digital #s.

I guess Rogers can't spare ANY bandwidth in the 600MHz areas.

[bigoranget]

If Rogers wanted too they could re-map analog version of a channel on another number without taking up any bandwidth.

[homer_j]

But they don't. look at the new rural channel map.

57, care to comment?

[impeyr]

So, it looks like Cumberland is still screwed. Clearly, Rogers has confused Orleans with Cumberland in their upgrade list.

I returned my HD box in December in protest. I will wait for the 860 Mhz upgrade before going the HD route again.

Boy, at the risk of starting a flame, why upgrade places like Vars and Carlsbad Springs, and not Navan or Cumberland?

Way to go Rogers!

[ruralOtown]

impeyr,

The rural upgrade was part of a city-wide upgrade that changed these areas from 550MHZ one-way to full two-way 860 Mhz. It was a business decision by Rogers that affected all rural subcribers that could not access two-way services such as high speed Internet. Now, everyone that can receive Rogers can have high speed Internet. Please note that Carlsbad Springs and Vars are on the same fiber link as Embrun and Russell area. Those areas combine have a larger population than Navan and Cumberland combine. All this info above was in the paper last fall. A great decision as they can now service all Ottawa and the rurals with two-way services. By the way Carlsbad Springs (sections of) and Vars are in Cumberland!!

[57]

Originally Posted by homer_j

But they don't. look at the new rural channel map.

57, care to comment?

They probably want to keep any remapped channels digital across the entire Rogers Ontario domain.