Rogers rolls out fixes for 911 problems with Dream and Magic, cuts off data for non-upgraders
By Chris Ziegler 
posted January 24th 2010 6:35AM
posted January 24th 2010 6:35AM
So Rogers and HTC have worked with the kind of hustle you don't normally see from carriers or manufacturers to fix a rather dangerous glitch in their branded versions of the Dream and Magic causing calls to 911 to fail with GPS enabled -- and needless to say, you're going to want to apply the upgrade on the double. Why? Well, the problem's so dangerous that Rogers has taken the unusual step of vowing to disable internet access altogether for anyone failing to apply the "mandatory" patch by 6AM today (but don't worry, you should get it back as soon as you've upgraded) which actually allows emergency calls to go through. For their troubles, affected customers will be credited one month's worth of data -- and Magic owners will be delighted to discover that their phones have magically received HTC's Sense UI as a result of this whole ordeal. All's well that ends well, right?
Google's plot has been outted :)
@spietzu
Yes, the plot to deliver an above normal experience for the customer. Sure they initially were presented with a huge problem but they went far beyond their customers' expectations when providing a fix.
If only Microsoft would realize that this is the way to conduct business and provide a FREE copy of Windows 7 Ultimate to each of their customers that bought a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate expecting all of the extras that were promised but never delivered.
@DaveBach This is not Google's plot. This is part of Rogers' failure to deliver critical updates for their customers (let alone an experience-enhancing one) until people complain.
It is Rogers' liability for any injury/damages received due to a bug on one of their devices that has made them push this update out, not Google's good will and benevolence.
@kimchi
Roger's device? I never knew Roger's makes hardware. From what I understand it was provided by HTC.
@Jamesology any device that has Rogers branded on it is considered a Rogers device. It runs software that has been modified by Rogers and is not a true "Google experience" device. So yes they are responsible if it doesn't work. It doesn't help that Rogers was made aware of this issue in late September of last year and did nothing about it until now. This issue was fixed by the android community in cooperation with Google back in September of last year. Rogers not only dropped the ball, but I expect that it's going to bounce back and hit them in the eye.
Well, I can see where those refusing to update should be punished, because Emergency access is almost the main POINT of a portable phone.
Free Sense UI and a month's worth of Data isn't something to be sneezed at either. Well done Rogers! Now about those three-year contracts...
@CJ
Rogers is to be praised for fixing an old, well-documented bug and (finally!) releasing Sense UI after telling us that there would be no future updates, and that the stock 1.5 version was a stable and satisfactory platform, despite the E911 bug?
Good on them for giving free Magics to Dream users who would be stuck on 1.5. But bad on them for constantly delaying critical and experience-enhancing updates.
@CJ Oh yes praise them. Rogers is well known for there support! BuhaHAHAHA! Not only would I have to go back to 1.5 from 1.6, but I would loose my paid market apps, not be able to re-root my phone, have to deal with many known bugs and rely on them for support! My open source operating system had this 911 bug fixed FOUR months ago! I had no issues with making 911 calls and I had updates, improvements, tweaks and bug fixes on an almost weekly biases! So go ahead and praise them for fixing an issue that they have known about for months while they punish those of us who helped ourselves when Rogers turned it's back on us.
Get some sleep, Chris.
@sweet greggo Nah, I'm pretty sure this post was queued for a slow news day like today.
..but now I have to ask, were customers notified that the patch is available, and that their data service will be cut off if not installed? If not, I expect their call centres to get overloaded with calls from people who can no longer access data. This could be even worse if people don't have access to their computers right away (not sure if this is an OTA upgrade or not).
@Devhux Its not OTA, but now we have Sense UI, 2.1 will be. I was notified by text about this and that my data would be turned off if I didn't install it. I installed it at 6AM yesterday just to make sure. I love it.
@Devhux
Yes, a very long text message was sent out to any Rogers or Fido subscriber with a HTC Dream or Magic.
What happens if your phone is using cyanogen?
@Machinedog Good Question.
I was running the latest 32a port of Cyanogenmod OS 1.6. Which for the record DID NOT have the 911 issue (Cy fixed this last year in the fall).
BUT the blockheads at Rogers indicated they would cut-off connectivity to anyone who hadn't drank their new update Koolaid. This would not even be an issue if Rogers had upgraded to 1.6 along with most other carriers in the Fall (who fixed that bug along with their Fall 1.6 upgrades)
The update was a hassle to apply because the upgrade required the awful HTC sync (which didn't work with cyanogen) So after a few hours of frustration - I found I had to restore to a stock ROM to upgrade.
It is also really important to note that this MANDATORY update is not available for OSX or Windows 7 yet!!
I can only imagine how many non technical types will really suffer from this heavy handed, rushed stupidity.
Oh yeah the new Sense UI is very nice - but now I'm downgraded to 1.5 from 1.6 = a number of apps and refinements gone! :-( and I no longer have root - which denies me access to paid apps since we have no paid apps in canada (without MarketEnabler) either.
@Machinedog I found this update a great opportunity to put Cyanogen on my phone. If I'm gonna delete everything on my phone, I might as well put something more useful on, right? As of right now, my data still works :)
@Machinedog
I'm running a rooted Dream with Android 2.0 installed, having no 3G issues whatsoever. Its 11:00 am, so I'm guessing my access is not going to be cut.
@Machinedog
Damn! Spoke to soon. Now at 12:00, all my Data is gone :( Wifi still works though.
@JDGfromMTL I feel for you. I'm in the same boat, but there is no way in hell I will go back to a stock, bug-ridden Rogers ROM! CyanogenMOD is not something I am willing to give up with out a fight. Even if it means going with out data while I wait for Telus, Bell or Wind to get the Nexus One.
Well its past 6 am i was one of the ones that updated they said our data would still be cut off but it would be reactivated with in 24 hours. I still have data access so i don't think they are going to follow threw
2 other guys at work and I have the magic. We all got a few texts from Rogers with the notice about the mandatory upgrade. I had a hero Rom with multitouch installed, which was awesome. The official Rogers sense UI also supports multitouch (pinch to zoom thing) in the stock browser and gallery. Go Canada.
Also. This is not an ota upgrade.
@droo That is because the rogers rom does not include and ota client. But with this sense ui update it now includes it so we will get 2.1 ota instead of installing from the computer
There's a big - unpublished - problem with this upgrade. If you're using Windows 7 or a Mac you're SOL for the time being. Part of the upgrade process requires that HTC Sync recognizes your handset. I have both the Dream and the Magic (thanks to the recent free upgrade) and neither one can connect during the upgrade process - even though they can still be recognized and used as external drives. I tried in vain for hours to get this to work yesterday. After reviewing many posts and threads, I found a small notice on HTC's message boards that said the following:
"Last night, there was an urgent ROM release for the Rogers Magic. It seems that there were some issues for the device when it came to place emergency calls to 911. The webpage for the Download is rough but it had to go up in a very short interval (it will be cleaned up soon). To get this critical update go to the HTC Canadian Site:http://www.htc.com/ca/support/magic-rogers/downloads/ If you have Windows 7 or Mac-there is not currently an installation option for you however, it is coming quickly."
Needless to say, if they do turn off my data (which hasn't happened as of 8:00 am), they'll be getting a call, since I'm unable to upgrade until they release a new patch (or I try finding a machine with Vista or XP).
@jimallman
What about virtual XP? (obviously not an option with home premium or below, but its worth the suggestion).
@jimallman
I upgraded my rom using windows 7. You have to go to htc's site and get the newest version of synch, not use the one on rogers site. Also you have to sure you use the drivers that say MyHTC from the sync folder.
Works fine with me and i didnt have to trick it by using windows vista drivers.
Meet Rogers, the worst damned phone company on the planet.
@TareG
That's pretty much my feeling, and why I left their internet service for an independent provider. And I left their phone service too.... for their own discount brand, Fido. There's even less telecom competition in Canada than any other nation I've read about, America included. :(
At least with Fido my service is a bit cheaper than Rogers', a bit more flexible and I have no contract.
I wasn't happy about having to get the HTC Magic. The Hero seemed so much better. But the Magic seems so much faster than the Hero, and I just love it! Rogers and HTC you're the best! Mind you, Engadget this story broke yesterday, so you're a little slow lately. I'll be making a review on YouTube about this soon, so look for another comment by me soon!
I upgraded lastnight and my Magic seems way faster. It actually feels like an upgrade. Like a new Phone. I can't complain too much. I like the idea that the android experience can be pieced together using whatever desktop replacement/UI you want, but SenseUI seems much more polished than any other I've tried. Glad they did the upgrade.
I am running Cyanogen on a Dream and have not upgraded.
I still have internet access.
That title kind of messes with your head...
"All's well that ends well, right?"
Not for the poor guy/girl whose 911 call didn't go through.
Mandatory update?. this sound fishy.
anyone see a flaw in this? upgrading on android is OTA, yet they are cutting off your data so you cant upgrade.... sucks for anyone with no wifi access
@wako Did you read any of the comments or are you just posting blind? Rogers does "not" provide OTA upgrades you have to use HTC sync. Way to look like an idiot.
@engadget fanboy
so much rage. take a vacation off the internet kiddo
From posts on another site ... people who have not upgraded are losing internet connections. Looks like it started in the west, Toronto and Montreal just got hit. At last report the east coast may still have connectivity ... I'm guessing not for long.
Hustle? What hustle? This issue has been well-documented and reported as early as Sept. 2009, and required editing only 3 lines of code. All the modified roms on XDA have had the fix included long before the issue was even recognized by Rogers/HTC as an urgency! The Sense UI update was long overdue, hell we're still running 1.5 w/Sense UI, while the MT3G has 1.6?
By the way, DON'T UPDATE TO THE OFFICIAL ROGERS RUU! CursorSense 1.2.0, by Cursordroid, released yesterday, is based on the Rogers Sense UI update, has both the sms timestamp fix and E911 fix, is rooted, and doesn't lock you out of custom roms like the official Rogers update will. Cyanogenmod is pointless for Rogers 32A HTC Magics when we've got CursorSense, which is native to Rogers 32A Magics.
Thank god for rom cookers.
@kimchi Seriously, mad props to CurseDroid.
His ROM is BLAZING fast. It's remarkable. These amazing ROM cookers are the best aspect of the Android Community.
impressive that they made such a threat to ensure the upgrade of a such a safety issue.
I like
I read this one too quickly, turns out only Magic got sense UI. Us folks on the dream are left with a little improved ROM for all the bother. Thanks Mr Rogers ... No Soup for you ... pout.
Turns out this update also prevents users from rooting their phones....
Pretty low trick Rogers.
Hey! Where did my post go about my experience of trying to load the update via MicroSD...
Is Rogers requesting deletion?!?!
BTW I am still 3 days without a workable phone and Rogers are scratching their head wondering how to fix it.
I HAD THIS ISSUE!!!!!! I was given the run around for three months and did not pay my bill till the issue was resolved and what is it now.... eight months now... If you did a search for "g1 911 restart" hang up you'd see my post on it!!!! I was one of the first to out this... but noooo one wants to listen to Stan.... argh!!! I was on the phone with them for so long too... hours at a time and calls that were promised never were called back or said they did but they did not... I want to go back to T-mobile but they'd have to reset the fees and get me a nexus :)
I had this issue in the U.S. till i went with sprint after months of trying to resolve the issue.... check out my story
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android+Market/thread?tid=1d476cef43dfb93f&hl=en