U.S. Roaming has arrived!

[Brooke_C]

Hey Community!

We are ecstatic to announce that after months of planning and hard work, U.S. Roaming has launched! With Black Friday around the corner, we think the timing is pretty great.  It’s also news you can share with your friends to increase your referral rewards.  Remember - our $40/ 4GB promo plan ends November 20^th. We’re glad we pulled this off just in the nick of time!

Here’s how the U.S. Roaming Add-ons work:

• All U.S. Roaming Add-Ons will last 10 days. This 10 day period will begin upon payment of the Add-on and will end 10 days after this date.
• You can choose an Add-On with just one of the services or a combination. We want to ensure that you only pay for what you need. Keeping this in mind, we are offering a range of U.S. Roaming Add-Ons, all with great value. For example, the U.S. Talk, Text and Data Bundle works out to just $2/ day for the 10 day period!

U.S. Roaming 10 Day Add-Ons	Details	Price
U.S. Talk Only	·         Unlimited Canada Wide & U.S. talk	$8
U.S. Text Only*	·         Unlimited global text	$8
U.S. Data Only	·         250 MB data	$10
	·         500MB data	$15
	·         1GB data	$20
U.S. Talk and Text Bundle*	·         Unlimited Canada Wide & U.S. talk ·         Unlimited global text ·         No data	$15
U.S. Talk ,Text, Data Bundle*	·         Unlimited Canada Wide & U.S. talk ·         Unlimited global text ·         250MB data	$20

*Picture and video messaging are not available, but coming soon! Please note that you need a U.S. roaming data plan in order to receive picture and video messaging.

We’ve partnered with AT&T and T-Mobile to provide you with fantastic coverage.

Your U.S. coverage will include all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. So, whether you are travelling to the snow-capped mountains in Alaska or to Hawaii’s sunny beaches, we will have you covered. For more details, check out our coverage map here.

Getting U.S. Roaming is easy!

You can purchase the U.S. roaming Add-Ons by either using your online Self Serve account or the automated phone system.

• Self Serve account: You will be able to purchase the Add-On in your Self Serve account at publicmobile.ca. After logging in, just select the U.S. roaming Add-On you want, make the payment, and then it will be ready to use.
• Automated phone system: You can also purchase your U.S. roaming Add-On using the automated phone system by dialling 1-855-4PUBLIC, and following the prompts.

With this exciting announcement, we have put together some anticipated FAQs. If you have any other questions, please post them below.

-Public Mobile Community team

U.S. Roaming FAQs

 1. What happens after my 10-day U.S. Roaming Add-On expires?

10 days after you purchase your U.S. roaming Add-On, it will automatically expire. If you need another Add-On, you can purchase it the same way you did originally, by using your Self Serve account or calling our automated phone system at 1-855-4PUBLIC. 

 2. I need more than 1GB of data while roaming. What do I do?

Not a problem. You can buy more than one U.S. Roaming Data Add-On if you find you need more data.

 3. Can I roam while I am in countries, other that the U.S.?

No. At this time, we only offer roaming in the U.S.

 4. I can’t see the U.S. Roaming bundle Add-Ons. What do I do?

If you are experiencing issues seeing the U.S. Talk and Text Bundle or the U.S. Talk, Text, Data Bundle when you are in Self Serve or during the activation portal, be sure to clear your cache /cookies in your browser. Once you do this, you’ll be able to see them!

 5. I am a Legacy customer and don’t have a Self Serve account. How do I buy an Add-On?

You can purchase an Add-On through our automated phone system by dialing 1-855-4PUBLIC. As a Legacy customer, you are also able to purchase the Add-On by calling into our call centre. Remember, you are able to create your own Self Serve account at any time, if you would like to. 

 6. Why is *611 not working while I am in the U.S.?

We’re working on this! Dialing *611 is not available now, but will be coming soon. In the meantime, you can dial 1-855-4PUBLIC instead.

 7. The U.S. Add-On prices in the French automated phone system do not match what is displayed on the French website. What’s up with that?

The U.S. Roaming Add-On prices are only stated incorrectly in our French automated phone system. But, don’t worry, when you select the Add-On you want, the correct price will be charged to your account.

 8. I am a Legacy customer on a $19 plan and, when I try to add the U.S. Roaming Add-Ons, I get an error message.

Legacy customers on the $19 plan are not eligible for U.S. Roaming Add-Ons. To take advantage of the roaming options, you will need to change your plan.

[MoreYummy]

@Ali125  What happens to your account, suspended due to what?  Does it tell you why?

[Myxx]

Since I cannot access self serve as it does not recognize my user Identification or email we are safe for now...

[Ali125]

US roaming is here, but by purchasing roaming, the customers going to lose their service. My account has been suspended due to purchasing US roaming.

[SWM]

I would have to disagree with @bharris, I think PM should keep the 10 day add-on but also add a shorter term (maybe three days) add-on as well. 

[hopetindall]

I disagree - I like the PM US Roaming packages.

They give flexibility and a good deal (granted perhaps more expensive for 1 day trips than other solutions).

PHT

[mm623]

I am not able to top up ever since I activated my US roaming service. It says my account is suspended...?  I would like to top up my US service again thanks.

[Myxx]

Once I am finally able to log into self serve I will use the ROAM package , but after 13 days of waiting for a mod's assistance, i've almost given up 

[bharris]

PLEASE change the US addons to be like Koodo

The way koodos addons work is much much better. Please change the US addons to be like koodo.

This will help the many people who work on both sides of the border, live on the border or travel alot

Koodos boosters are more expensive but they do not expire as long as you have service on your phone

PLEASE PLEASE change the US addons.

Many people will switch back to koodo just  becuase of this. I dont care how much the addons cost just make them so they dont expire

[bharris]

This will help the many people who work on both sides of the border, live on the border or travel alot

Koodos boosters are more expensive but they do not expire as long as you have service on your phone

PLEASE PLEASE change the US addons.

Many people will switch back to koodo just  becuase of this. I dont care how much the addons cost just make them so they dont expire

[YYCroof]

What time zone is the start date based on?

Is it the home time zone of the area code of your phone?

Because if you choose a bad time, you could lose a whole day for just a few hours.

If I sign up online where my home area code (403) it is 12:30 AM on Dec 2., It is still 9:30 PM [Dec.1] in Hawaii or 4:00 AM [Dec 2] in Newfoundland.

[agaskin]

Yay US Roaming....

Oh wait, I forgot something....

I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS MY SELF SERVE FOR OVER 3 WEEKS!

HONESTLY; I CAN'T THINK OF A TIME WHERE I HAVE RECIEVED SUCH A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE; AND I WAS PREVIOUSLY A BELL, ROGERS AND TELUS CUSTOMER; THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES.

No dig on the Mods; i do not envy you at the moment. 

[imm1304]

Hi @johncbennett

You can not stack the 2 add-ons because there is no option available for future-dating the start of the add-ons.

The US roaming add-ons are active for 10 days from the day you purchase them.  So, in your case, just buy the 2nd add-on close to your 10th day in the US.  

[johncbennett]

Hi there,

Does anyone know if we can "stack" US roaming options? For example, I'll be in the US for almost three weeks, so I would like to purchase two back-to-back 10-day Talk/Text roaming add-ons. The website doesn't seem to let me add a quantity of "2" for the US add-on. Do I have to wait until the first add-on expires in 10 days, or can I purchase a second, separately, that will activate automatically at the end of the first?

I would try that option out, but I don't want to be charged if my understanding is incorrect.

Thanks!

John

[Aaron83]

I used these add ons last week while in Pittsburgh and then New York, I had good service all week, very happy with it! 😃

[srlawren]

@Eug the workaround may not be for everyone, but I mention it as an option.

[Eug]

---

@srlawren wrote:

IMHO unless you are a heavy voice user, you may get better value for your money by only doing data or data + text (if you still have contacts that insist on texting you instead of WhatsApp, FB Messenger, iMessage, BBM, <insert your favourite data-based messeneger here>) and not getting talk.  You can work around the talk by forwarding your calls to a Fongo number before you leave the country and receiving your inbound calls on Fongo, and using Hangouts Dialer (pre-verify your PM phone number before you leave Canada and then set it to send your PM number as outbound caller ID info).  This is provided you purchase enough data to cover your phone activities on top of whatever other data you plan to use.  But this may well be sufficient for many.  I think I'm going to test-drive this sometime before the end of the year myself--a departure from my previous Roam Mobility usage (using the same forward-to-Fongo + Hangouts Dailer for talk).

---

I find this too much of a hassle for voice. I used to use Skype for voice long distance, and it was just irritating. And the quality wasn't great. I personally have not tried Fongo, but everyone I've conversed with that has says it's not as good as native voice, and it's of course more of a hassle. Some are OK with that, but it's telling they don't claim it's the same as native voice in terms of ease of use and quality. Furthermore, for my wife, she wouldn't even consider doing this. 

BTW, I'm personally not a heavy voice user, but sometimes things just happen. When I went to the US for a week a couple of weeks back, I ended up using 60 minutes of voice, which was much more than I predicted. It just so happened a lot of unexpected things happened back home that I had to deal with, exactly when I was away. Having the US roaming voice plan already in place (on Fido at the time) was awesome. For example, my in-laws from out of town were staying at my house while I was away, and encountered a plumbing issue possibly related to some recent work I had done, and didn't know what to do about it.

For data-based messaging I only use iMessage, which means that anyone without an iPhone wouldn't be able to reach me if I didn't have SMS.

I think the extra $1 per day (give or take) for the ten day period to get voice and text coverage is definitely worth the peace of mind. In addition, this saves a bit on your data bucket, too.

OTOH, if you're going to be in the US for an extended period of time, perhaps what you suggest would make more sense. However, in my case what I'd probably do is get a local SIM.

[Eug]

---

@MVP wrote:

P.S.  PM needs to introduce biweekly packages instead of 10 days..

Week is a more natural time period for vacationers and  for working people too.

---

10 days makes sense since it's really just 1 week plus an extra weekend.

---

@MVP wrote:

---

@Eug wrote:

---

For me, what I'd probably do for a 2 week trip is get a $20 unlimited voice + text plan with 250 MB data, and then add on top of that another $20 1 GB data package, for a total of $40 with 1.25 GB data. For a 3-5 day trip I might be satisfied with much less data though. In fact, I could probably get away with the $20 250 MB plan for a long weekend trip.

---

It would  not work for 2 weeks, as the addons are 10 days  long only.

For 2 weeks minimum $40  is required.

2x$20 unlimited voice + text plan with 250 MB data

and optionally some more data  e.g. 1x$10 250MB 

I wish PM just matched $15/month option from ex-Wind with 1G data.  

---

Yeah, forgot about that. But anyway for me in truth, 10 days is fine since most of my trips are 1 week or less. It would be nice to have an 17 day option though. However, if I must do two 10 day plans, that would still be OK. Still half to two-thirds the price of a roughly similar plan on Fido for example.

Personally I don't think from their perspective they need to match much of anything from Wind now, since Wind sucks so bad. I guess their US roaming was decent (apparently) but that's because it wasn't their network. 

I would like to see the $5/day Roam Like Home type options, but I suspect they don't do this as it would make PM a little too attractive. They'd bleed even more Telus and Koodo subscribers, including small business users.

[tehowennathe]

Seems for me text only come in when I'm close to the border. When I get away from it nothing works

[SWM]

Hey @Brooke_C

I was in the U.S last weekend and didn't add any of the U.S add-ons and I was still able to receive texts. I really hope that Public Mobile keeps it like this and just requires an add-on for outgoing texts while in the U.S.

[daredogg]

---

Brooke_C wrote:

Please note that if you are in the U.S. and don't have a U.S. Roaming Add-On that incorporates talk, then you will not be able to call our 1-855-4PUBLIC number. 

---

@Brooke_C can you still call that number from a landline while in the U.S.? I'd imagine the alternative would be to log onto My Account using wifi and add the LD add-on that way.

[Brooke_C]

Hey everyone,

Great to see so much excitement. And, there are lots of good questions!

 @jimmyche,the U.S. Roaming Add-On will not count towards you local data capacity, since it only applies to the U.S. 

@splendor903, @imm1304 is correct!

If you only have the U.S. talk Add-On you will not be able to send or receive text messages while in the U.S. However, with the U.S. talk Add-On you would be able to receive incoming calls from anywhere in the world and make outgoing calls to our covered areas in Canada and the U.S. 

Please note that if you are in the U.S. and don't have a U.S. Roaming Add-On that incorporates talk, then you will not be able to call our 1-855-4PUBLIC number. 

@theresident and @daredogg, days are measured as the number of days and not by the hours. So, for example, if I added a U.S. Roaming Add-On today, November 23, then it would be available to use until 23:59 on December 2. Hopes this clarifies things! 

@Leeman, we don't have any plans to extend Add-Ons to 1 month at this time. While not as ideal, at this time you are able to apply as many U.S. Roaming Add-Ons to your account as you would like. 

[MVP]

---

@kjmckenz wrote:

All that I would love to see now is a daily or 3-day/weekend option  

---

  And I'd like to see $15/month talk/text(reasonable amounts) /1GB data US roaming option from PM.

  It would be a devastarting knockout  blow to the ex-Wind.

[kjmckenz]

I'm that much closer to abandoning my  roam mobility sim card!

At least I know that I can go on my week long trips without having to worry about sim card switching!

All that I would love to see now is a daily or 3-day/weekend option and I'm free from a second sim altogether!
Having a talk/text/data situation for $5 a day would be amazing!
Or even something similar for $10/3 days with the max value at $20/10 days.

[Janterry]

Thank you! Very excited to hear this as we plan to vacation to the US this winter 🙂

[srlawren]

IMHO unless you are a heavy voice user, you may get better value for your money by only doing data or data + text (if you still have contacts that insist on texting you instead of WhatsApp, FB Messenger, iMessage, BBM, <insert your favourite data-based messeneger here>) and not getting talk.  You can work around the talk by forwarding your calls to a Fongo number before you leave the country and receiving your inbound calls on Fongo, and using Hangouts Dialer (pre-verify your PM phone number before you leave Canada and then set it to send your PM number as outbound caller ID info).  This is provided you purchase enough data to cover your phone activities on top of whatever other data you plan to use.  But this may well be sufficient for many.  I think I'm going to test-drive this sometime before the end of the year myself--a departure from my previous Roam Mobility usage (using the same forward-to-Fongo + Hangouts Dailer for talk).

[MVP]

P.S.  PM needs to introduce biweekly packages instead of 10 days..

Week is a more natural time period for vacationers and  for working people too.

[MVP]

---

@Eug wrote:

---

For me, what I'd probably do for a 2 week trip is get a $20 unlimited voice + text plan with 250 MB data, and then add on top of that another $20 1 GB data package, for a total of $40 with 1.25 GB data. For a 3-5 day trip I might be satisfied with much less data though. In fact, I could probably get away with the $20 250 MB plan for a long weekend trip.

---

It would  not work for 2 weeks, as the addons are 10 days  long only.

For 2 weeks minimum $40  is required.

2x$20 unlimited voice + text plan with 250 MB data

and optionally some more data  e.g. 1x$10 250MB 

I wish PM just matched $15/month option from ex-Wind with 1G data.  

[imm1304]

@Eug, @MVP,  the US roaming is supposed to be working fine now.

Only had an initial hiccup at launch.  2 people who were traveling in the US bought the add-on and tested it.  They couldn't automatically connect, but manually they were able to connect to AT&T as well as T-Mobile and didn't report any issues since then.  

[Eug]

---

@MVP wrote:

So, are the US roaming add-ons working reliably as of today?

---

I'd like to know too.

---

BTW, it seems a lot of people are complaining about the US roaming rates. I personally think PM's roaming rates are fine, but that's because it suits my usage. It might be nice to have other options, but those who really need different rate plans for US roaming might be better off looking at other carrier options. But for casual users like me with reasonably short trips to the US, these rates seem decent. Also, I suspect my usage habits for US roaming mirror a large chunk of the population's.

For me, what I'd probably do for a 2 week trip is get a $20 unlimited voice + text plan with 250 MB data, and then add on top of that another $20 1 GB data package, for a total of $40 with 1.25 GB data. For a 3-5 day trip I might be satisfied with much less data though. In fact, I could probably get away with the $20 250 MB plan for a long weekend trip.

[MVP]

So, are the US roaming add-ons working reliably as of today?

[pbt]

Question on the US Roaming:

'If I buy the Talk, Text and 250MB data roaming Add On.  When I am in the US can I tather my Iphone data to use that data on an IPad (using IPhone personal hotspot)?  Or does it require 1GB data package to do it?   I am on the $40 12GB plan locally.  

Also I assume when I am in US I can call both US AND Canadian phone numbers unlimited?

Thanks