Calling my cell from the U.S.

[Maiden]

I am in the U.S. and I am trying to call my cell phone in Canada to get my voicemail but I am getting a fast busy signal.

Should I not be able to call my cell phone from anywhere even though I do not have a U.S. plan as my cell is in CANADA and I have an active account?!

[Luddite]

@Maiden  Just FYI: I use, and recommend to travelers, the voip service from Fongo | Canada’s Affordable Communications Provider. Just before departure forward all calls to your fongo number and set fongo voicemail to send an email to you with each voicemail message. I use this set up all the time with my $13 (old $10) plan.

[sheytoon]

It's a good point. I think each operator has different roaming implementations. If we see a consistent pattern, for example, all Bell mobility subscribers get fast busy when trying to reach a PM customer who is on T-Mobile, then it might make sense.

There's a lot of combinations to test between caller's provider, and the network that PM is roaming on (receiver's roaming network provider).

[darlicious]

@dust2dust 

Shouldn't the question be why are some customers being routed to the US network?

@Maiden 

Maybe customer support needs to reprovision your Sim card? Maybe the network is sometimes reading your Sim card as having an active roaming add on still on it?

[dust2dust]

This all still doesn't explain why some callers are getting through to voicemail. It's also why comprehensive narrowing down of who can and can not call in would be good. But that's a bit of a time investment for the OP. I did. But maybe I'm a bit of an enthusiast. I don't expect others to have the same enthusiasm.

@darlicious- I certainly think my prior problem was the network but doing the replacement rom fixed it so how could it be the network alone? I don't know.

[sheytoon]

@darlicious my hunch is as you said here:

Or are incoming callers who get the fast busy signal being routed thru to the US network but without an active roaming add on they get the fast busy signal because the call doesn't have a valid route to complete to its destination?

[darlicious]

@dust2dust @sheytoon 

I think @Nezgar was also onto something.....with active service the phone connects to the 4G LTE network (all US networks or just T-Mobile's?) without a roaming add on because pm customers are set up to recieve incoming pm texts.  Incoming calling either gets voicemail or a fast busy signal. Could this be due to the phone connecting to the 2G network with an unstable connection or a delay in dropping down to 2G mode in the phone itself even though there is no roaming add on to recieve the call? When everything is working as it should incoming calling goes to voicemail because the phone is unreachable. But.....sorry thinking aloud here....the fast busy signal is an indicator that the provider can't find a valid transmission route to its destination number.  So is this occurring before voicemail is triggered indicating a pm/telus network or equipment failure or oversaturation of users ( unlikely)? Or are incoming callers who get the fast busy signal being routed thru to the US network but without an active roaming add on they get the fast busy signal because the call doesn't have a valid route to complete to its destination?

Both @dust2dust  and I had voicemail issues this summer when suspended via lost/stolen. Mine before midnight eastern on Day 30 and his call forwarded to textnow. Both would disconnect when called? Mine should have forwarded to voicemail. Another user had the same issue as I did around the same time. That's also similar to @dust2dust 's issue when he reactivated his account. It seems pm has some routing issues from time to time?

[dust2dust]

@sheytoon- Thanks for your input on this.

Doesn't explain why some other callers in Canada get to voicemail. I'd be curious to know the outcome of any other testing they're willing to do.

I was recently in the states without roaming and had also forwarded my phone to a voip line before I left. Tried to call the number and it went to voicemail as it should. But yes it does indicate that the network sorta kinda knows the phone is elsewhere. But shouldn't the unreachable condition have been met?

Maybe they could also be sure to connect the phone to T-Mobile and see what happens. Hopefully they're still following along.

[sheytoon]

This may be a long shot... But I wonder if having the PM phone in the US is causing registration attempts on US networks, which in turn results in calls being routed to US operator networks, which then fail because there's no roaming.

Maybe putting the PM phone on airplane mode could help in this scenario.

Just a guess on my part though.

[dust2dust]

See if you can nail down which providers can or can not call in. My problem turned out to be a device problem somehow. But this sounds like a network problem with the fact that the phone is not connected and that some callers can get to the voicemail and some not. But my problem also seemed to point to a network problem. So who knows.

Don't forget all the rewards you get here after all these years. Take them in to consideration when shopping for plans. Or hand this account to a family member or something. Maybe someone here even.

[Maiden]

Ok well, you rock. I was able to call that 778 number and get into my voicemail! 

As stated above, one person could call my cell and get to my voicemail my other friend got the busy signal I was getting, so there is a problem.  I downloaded TextNow today but it wouldn't call my cell phone either? 
I'm going to live with it now that I can access my voicemail but probably, after all these years, dump PM when I get back into Canada.

Thank you Sir/Madam!

[Maiden]

Hi, yes thank you my account is active. I had 2 people call my phone in Canada. One got to voicemail the other friend had a busy signal just like I am getting.

Yep, about time I opened a ticket. 😞

[hTideGnow]

Hi @Maiden fi you login My Account and is account status active?  Check and make sure Pre-authorized payment did not fail.

When you call your number, it should work as long as the account is Active.  It should forward to Voicemail.  If your account is active and just busy tone and not going to voicemail, something is not right,  you need to open ticket with  to CS agent.

[dust2dust · Accepted solution]

This is a peculiar problem. I suspect you'll end up asking for support. But we can help you to describe exactly what the problem is with your testing.

How did it go with someone in Canada calling your number? If you know someone else with Public Mobile, how did it go with trying to call them from your home phone? Did you try calling your number from another working, able to call Canada phone?

If other phones can call the number and get to voicemail then it's something to do with that home phone.

In the meantime, as a workaround, you can call 1-778-580-4001, select English, enter your phone number, press * on your greeting, enter your voicemail password, listen to any messages. If you don't remember your password you can reset it in the account under profile.

But it would be preferred to know exactly what can call your number or not. I had a long running problem of all Telus and Bell subscribers not able to call my number...in Canada. I now also have a problem with another account not able to receive a call from TextNow.

A voip app like TextNow on the phone gives you another number that you can call in and out of and text in and out of using that other number all while connected to the internet.

[hycm53]

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@Maiden wrote:

I left the conversation for a while because I left the U.S. for a while. Same problem once I got back!

First, I can call other Canadian numbers from my home phone in the U.S. yes.

I tried with and without a '1' in front of my cell phone number.

Yes my PM account is 'active'.

Yes I'm on wifi on my laptop here. My cell phone can also connect to wifi in my home here. I can't call it even when I tried shutting it off while trying to call my voicemail in case PM was somehow searching for its location and/or roaming.

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So your PM cell phone is with you in USA and you don't have US data, talk add-on at your cell phone then there's "NO Service" on your phone?

I'm not sure your call will connect to your cell phone when you make a call to your cell phone since there's no service on your cell phone.

[Maiden]

I know my cell would not have service with a roaming add-on.

The whole problem is, I can't call my cell phone from another number but if I have an active account I'm paying for with PM I should be able to call my cell via some other phone/number and get into my voicemail.

I have wifi on my cell phone at my home here, if I download TextNow onto my cell phone, how exactly will that help? Thanks.

[Maiden]

I left the conversation for a while because I left the U.S. for a while. Same problem once I got back!

First, I can call other Canadian numbers from my home phone in the U.S. yes.

I tried with and without a '1' in front of my cell phone number.

Yes my PM account is 'active'.

Yes I'm on wifi on my laptop here. My cell phone can also connect to wifi in my home here. I can't call it even when I tried shutting it off while trying to call my voicemail in case PM was somehow searching for its location and/or roaming.

[Maiden]

Lol I know HOW to access my voicemail. When I dial the number all I get is a fast busy signal, I can NOT access my voicemail. 

[Maiden]

Agreed, I should be able to call it from here. Good idea thanks, I will ask my brother to call my cell and see what happens. Stay tuned.

[hycm53]

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@Maiden wrote:

I KNOW I have no service on my cell. I am using another phone to try to call my cell. It should work! So frustrating repeating myself. 😞

I'm using my home phone in FL I can not download anything unless you mean doing it on my laptop? 😌

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Oh we thought you were using mobile device.

Try this method :

How To Access Your Voicemail From Another Phone:
Call your 10-digit phone number.
When you hear your voicemail greeting, press the star key (*) to interrupt it.
Enter your voicemail password when prompted.
Follow the voice prompts to listen to your messages.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/ns/get-help/articles/set-up-voicemail#:~:text=Call%20your%2010%2Ddigi....

[sheytoon]

So much misunderstanding here...

@Maiden you should be able to call your own voicemail from anywhere in the world, and it doesn't matter if your PM phone is connected to a network or not. As long as your plan is active, it should work.

You can try a few things to narrow it down. Can you call another PM number from your FL home phone and reach their voicemail? Is anyone in Canada able to successfully call your number and reach your voicemail?

[BKNS27]

@Maiden 

You will need the USA Roaming to call your phone while in the USA. Also you can’t call anywhere in the world because PM does have cell towers around the world or have contract to use other carrier’s cell towers.

You can only call selected countries while you are in a Canada if you have International calling Add-on.

You can use WhatsApp or TextNow app for free wifi calling and texting while in USA.

[dust2dust]

You're not repeating yourself, you're not providing enough facts and then you took off for a while. So here you are.

So...your phone with the Public sim is in the US and you do not have roaming on it. You say your home phone can call Canada (at least). Can you call other Canadian numbers?

You try to call your number and using the 1 in front (which you should anyway) and you get a fast busy or something. Can you try with another phone?

I was recently in the US and had a Public sim in a phone and no roaming and it connected to T-Mobile and I tried to call the number from another phone and it would go to voicemail...as it should.

Is your account actually active?

You would do any downloading while on the phone on wifi. Do you have wifi? Seems you must as you're typing here. You can connect your phone to your wifi to be on the internet.

[Maiden]

I KNOW I have no service on my cell. I am using another phone to try to call my cell. It should work! So frustrating repeating myself. 😞

I'm using my home phone in FL I can not download anything unless you mean doing it on my laptop? 😌

[Maiden]

I  tried using a 1 in front and without. Yes my phone in the U.S. can call all around the world.

[hycm53]

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@Maiden wrote:

I am in the U.S. and I am trying to call my cell phone in Canada to get my voicemail but I am getting a fast busy signal.

Should I not be able to call my cell phone from anywhere even though I do not have a U.S. plan as my cell is in CANADA and I have an active account?!

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First you need PM US data add-on, then install TextNow that use data or WIFI ,use it to make a call to your cell phone in Canada. 

[dust2dust]

Where is the Public sim?

Assuming you are using a whole other service to make this call...are you dialing with a 1 in front? Is the service you're using able to call Canada?

[softech]

@Maiden you are calling your cell from another phone in US?

your PM SIM would have no service in US without roaming addon

However, you can still call your own number from another phone or from VoIP phone to check voicemail

What I suggest you is to download VoIP app like TextNow, it will work on Wifi or Mobile data.  Then you can use the app to call your cell number to check Voicemail