Domestic Call Forwarding While Roaming Internationally without plan

[danifunker]

I work in the US and live in Canada, and I have a secondary line I use for a specific purpose which is on Public Mobile. I travel back and forth between US and Canada on a daily basis. I do not want to purchase roaming travel packs for this device and will probably switch over to a carrier that has wifi calling.*#21# Screen

I wanted to forward all of the calls I receive on my Public Mobile line to a different domestic phone number (starting with 437), which I have access to while I am in the USA.

I enabled unconditional call forwarding on my cell phone back in Canada on Friday using the *#21# after finding instructions on the TELUS website: https://www.telus.com/en/bc/support/article/call-forward-mobile. 

When I came back to the US this morning, I noticed that my calls are still not being forwarded, I get a short busy tone, no forwarding to voicemail or anything like that. I am able to dial the 437 number from my US number however, so I know that is working.

I am able to receive forwarded calls when the phone is in Canada. I don't know what the problem is, but if I don't get a solution before the end of the day I need to switch carriers.

I have included some screenshots as to what the problem is. Also, please be aware that the iPhone XR also has a T-Mobile subscription (eSIM) on it, so it is the line labeled as secondary which is the one I'm having trouble with.

Can someone help?

[Nezgar]

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@danifunker wrote:

I enabled unconditional call forwarding on my cell phone back in Canada on Friday using the *#21# after finding instructions on the TELUS website: https://www.telus.com/en/bc/support/article/call-forward-mobile. 

When I came back to the US this morning, I noticed that my calls are still not being forwarded, I get a short busy tone, no forwarding to voicemail or anything like that. I am able to dial the 437 number from my US number however, so I know that is working.

I am able to receive forwarded calls when the phone is in Canada. I don't know what the problem is, but if I don't get a solution before the end of the day I need to switch carriers.

Interesting. When the phone is not unconditionally forwarded, and you are in the US, do you get the Public Mobile voicemail system? Also, please test if there is a difference with your phone OFF or in Airplane mode while in the USA, vs the phone & sim online registered to a US Carrier (T-Mobile or AT&T). If you can disable that SIM, or remove it from the phone entirely when in the US, it might behave differently.

Try disabling the unconditional call forwarding with ##21# and then set the three conditional call forwards instead?

Set Individually:

when busy: *67*437xxxyyyy# - reset with ##67#

No answer: *61*437xxxyyyy# - reset with ##61#

unreachable: *62*437xxxyyyy# - reset with ##62#

Set all 3 at once: *004*437xxxyyyy#

Reset all 3 back to public mobile default voicemail at once: ##004#

I've noticed that 'when busy' conditional call forwarding doesn't work if the originating number is a VoIP line, such as my Fongo Home phone, or Cisco Jabber client.  It works fine for calls regular land-lines and mobile phones. This is the case not just for Public Mobile, but for a SaskTel Mobility line I was testing with too, so it's likely universal... Maybe sounds like you are using a VoIP solution to call from the Toronto number while in the US?

It's possible that because your phone is technically reachable while online in the USA (others have reported receiving calls without a roaming add-on), the forwarding isn't being honoured when the call is handled by the US network because it's then considered an outgoing call to Canada from the USA which is blocked without a roaming plan.

Edit: I just came across this previous post that basically confirms my suspicions. The SIM must be removed from the phone or put in airplane mode for the forwarding to function *PRIOR* to entry to the USA, and remain that way until return. If it registers on a US network, forwarding will be broken until it can register to a Canadian tower:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Call-Forwarding-Not-Operating/m-p/45212...

[gblackma]

@jpetit what s the make and model of your phone?  Is your phone a dual SIM? And are you trying to forward your PM number whilst In the States to a 3rd party provider not on your phone? Thanks.

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@jpetit wrote:

HI,

I'm having the same issue with same situation. Any one figured it out? Will have to change provider as well if there is no solution.

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[jpetit]

HI,

I'm having the same issue with same situation. Any one figured it out? Will have to change provider as well if there is no solution.

[geopublic]

@danifunker  Use this reference for call forwarding:

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/call-forwarding

Also, you might want to consider a prepaid from ATT that includes unlimited calling US, Canada and Mexico, international texting data and roaming across North America for a very competitive rate if you prepay for the year.

[gblackma]

@danifunker , since you will not have the public mobile roaming option. Check your cellular settings, If you would like your PM SIM to go directly to a third party voice mail. You should probably disable it on your iPhone. You can then reenable it upon returning to Canada.

[oglat]

My forwarding works flawlessly

You have too make sure you are on the network when you set it and test it before leaving, I'm not sure what happens if you go away with the phone on as it connects to att and offers roaming. I always have it off or in airplane mode for wifi