Emergency - Public Mobile not offering US service in 2022

[allardljosh]

I'm shocked that Fido is telling customers that they will no longer be able to call emergency services in the US as they move to VoLTE only. When is PM going to get their act together and offer this service. Why wasn't I notified as I'm on an unlimited 2GB US plan.

https://www.fido.ca/support/mobility/3g-shutdowns-prepaid

[allardljosh]

@J_PM Super disappointed that you've run the clock on the unlimited CAN/US plans with Telus, leaving no option or direction besides forcing a conversion. Terrible behaviour from Public Mobile.

[Anonymous]

@allardljosh 

3G sunset update for US and Canadian network carriers - Northern BI

[softech]

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@allardljosh wrote:

Thanks for one of the first non-noise posts. 

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You are welcome.  I never make noise here  🙂

[darlicious]

@allardljosh 

For postpaid customers that have VoLTE enabled accounts/phones. 

[allardljosh]

> I'm in the USA at the moment and I just made a voice call to a number back in Canada.  I can confirm that my phone (iPhone XR with VoLTE enabled) switched to 3G during the call, just like it does when making a call in Canada.

Thanks for one of the first non-noise posts. Telus, Bell, and Rogers are offering this plan (unlimited US Roaming) with VoLTE until January 4th 2022. This is clearly intentional by PM.

[canadianerk]

Overall a very interesting / troubling development, depending on your perspective. I don't make calls to the US, nor plan to travel there so I'm not personally affected - but the shutdown of 3G networks WILL become a thing in other countries, including Canada, so PM's decision on this will be interesting... 

But I agree with others - this is not an emergency as this has been planned and announced for years. The title is as of writing, is inaccurate clickbait.

While the Big 3's moves tend to match each other, there's still a chance Public Mobile and Telus make a different decision from Rogers' Fido - particularly as Canadian networks aren't going to keep 3G around forever. Unless there's changes (or plans to ditch the pre-paid only brands) VOLTE will be essential to keeping PM and its peers Lucky and Chatr functioning. If Lucky or Chatr had announced this, I'd agree there's reason for concern - as they're pre-paid only. Otherwise, the alarm bells should probably remain on silent - there's no reason for panic yet. Every plan and carrier will have to support VOLTE eventually, once the Canadian sunset dates start coming into play. Whether that means they have to support it in the US is another matter - but if the plan supports it domestically, I don't see how the carriers will justify locking it internationally as data already uses LTE.

[whyveeare]

I'm in the USA at the moment and I just made a voice call to a number back in Canada.  I can confirm that my phone (iPhone XR with VoLTE enabled) switched to 3G during the call, just like it does when making a call in Canada.

Edit: slight clarification.  Voice and data set to LTE.  There is no option switch for VoLTE.  I guess PM blocks that at the SIM level.

[Anonymous]

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@darlicious wrote:

@allardljosh 

This isn't really an issue....as no active plan is needed to use 911. All you need is a VoLTE capable device for areas where access to the 3G network is not available.

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 @darlicious : What is unknown is whether roaming will make use of VoLTE in the states. For those that can set VoLTE on their phone maybe this might happen. Mine is greyed out.

[softech]

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@allardljosh wrote:

Great. This is a unlimited NA roaming plan offered by PM.

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again, if they cannot arrange a US roaming after the shutting down of 3G in US, they have to stop this plan.  PM has the right to terminate this plan and arrange the affected users with another plan as long as they give enough notice.

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Blocking access to emergency services is bound by CRTC rules, domestic or not. The handset is permitted on both Telus and Koodo for VoLTE so this is intentional.

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When US fully retires the 3G system, you phone might not be able to be used in the US for emergency call.  There is nothing CRTC can help.  CRTC does not require all  providers to assure your phone can be used anywhere in the world.    (in fact , as darlicious clarifies, your phone can make emergency calls even you don't have a plan)

You broke the news about Fido not supporting Prepaid customers in US anymore soon.  Fido already made it official, you can try to complain to CRTC about Fido first, Afterall, PM has not make it official yet  

[darlicious]

@allardljosh 

This isn't really an issue....as no active plan is needed to use 911. All you need is a VoLTE capable device for areas where access to the 3G network is not available.

[allardljosh]

> Just to let you know that Lucky Mobile does not have a US roaming and CRTC is ok with it.. 

Great. This is a unlimited NA roaming plan offered by PM.

> so, US roaming is a nice offering by PM.. but not bounded by any CRTC rules.

Blocking access to emergency services is bound by CRTC rules, domestic or not. The handset is permitted on both Telus and Koodo for VoLTE so this is intentional.

[softech]

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@allardljosh wrote:

@J_PM any update on this emergency situation? I've filed 858*** with the CRTC.

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@allardljosh   is it really that urgent??

Just to let you know that Lucky Mobile does not have a US roaming and CRTC is ok with it.. 

so,  US roaming is a nice offering by PM.. but not bounded by any CRTC rules.  

[darlicious]

@allardljosh 

The CRTC has no jurisdiction outside of Canada.

[Anonymous]

 @allardljosh : There's not much PM can do about foreign providers. This deactivation is requiring the provider customers to upgrade their phones altogether as well.

Our roaming option is still on-going with T-Mobile for the next short while. AT&T is sooner. Text and data should still work on both over LTE. But voice is the problem which would include 911.

So PM has two options: 1. leave their customers out to dry when in the states, 2. change their system to allow VoLTE when roaming.

[allardljosh]

@J_PM any update on this emergency situation? I've filed 858*** with the CRTC.

[Anonymous]

 @darlicious : whoops...crowd...I'll edit 🙂 Done. Thanks

[darlicious]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thank you @J_PM . Please do communicate with your keen regulars here ie. Announcements category. Finding out information by other means kinda disrespects your cloud-sourced support system here and all the regulars. Or things released out through the Oracles. Just announce things. It's better for everyone. Even these interim "yes we're doing something" kind of announcements in-thread is fine. Regulars will pick up on them.

Thanks again for keeping us updated.

         🌧🌧

@Anonymous 

Are you the rain maker on pm?😆

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[darlicious]

@J_PM 

• Voicing
• our
• Legitimate
• Trepidations
• Eventually
• Concerns
• Our
• Many
• Interested
• Notable
• Generations
• Soon
• Overjoyed
• On
• New network calling feature.....
• ?

[Anonymous]

Thank you @J_PM . Please do communicate with your keen regulars here ie. Announcements category. Finding out information by other means kinda disrespects your crowd-sourced support system here and all the regulars. Or things released out through the Oracles. Just announce things. It's better for everyone. Even these interim "yes we're doing something" kind of announcements in-thread is fine. Regulars will pick up on them.

Thanks again for keeping us updated.

[J_PM]

Hi Everyone, 

We're aware customers are looking for clarity on this topic. Let me connect with our internal teams, as there will be plans to communicate this update with the Community on a broader scale. Stay tuned! 

Thank you, 

Jade  

[Anonymous]

@darlicious 

yeah is to sad about phones capabilities for 4G or 5G LTE then will have big issues just like the people needed to purchase new device maybe the doing this Because the factories make a Agreements with government want to sell more product for new device, no one know what is going on in world...

@Anonymous 

i appreciate it very much something from you,,thank you.

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

Yes that first article pretty much summed up what I had assumed. It's more dependant on your phones capabilities. If you dont have a 4G LTE capable phone then you will have major issues just like the dozen or so people still using a 2G only phone with the Rogers network.

BTW....thats a compliment above....don't question it just accept it.

[Anonymous]

Nice finds @Anonymous . So folks...T-Mobile or bust...for now. (Edit: well...after Feb afawsfk...hey did I just make up an internet acronym/abbreviation?)

[softech]

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@Community_QA wrote:

I like to know about the 3G in US too.  I have an old phone and might go to US and need roaming in couple months.  Would it work?

(how the 2 links above help?  is this Community only randomly put in some answers?  Just like when I try to call some helpdesk and they gave me some none sense to fool me around and have me hang up quick?)

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@Community_QA   no worry, we are al here trying to help and provide what we know.. We won't try to "hang up" until we find you the answer  🙂

[softech]

@darlicious   I thought I read something that there has to be roaming agreement with VoLTE as well for it to work.. need some expert to clarify here...

[softech]

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@allardljosh wrote:

This was not the case in June, July, and August of this year. Pixel 5a 5G.

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You meant you were trying to use VoLTE on Pixel 5a and didn't work?

[allardljosh]

This was not the case in June, July, and August of this year. Pixel 5a 5G.

[darlicious]

@Community_QA 

Some clarification is needed but I am not 100% certain how much this will affect pm's US roaming services. While pm uses the 3G network in Canada for voice calls once you are roaming in the US you are using At&t and T-Mobile networks. As long as you have a phone that is voLTE capable then your voice calls will be (or should be) unaffected as long as you have voLTE enabled on your phone.

Fido being fido they are probably just trying to dig deeper into their customers pockets.

[Community_QA]

I like to know about the 3G in US too.  I have an old phone and might go to US and need roaming in couple months.  Would it work?

(how the 2 links above help?  is this Community only randomly put in some answers?  Just like when I try to call some helpdesk and they gave me some none sense to fool me around and have me hang up quick?)