Going to Europe

[underhill]

I am a public mobile client. switched over from Koodo about 3 months ago. I am going to Europe and plan to buy a sim card over there. Is my phone locked with public (Lucky) mobile? If so, how do I unlock it before I leave.   Thank you

[TheGx]

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@wetcoaster wrote:

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@srlawren wrote:

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@TheGx wrote:

But as you said about scientific curiosity - nothing is proven until actually tried.

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@TheGx I'm looking forward to you publishing your findings in regards to your hypothesis that you may in fact get some sort of usable service in Europe while using only your Public Mobile SIM card.  

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I have walked off the plane at Schiphol and used the phone, with an active PM SIM installed, as timekeeper (I got a local SIM at destination after the connecting flight). The carrier bar clearly stated "No Service".

But hey, apparently we're all just hallucinating about this "Public Mobile only works in Canada, and, with roaming add-ons (and the $60plan), in the US." thing...🙄

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If you all read my original post, I clearly state that I assume the same as all of you that the Public Sim won't work in europe, but now that it's actually been tried physically - it is actually proven and not an assumption.

[srlawren]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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 @TheGx 

All phones with a SIM installed and powered up and not in Airplane mode broadcast looking for something to connect to. It finds a tower and something receiving. They chat back and forth and the tower says who are you. You don't belong here. Nor are you permitted to use me. Get lost. I'm ignoring you.

Take our PM SIM to the states and an AT&T (or T-Mobile) tower says oh hi hey nice to meet you. Come on in. Hey there's a text for you from your provider.

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@Anonymous nicely anthropomorphised.

[wetcoaster]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@TheGx wrote:

But as you said about scientific curiosity - nothing is proven until actually tried.

---

@TheGx I'm looking forward to you publishing your findings in regards to your hypothesis that you may in fact get some sort of usable service in Europe while using only your Public Mobile SIM card.  

---

I have walked off the plane at Schiphol and used the phone, with an active PM SIM installed, as timekeeper (I got a local SIM at destination after the connecting flight). The carrier bar clearly stated "No Service".

But hey, apparently we're all just hallucinating about this "Public Mobile only works in Canada, and, with roaming add-ons (and the $60plan), in the US." thing...🙄

[Anonymous]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@TheGx wrote:

But as you said about scientific curiosity - nothing is proven until actually tried.

---

@TheGx I'm looking forward to you publishing your findings in regards to your hypothesis that you may in fact get some sort of usable service in Europe while using only your Public Mobile SIM card.  

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 @TheGx 

All phones with a SIM installed and powered up and not in Airplane mode broadcast looking for something to connect to. It finds a tower and something receiving. They chat back and forth and the tower says who are you. You don't belong here. Nor are you permitted to use me. Get lost. I'm ignoring you.

Take our PM SIM to the states and an AT&T (or T-Mobile) tower says oh hi hey nice to meet you. Come on in. Hey there's a text for you from your provider.

[srlawren]

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@TheGx wrote:

But as you said about scientific curiosity - nothing is proven until actually tried.

---

@TheGx I'm looking forward to you publishing your findings in regards to your hypothesis that you may in fact get some sort of usable service in Europe while using only your Public Mobile SIM card.  

[TheGx]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@TheGx wrote:

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@srlawren wrote:

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@TheGx wrote:

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If you want to use your existing Public phone number in other countries, you'll have to bring your Public sim card with you to see if it works in other countires too.

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@TheGx this would be a waste of time, as there is no service with Public Mobile outside of Canada [and the USA if you have the $60 plan or purchase applicable US Roaming add-on(s) as needed.]

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I agree that Public does not offer roaming outside north america, I did write that in my previous post, but it would still be interesting to see if a Public sim card would connect to anything in europe - and there is no other way to see without physically testing, despite what the rules say.

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@TheGx feel free to try it out then.  I'm quite certain you're going to be terribly disappointed, but one can't argue with a spirit of scientific curiosity.

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Oh, I assume same as you that it won't work, so I won't be disappointed at all - I've already wrote I assumed it wouldn't work in my above posts.

But as you said about scientific curiosity - nothing is proven until actually tried.

[srlawren]

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@TheGx wrote:

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@srlawren wrote:

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@TheGx wrote:

---

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If you want to use your existing Public phone number in other countries, you'll have to bring your Public sim card with you to see if it works in other countires too.

---

@TheGx this would be a waste of time, as there is no service with Public Mobile outside of Canada [and the USA if you have the $60 plan or purchase applicable US Roaming add-on(s) as needed.]

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I agree that Public does not offer roaming outside north america, I did write that in my previous post, but it would still be interesting to see if a Public sim card would connect to anything in europe - and there is no other way to see without physically testing, despite what the rules say.

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@TheGx feel free to try it out then.  I'm quite certain you're going to be terribly disappointed, but one can't argue with a spirit of scientific curiosity.

[TheGx]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@TheGx wrote:

---

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If you want to use your existing Public phone number in other countries, you'll have to bring your Public sim card with you to see if it works in other countires too.

---

@TheGx this would be a waste of time, as there is no service with Public Mobile outside of Canada [and the USA if you have the $60 plan or purchase applicable US Roaming add-on(s) as needed.]

---

I agree that Public does not offer roaming outside north america, I did write that in my previous post, but it would still be interesting to see if a Public sim card would connect to anything in europe - and there is no other way to see without physically testing, despite what the rules say.

[srlawren]

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@TheGx wrote:

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If you want to use your existing Public phone number in other countries, you'll have to bring your Public sim card with you to see if it works in other countires too.

---

@TheGx this would be a waste of time, as there is no service with Public Mobile outside of Canada [and the USA if you have the $60 plan or purchase applicable US Roaming add-on(s) as needed.]

[wetcoaster]

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@TheGx wrote:

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@underhill wrote:

Thank you for that response.  If I buy a sim card in London, would I be able to use my existing phone number?  Also, we are going to be in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Would that sim card be usable in those countries as well.  Thank you for your kind assistance.

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If you want to use your existing Public phone number in other countries, you'll have to bring your Public sim card with you to see if it works in other countires too. If you buy a new sim card in another country, you'll have to ask whoever you bought it from which countries it can be used in and what the costs associated with using it are.

I don't think your Public sim card and Public number can be used outside of north america, because none of the plans at Public offer roaming outside of north america.

You can buy international sim cards at most airports that are able to be used in many countries and I expect London airport will sell these that can be used across europe and the eu countries. I've seen international sim cards sold in vending machines in China, but never bought them.

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Public Mobile does NOT offer roaming other than in the states, bringing the PM SIM along doesn't make a difference.If you buy a local SIM you will get a local phone number.

If you want to remain reachable on your Public Mobile number, leave the PM SIM in another phone, which you leave in the charger at home, and forward your calls to your Canadian VoIP number like Fongo etc (forwarding only works to Canadian numbers). Access your VoIP service through WiFi or a data plan from a carrier at your destination.

There are apps which can be used for SMS forwarding, but I don't have any experience with them.

[Dylan3]

Public Mobile doesnt lock phones

So you dont need to worry about it

[Anonymous]

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@underhill wrote:

It was suggested by another responder that Public mobile do not lock the phone after it is switched from another provider (koodo for example)  would this be correct?  thank you

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In the case of Samsung it's more about the phone than the provider. It's probably why they have a nice unlock service.

No, Public Mobile does not lock phones.

[underhill]

It was suggested by another responder that Public mobile do not lock the phone after it is switched from another provider (koodo for example)  would this be correct?  thank you

[Anonymous]

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@underhill wrote:

I am a public mobile client now, and my phone was unlocked from Koodo . I was wondering if public mobile re locked the phone

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Sometimes an unlocked Samsung might re-lock to the next SIM service inserted.

[TheGx]

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@underhill wrote:

Thank you for that response.  If I buy a sim card in London, would I be able to use my existing phone number?  Also, we are going to be in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Would that sim card be usable in those countries as well.  Thank you for your kind assistance.

---

If you want to use your existing Public phone number in other countries, you'll have to bring your Public sim card with you to see if it works in other countires too. If you buy a new sim card in another country, you'll have to ask whoever you bought it from which countries it can be used in and what the costs associated with using it are.

I don't think your Public sim card and Public number can be used outside of north america, because none of the plans at Public offer roaming outside of north america.

You can buy international sim cards at most airports that are able to be used in many countries and I expect London airport will sell these that can be used across europe and the eu countries. I've seen international sim cards sold in vending machines in China, but never bought them.

[YVR]

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@GinYVR wrote:

@underhillIf you are a Public Mobile client, you need to have an unlocked phone to get on the network since Public Mobile doesn't sell phones. You can actually buy pan European SIM eg 3 (the carrier) from Amazon for very reasonable prices.

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If you are planning on using data while travelling in Europe, it would be a good idea to check that your phone bands are compatible with data bands in europe.  Check on this website.

https://willmyphonework.net

[YVR]

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@underhill wrote:

I am a public mobile client. switched over from Koodo about 3 months ago. I am going to Europe and plan to buy a sim card over there. Is my phone locked with public (Lucky) mobile? If so, how do I unlock it before I leave.   Thank you

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Did you get your phone?   from Koodo?  or somewhere else.  If you got it from a provider after December 1st 2017, those phones are supposed to be unlocked.  You can call koodo to get it unlocked free of charge if you got it before that date from koodo.

Koodo and Public are all operating under telus and so that is not a good test.  You can borrow a sim from a friend using something other than koodo, public or telus to check.  

[GinYVR]

@underhillThey don't

[underhill]

I am a public mobile client now, and my phone was unlocked from Koodo . I was wondering if public mobile re locked the phone

[underhill]

Thank you for that response.  If I buy a sim card in London, would I be able to use my existing phone number?  Also, we are going to be in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Would that sim card be usable in those countries as well.  Thank you for your kind assistance.

[Anonymous]

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@underhill wrote:

I am a public mobile client. switched over from Koodo about 3 months ago. I am going to Europe and plan to buy a sim card over there. Is my phone locked with public (Lucky) mobile? If so, how do I unlock it before I leave.   Thank you

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There's a bit of an "unless" here. If you bought the phone new through Telus or Koodo before,  what Dec 2018 or was it 2017, then it *could* be locked but it would work here. You would need to try a different provider to really know if it's unlocked. If it's locked then the telco is required to give you an unlock code no charge. Or if it's a Samsung then they have a nice service to provide you an unlock code.

[TheGx]

Since you are already using your phone with a Public sim card in it, I assume your phone is not locked, because Public sim cards only work on unlocked phones to begin with - so assuming your phone is already unlocked, you don't need to do anything to use your phone in europe.

[GinYVR]

@underhillIf you are a Public Mobile client, you need to have an unlocked phone to get on the network since Public Mobile doesn't sell phones. You can actually buy pan European SIM eg 3 (the carrier) from Amazon for very reasonable prices.