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How tell if PM SIM is 4G capable ?

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

Just found out that data speeds also depend on how recent the SIM card is. My SIM card does not show if it's a 2G or faster. How can I tell if it's 4G capable?  Cut and pasted below from google search.

 

Look around on the SIM card for a 3G symbol. If the SIM card is 3G, it will be written on the card. If your SIM card doesn't have a 3G symbol on it, then it is a 2G SIM card.

21 REPLIES 21

HI@BEER   if you are talking about test server, you can change it

 

but if you are talking about your network it shows, post a screenshot

 

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

@hTideGnow wrote:

HI @BEER   Rogers server  or not, I don't think it does matter.  Probably it checked the IP and looked up with the wrong server

 

for the speed, 3G are non-capped so it is faster

4G is capped at 3Mbps.  

 

Please be aware that a speed test can easily drain your data  if you do it a lot

 


There must be more to this as it consistently (6 times) look up the wrong server when set to LTE but always connected to Telus when set to 3G?

UPDATE: It connects to Rogers because it looks for an OPTIMAL TEST SERVER. I was able to select another server (Bell Canada) and got terrible results.

HI @BEER   Rogers server  or not, I don't think it does matter.  Probably it checked the IP and looked up with the wrong server

 

for the speed, 3G are non-capped so it is faster

4G is capped at 3Mbps.  

 

Please be aware that a speed test can easily drain your data  if you do it a lot

 

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

Yes it has but can you tell me as to why when set to LTE the Speed Test consistently connects  to Rogers?

@BEER this has been mentioned and proven many times with an explanation

 


I am happy to help, but I am not a Customer Support Agent please do not include any personal info in a message to me. Click HERE to create a trouble ticket through SIMon the Chatbot *

MrSpock
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@BEER hi people have suggested to maually select 3g because it sometimes helps when people are having issues with phone calls 

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

There have been discussions regarding this subject before with suggestions to set data to 3G rather than LTE/4G.

Have verified that if one has a 3G plan then it is best to set data to 3G. Don't know why the upload speeds are similar.

Have taken several readings using Speed-test by Ookla and did get consistently higher reading with data set to 3G.

Noticed:

When set to LTE the Speed-Test connects to Rogers.

When set to 3G the Speed-Test connects to Telus.

 

On average set at 3G -----download 8.8 ---- upload 1.8

On average set at LTE ---download 1.9 ------upload 2.1


@BEER wrote:

Just found out that data speeds also depend on how recent the SIM card is. My SIM card does not show if it's a 2G or faster. How can I tell if it's 4G capable?  Cut and pasted below from google search.

 

Look around on the SIM card for a 3G symbol. If the SIM card is 3G, it will be written on the card. If your SIM card doesn't have a 3G symbol on it, then it is a 2G SIM card.


When it comes to Public Mobile SIM cards, none of the above is true. Not only have different versions of Public Mobile SIM cards never enabeld faster data speeds, they've also never been marked as 3g or 4g/LTE.

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@BEER 

Whenever I have tested the 3G network data speed it almost always is between 10mbps and 12mbps.

@darlicious 

True.. i was just thinking we don't have that here  🙂

 

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@softech 

They work on the 2G network as well at least for pm customers roaming on the T-Mobile network in the US if they want to use their voice services.


@BEER wrote:

Two members of my family switched back to Bell - the free SIM cards mailed to us do show 4G .

IMG_0117.jpg


@BEER  So, no 5G?  LoL

they are just design and promotion.  I am pretty sure it works on 5G as well as 3G, just not 2G  🙂

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

Two members of my family switched back to Bell - the free SIM cards mailed to us do show 4G .

IMG_0117.jpg

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

@softech wrote:

@BEER   Just a reminder, your 3G plan also let you use LTE.  In fact, you likely are using LTE connection if you leave your phone as Automatic.  

Just that when you are using LTE on your 3G plan, you are capped at 3Mbps.   If you leave it in 3G , it can go up to 12Mpbs

 

And with voice, your phone always jump onto 3G whenever you are on a voice call

 

Perhaps --since most do leave the default setting to LTE the reason for snail paced speed may be congestion.  Ct and pasted below.


LTE is a lot faster, but in high traffic areas can be slower than 3G. The problem is congestion. When it's rush hour in the city, it's sometimes faster to take the back roads than the freeway. While 3G can be faster than LTE in rare circumstances, the norm is that LTE is much faster.

@BEER   Just a reminder, your 3G plan also let you use LTE.  In fact, you likely are using LTE connection if you leave your phone as Automatic.  

Just that when you are using LTE on your 3G plan, you are capped at 3Mbps.   If you leave it in 3G , it can go up to 12Mpbs

 

And with voice, your phone always jump onto 3G whenever you are on a voice call

 

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

@softech wrote:

@BEER   All sim are made equal  🙂

 

Unless yours are over 15 years old sim , they all should be the same.  In terms of 2G/3G/4G/5G  "the sim card itself and its age should not make a difference as the capability to connect to those networks is dependent on the phone, not the sim. You can think of a sim card as a gateway that connects your phone to the billing system and authenticates it."

 


That's exactly what I thought until I googled it - but then there is much misinformation on google.

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

My phone shows connection to LTE but of course I only pay for 3G. I have tried toggling between LTE and 3G settings but it makes no difference. When on data the phone is snail paced and that is why I wonder if perhaps it's my old 4 year old SIM card's fault. There are no markings on my Sim other then it's serial number.

JL9
Mayor / Maire

You should be good to go, but if you are having doubts about speed and capability you can order a replacement now that they are half price and once you receive it the several weeks or month plus you can see if that does anything.

softech
Oracle
Oracle

@BEER   All sim are made equal  🙂

 

Unless yours are over 15 years old sim , they all should be the same.  In terms of 2G/3G/4G/5G  "the sim card itself and its age should not make a difference as the capability to connect to those networks is dependent on the phone, not the sim. You can think of a sim card as a gateway that connects your phone to the billing system and authenticates it."

 

hairbag1
Mayor / Maire

My sim doesn't have any mention of 2G or 3G...nothing like that at all. Sim is at least 5 yrs old.

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@BEER 

Omg....how old is that article? I have the same 2 sim cards for the past 3 years one on 4G the other on 3G. The 4G account started on 3G plan then moved to the "50/50" plan. I have even had the data account accidently get 4G for a couple of months. Unless you have a really old sim card there is nothing to worry about. Your sim card works on both the 3G and the 4G LTE networks always has and for the  forseeable future will.....

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