In the US - cant call (text and data work though)

[kaycee8877]

As the title says im in the US, purchased talk/text plan and a data plan.  I can text and data but my calls arent working. local or back to Canada.

any ideas?

thanks

[darlicious]

@computergeek541 

Lol....that last line has a lot of truth in it as speedtests lately struggle to exceed 2.5mbps. Like these just now....

The last test was the worst....

[computergeek541]

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@darlicious wrote:

@computergeek541 

Thanks....I knew I read it somewhere. The last I tested 4G LTE data speed was May 2021. But let's not mince words Telus fully controls and makes all decisions regarding public mobile it is no longer a separate entity.

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This is what is says in Self Serve:

1. Plans with 4G LTE data can access maximum LTE download speeds (manufacturer rated at up to 750 Mbps; expected average speeds 12-200 Mbps). Plans with 3G data may reach download speeds of up to 2.5 Mbps, with the coverage and reliability of the LTE network. Speed and signal strength may vary with your device, configuration, Internet traffic, environmental conditions, applicable network managemreent and other factors. For a description of Public Mobile’s network management practices, please see publicmobile.ca/pdfs/Optimization.pdf. Compatible device required. Data usage is rounded up each session to the nearest 10KB. Data service on BlackBerry smartphones requires the BlackBerry 10 operating system.

I have no issue with the speeds being a maximum of 100Mbps. It works. However, Public shouldn't keep advertising a theoretical maximum of 750Mbps. I know real-world results are much lower because that speed is under perfect conditions, but the way things are throttled on the current 4g plans, that 750Mbps isn't even theoretically possible. One could argue the above conditions is meant to apply only to the old 4g plans, but its shows right below the details of my current 4g plan.  I've also read some comments that customers using old plans also can't get download speeds more than 100Mbps (while they could before) and of the possibility that Public Mobile has quiet changed the speed of the old plans too.  That conditions in The Fine Print appears to text that was copied and pasted but that no longer applies (it also incorrectly states that the 3g plans have a maximum speed of 2.5Mbps).

[darlicious]

@computergeek541 

Thanks....I knew I read it somewhere. The last I tested 4G LTE data speed was May 2021. But let's not mince words Telus fully controls and makes all decisions regarding public mobile it is no longer a separate entity.

[computergeek541]

@darlicious 

Average doesn't mean maximum. These new 4g plans will never give downloads faster than 100Mbps. While this is in line with the adverrtising on the main website, the part about 750Mbps is still incorrectly stated and advertised by Public Mobile in Self Serve. That speed isn't possible because the speeds have been artifically capped well below that number.  As for speeds on past 4g plans, Public once got called out for limiting speeds to 60Mbps.  After complaints, they finally admitted it and removed the speed restriction.

[darlicious]

@computergeek541 

The data speed that a network can deliver.....be it the 3G, 4G or for that matter 5G is very different from what the average speed or average user experiences. I will not waste my data on my unlucky $13 plan to perform a speed test. When I last enjoyed bonus 4G data on an account it averaged 60mbps. I don't recall the upload speed.

There have been several members report back their data speed after switching to the 4G plans and they happily reported 90mbps to 100+mbps download speeds. That exceeds industry averages as reported by Open Signal in February of this year.

• Telus download speed :    80.8mbps/12.2mbps upload speed
• Bell download speed :       79.2mbps/11.5mbps upload speed
• Roger's download speed: 58.7mbps/11.5mbps upload speed

The small print did say at some point 4G LTE data speeds are capable of up to 750mbps depending on network traffic although I can no longer find that info on the pm site. But seeing as 4G LTE networks are currently the busiest and their traffic only continues to grow as larger data plans become cheaper the data speeds pm customers are currently experiencing with "4G" plans are exactly as advertised. To make them sound as though public mobile is holding out on its customers is irresponsible when you could ask any Telus, Koodo or Public Mobile customer to speedtest their 4G LTE data ( with a "4G" plan) and their average data speeds will be nearly the same.

[computergeek541]

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@darlicious wrote:

@kaycee8877 

Thanks for the feedback. "3G" and "4G" plans only refer to data speed being throttled to 3mbps or not being throttled and at full speed (up to 100mbps.) 

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The current 4g speed plans aren't unthrottled.  They are actually severely throttled.  The LTE network is capable of much faster than 100Mbps.  Also, it's become clear to me that Public Mobile has also throttled the uploads to 10Mbps althogh there is no documentation provided about this.  Before Public Mobile started doing seperate 3g and 4g plans, the LTE download speeds were actually much faster than 100Mbps.

[darlicious]

@kaycee8877 

Thanks for the feedback. "3G" and "4G" plans only refer to data speed being throttled to 3mbps or not being throttled and at full speed (up to 100mbps.) The voice calling issues relates to voice calling with pm being on the 3G network only while data and texts work on both the 3G network and the 4G network which pm has both networks available to customers. Telus will have to implement VoLTE calling for pm customers eventually and we hopefully expect that to happen by the end of this year or early next year as telus has been slowly eliminating 3G network connectivity in some areas of Canada as it performs cell tower upgrades for the 5G network.

[kaycee8877]

last data point is calls did work when i was out and about.  i pocket dialed somebody, and somebody called me, and the calls connected.  So Las Vegas does have some 2G, just didn't seem available at my hotel.

I guess last question is, I'm on a 3G plan at home, if i was on a 4G plan at home does 4G voice roaming work, or i would've had the same issue?  I do travel to the states a few times a year and no/non-dependable voice calls is problematic for me.

[darlicious]

@kaycee8877 

Testing for the 2G network by forcing your phone into 2G shows that there isn't coverage where you are currently. Leave your phone on the 4G/3G/2G autoconnect setting and if you do get coverage it will automatically drop down to 2G to automatically for you to send/receive a call. (You can test this periodically if you change locations by trying to make a call.)

Otherwise while on wifi download either textnow or fongo and choose a Canadian phone number. This will allow you to make voice calls while on wifi or mobile data. Your mobile data and SMS/MMS texts should work as normal while on T-mobile's 4G LTE network.

[kaycee8877]

my Data does work.. just tried it again. and texts as well.

APN is a bit above my pay grade.  i left it (so its the stock ones - listed are 3: koodo/public/telus).  i tried to add a T Mobile one (found some settings online), but it doesnt stick around very long after i save it.

[dabr]

@kaycee8877   Thanks for trying and confirming what we thought might be the case. 

[dust2dust]

Thanks for another data point about AT&T and optionally Verizon. I have suspected that AT&T has abandoned us. An agent had claimed that Verizon would work but some more people are reporting not.

Your phone should be able to drop down to 2G from LTE for calling but if you set it and nothing was found then yeah I guess 2G is not present.

What do you have for APN settings?

[kaycee8877]

it wouldnt connect.. only to T Mobile (i tried manually connecting to all)

anyways, i don't even think my Data works either but it did at some point down here. (maybe on the tarmac when i landed)

Ill mark this as solved.. no 3G or below networks is causing the problem

[dabr]

@kaycee8877   Are you able to try Verizon?  Another customer reported that they were advised by support to use Verizon, but we don't have any confirmation that it works.  Perhaps, you can try?

[fujiyama]

This won't help if you need to use your number, but to get calls working asap you can download a voip app like TextNow.

[kaycee8877]

@darlicious  Las Vegas.  i forced my phone to 2G and and 3G searched and nothing came up.  so i put back to LTE and searched and i have 4G showing - Tmobile/Sprint/ATT/Verizon

so i guess in my exact spot right now, no 2G

I looked at your map and it would appear that 2/3G are available in Las Vegas.  but not right now for me where i am.

[darlicious]

@kaycee8877 

Where are you in the US? Use the link in my post supplied by @softech to the networks coverage map. Choose "USA", "T-Mobile" and "GSM" (2G) to see if there is 2G network coverage in your area.

[kaycee8877]

Im in Las Vegas.  Im on TMobile at the moment.  I tried to force a search on 2G only but doesn't seem to work.

So in the US only 2G will work. so i guess im SOL?

[softech · Accepted solution]

@kaycee8877   this is because of the decommissioning of 3G network in US.  Our voice needs 3G or 2G  (Text and Data can travel on LTE, which is what you are connecting now and working)

Luckily, voice might still work on T-Mobile 2G network if you can find it and connects to it.  Check which network you are connecting to now.  If it is AT&T, you can try to connect to T-Mobile.  But if it is already T-Mobile, then likely there is no 2G network there

If you want more background to this issue, check this very informative post prepared by @darlicious :

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/US-Roaming-Add-ons-Decommissioning-of-US-...

[dust2dust]

Which network are you connected to? T-Mobile is supposedly the only one that talk works for us. They use their old 2G GSM network. So you need to connect to T-Mobile. But if you're connected to AT&T then that's good to know it works for text and data. Maybe perhaps you're connected to Verizon which would be even more interesting.