International travel

[cbenny13]

I'm traveling to the US from Canada soon. I see I have "Messages Usage: Unlimited International Text" on my plan. Should I leave roaming on? Does anyone know the best way to go about being able to text message Canadian recipients while in the US?

[treefrog]

@dust2dust 

I thought so. I was going by what was said in

@darlicious  's thread but I thought I read it in the small print somewhere too but I can't find it? Thanks anyways for confirming.

[dust2dust]

@treefrog- Your understanding is correct from direct real experience. Reasoning doesn't matter. It doesn't work.

[will13am]

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@treefrog wrote:

@cbenny13 

I have found this thread to be very helpful in understanding how US Roaming works:

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

@will13am 

It's my understanding that you have to have a US Roaming data add on in order to send and receive MMS. It's only in Canada that mobile data isn't required for MMS.

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My thought was that MMS runs through an unmetered proxy and so it does not consume metered data.  If metered data is not consumed, then why would buying some be a requirement.  

[treefrog]

@cbenny13 

I have found this thread to be very helpful in understanding how US Roaming works:

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

@will13am 

It's my understanding that you have to have a US Roaming data add on in order to send and receive MMS. It's only in Canada that mobile data isn't required for MMS.

[dust2dust]

MMS does not work without roaming data.

The only service that works is receiving texts and calling 611 or 1-855-4public.

And currently only known to work with T-Mobile and those numbers are currently known to work with only T-Mobile 2G.

Things may be in some flux though until we get some confirmation from customers.

So other than these, you need roaming add-ons.

[will13am]

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@cbenny13 wrote:

So I don't have to turn cellular data off when I go to the States? Just roaming off, and then I can text? 

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I take back some of what I said earlier.  There are 3 roaming add-on options and actually it would be in your interest to have roaming data on in all cases.  Two of the add-on options involve having data which obviously means you need to allow roaming data to function on the phone.  The third option of just talk and text, roaming data needs to be enable so that you can transact MMS which is a subset of text that uses unmetered data.  In any event, this service is prepaid and so having roaming data on does not result in financial risk in terms of surprise billing.  

[softech]

@cbenny13 please note doing so will allow you to receive text, as long as the phone able to connect to T-MOBILE

HOWEVER, you still won't be able to send text.  Sending text requires the Talk Text roaming add-on purchased

[cbenny13]

So I don't have to turn cellular data off when I go to the States? Just roaming off, and then I can text? 

[will13am]

@cbenny13 , the unlimited international text applies to usage while in Canada.  You can text anywhere in the world.  For roaming services while in the US, you have to purchase a US roaming add-on.  As for turning roaming data on, that would be applicable if you purchased roaming data.  Note that roaming add-ons are 15 days in duration and start immediately when purchased.