Questions about $50 Canada + US Plan

[Professor_331]

I am currently a PM customer on a $25 prepaid plan. I am thinking of upgrading to the $50 Canada+US plan and I have a few specific questions. Here they are:

1-Is voice calling included in the US? For example, if you read the fine print on the TELUS Can-US plan, calls from the US back to Canada are included, but calls made from the USA to another number in the USA are subject to an additional charge per minute. Specifically, are the following ALL included with this plan: (a) outgoing calls from Canada to the US; (b) incoming calls from the US to Canada; (c) outgoing calls from the US to Canada; (d) incoming calls from Canada to the US; (e) outgoing calls from the US to the US; (f) incoming calls from the US to the US.

2-I am considering switching to a phone that supports eSIM. Can I switch to an eSIM at a later point or does it have to be done when I switch plans?

3-I am currently on a 3G data plan. I have tried using a US voice and data roaming add-on in the past, and connectivity was horrible. The phone basically never worked while we were in the US, at least outside of urban areas. I don't know if it was because of the partner network(s) that PM uses in the US, or because we are on a 3G data plan. On my most recent trip to the US, we used a travel sim on the T-Mobile network and it worked a lot better. So my question is - will upgrading to a 4G data plan improve my connectivity while in the USA? Has anyone else experienced problems with connectivity using 3G data add-ons in the USA?

4-I am currently on a pre-paid plan and I would like to retain this arrangement.  Rather than being charged for overage I would rather my phone just not work. I really hate additional charges. Can the $50 Canada-US plan be used as a pre-paid plan?

I will probably have additional questions but that's all I can think of for right now.  Really wish this company has salespeople you can talk to.

[Professor_331]

Thank you.

[ShawnC13]

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@dust2dust Where are these comments you are commenting on?  If you are refering to the "in case you missed, no prediction need, the wait is over!!!!" post 

@softech sorry once you get a star by your name I guess it comes with a GREAT BIG target on your back as well

[softech]

@Professor_331 

in case you missed, no prediction need, the wait is over!!!!

eSIM is now available for existing subscribers as well, so you can switch to eSIM as long as your phone has eSIM feature

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/eSIM-now-available-for-new-amp-existing...

[dust2dust]

The 5G plans don't have roaming. RCS needs the internet though. That's why I prefer just plain old SMS. But whatever works for you. Are you transmitting state secrets? 🙂

[Professor_331]

1. The reason I brought this up, is because I was also looking into a TELUS post-paid $60 federal government plan, and its find print said that outgoing phone calls while in the USA to other USA numbers would be charged at something like $1.75 per minute.  I don't need that BS, TELUS. I'm just making sure PM won't pull the same thing.

4. RCS chat is end-to-end encrypted and it the default for texts on my phone. To force MMS/SMS I need to change the options in each chat. Also RCS chat supports group texting better. Otherwise it's not a huge PITA. I'm currently on a road trip in Saskatchewan and I'm out of PM data. It's a minor frustration and I am relying on wifi and using data on my work phone when I really need it.  This is a big part of my motivation to find another option. You mentioned that the 5G data plans support throttling.  I will look into those as well.

[softech]

@Professor_331 the voice calls would be good with VoLTE . Enjoy 

[dust2dust]

The volte service was only added just sort of recently. When had you last used roaming add-ons from here? Also, roaming in Alaska is not known to work.

Great news on your volte. Must be nice.

[Professor_331]

3. Yes, "VoLTE provisioned" toggle is on.  Do you know why we would have had no connectivity in the USA on the PM add-on then?

[dust2dust]

And a second opinion that roaming calling to a US number while in the US will work. Why wouldn't it? There are some numbers that won't but you almost certainly won't be calling those.

3. Look for volte.

4. Only the 5G plans have a throttled extension. So no the data will just stop. It's 40 gigs though! You can use Google maps offline by pre-downloading map areas. Why do you use chat. Isn't SMS texting sufficient? And more standardized.

[Professor_331]

1. According to @HALIMACS it should be OK.

2. Okay, I will be waiting.

3. Thanks. Still not entirely convinced about this because my wife just took a trip to the USA and our pre-paid travel sim on the T-Mobile network worked a LOT better this time than last time when we used a PM data and talk add-on.  Same handset, same everything else.  I really doubt that T-Mobile has improved their service in Lawrenceville and Winder, GA that much over a year.

4. OK, one more related question then: When I reach my data cap, does it stop working or does it continue with a throttle? Would realy love for it to continue so that Google Maps and RCS Chat text messages still work.  That is one of the only remaining things separating a carrier like Freedom from PM.

[dust2dust]

2. Nothing has been said. No one can predict when this might happen.

3. Can you dial *#*#4636#*#* and lower down under mobile radio do you see the toggle for volte provisioned indicating on? That would be that you have volte. Which would be much better for talk. Otherwise, in network mode, can you find 2G GSM? If so then you might need to switch down to that for talk. Text works there too. Data would need to be on LTE. The phone might be able to switch down automatically as did my phone in one area. But I went to another area and I had to switch manually.

4. This place is all pre-paid.

[Professor_331]

Thank you.

[Professor_331]

1. Okay, great, thank you.

2. Okay. I assume that PM is working on a way for existing customers to switch to eSIM then?

3. I currently use an unlocked Motorola Moto G Power (2021). Are you saying that some setting or update needs to be done on my handset to enable voice calls in the USA? Do I need to buy a different handset? If so, what do I need to look for? Will upgrading to the Canada+USA plan do anything?

4. Okay, but is the $50 Canada+USA plan a prepaid or a postpaid arrangement, or do I have an option?

[HALIMACS]

@Professor_331 

The terms state:

⁺⁺Whether in Canada or the US, this plan includes unlimited calling, text, picture and video and messaging to phone numbers within and between Canada and the US. Data can be used in both Canada and the US.

[softech · Accepted solution]

@Professor_331 4

1. I am not 100% sure if  US to US calls are ok, but it should.  Just in cases download VoIp app TextNow and use it as backup

2. plan change and eSIm change are unrelated. But PM does not currently have eSIM service for existing customers. You have to wait another month or two before you can

3. the roaming depends on the coverage of T-MOBILE . Your plan on 3G or 4G does not matter as they are just 3G speed or 4G speed plan. You can connect to any of PM's 3Gb, 4G, 5G network.  Similarly, you can connect to T-Mobile 4G network regardless of the plan you have 

4.PM is Prepaid and no overage charges at all

[dust2dust]

1. Yes.

2. Not yet. Only new sign ups can use esim.

3. No. It's much more about volte. If your phone has not been enabled for volte yet then the phone would need to be able to switch down to 2G GSM to use the roaming talk. adding - the 3G or 4g plans are about speed.

4. There are no extra surprise charges here.