Roaming when not... anything I can do?

[bcsteeve]

I'm visiting my mom in Abbotsford. It is a "border town", but I'm several km from the actual border. It insists I'm roaming. I've never run into this before. Anything I can do?

[Michael77]

@will13am, great solution! 🙂

[bcsteeve]

Thanks a ton. Public mobile was the first on the list and T-Mobile second, so odd to me that auto would select T-Mobile, but whatever. Fixed now. Cheers

[srlawren]

Nope. I'm 100% an Android guy, and before that I was 100% Blackberry guy (now reformed). I own precisely TWO Apple products: an iPod Classic from 2006 that still trucks on in my car giving me access to my full music library, and a slightly newer iPod Touch (4th gen from... 2010?) that I use on the go and at work. Neither has anything cellular nor modern iOS. Thank goodness. Yuck.

[will13am]

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@srlawren wrote:
Awesome response @will13am! I was going to say the same thing but no need now. This is definitely the best workaround.

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My awesomeness ends at android.  I don't even know how to hold an iPhone, never taken that course.  Perhaps you can post the equivalent solution for iOS, just in case OP has an iPhone. 

[srlawren]

Awesome response @will13am! I was going to say the same thing but no need now. This is definitely the best workaround.

[will13am · Accepted solution]

If this problem is occurring with an android device, the work around is pretty simple.  Just go to the cellular network settings, click on network operators and wait for the phone to build a list of available network operators, select public mobile.  This makes the phone connect to the selected operator only.  Normally, the default setting is auto which allows the phone to connect to a roaming partner if the home network connection is lost due to signal weakness.  Speaking of weak signal, is Abbotsford poorly covered by Telus? 

BTW, don't forget to go back to auto mode when roaming capability is desired. 

[NDesai]

Go to settings and make sure you have Roaming turned off. After that, try turning on/off airplane mode or try rebooting your phone. 

[bcsteeve]

I wasn't "asked" about roaming. Instead of "LTE" beside my bars, it's an "R" and I can't make phone calls or use data.

[NDesai]

If you are referring to US border, then it should not ask you to roam. Does it tell you even if you have Roaming off?