Testers needed: Conditional Call Forwarding while in USA with no Roaming Add-on

[Nezgar]

I have learned via a couple previous threads that "unconditional" call forwarding will stop working once a Public Mobile SIM registers on a USA network without an active roaming add-on, and will persist until it registers again on the Public Mobile network in Canada. This is because outgoing calls and texts are restricted in the USA without a roaming add-on, and forwarded calls are considered outgoing calls from the US.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Domestic-Call-Forwarding-While-Roaming-...

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Call-Forwarding-Not-Operating/m-p/45212...

This can throw a monkey wrench in ones intentions to forward their number while they are outside of Canada.

Can anyone who is currently, or soon to be in the USA with a Public Mobile phone without a roaming add-on please test and confirm if "conditional" call forwarding continues to work? By default, all 3 "conditional" call forwards are set to Public Mobile/Telus's voicemail servers, so the easiest test is someone calls you and gets to your voicemail, or if they get a fast-busy or some error message.

If voicemail works, thats great, and we should be able to try changing them to another number, but apparently changes to call forwarding can only be done while still in Canada. (Is this still true?) Try to set your conditional forwards to an alternate number in Canada, (while the phone is still in Canada) ie NRC's telephone talking clock:

*004*16137451576#

Reset them back to the default Public Mobile voicemail server with:

##004#

If conditional call forwarding still works while in the USA without a roaming add-on, this will be a good workaround for "unconditional" call forwarding not working.

PS: While at it, it would also be interesting to test if your phone rings, and if you are actually able to answer that incoming call without an active USA roaming add-on, while in the USA.

[kselmak]

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@Anonymous wrote:

 @kselmak 

As gblackma noted the other day in relation to calling ones voicemail from a voip service on the phone...use your Fongo when in the states and call your number.

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🙂

I guess I can dial myself and text myself using TextNow since I forward to fongo. It does sound a bit depressing though

I was forwarding to fongo, and although it's off the little creep still receives the call and would ring, so I removed it. It used to be really off when you exit, and now for couple of months although I disabled the listening to incoming, it still does it, sometimes it's just the notification that I missed the call, but if I don't react and exit it again the next time it will ring

[Anonymous]

 @kselmak 

As gblackma noted the other day in relation to calling ones voicemail from a voip service on the phone...use your Fongo when in the states and call your number.

[kselmak]

I've been using both "forward all calls" for temporary absence and particular situation forwards when I wanted to use fongo instead of public mobile voicemail. What I always always did was airplane mode it before crossing the border, to me it is logical that the moment I connect to a tower in USA my roaming status would have to decide how every call would be handled. Honestly I don't think that the reason for the forward would determine anything. I would still be trying to ping-pong off of att tower and they would refuse

I did couple of very short crossings where I didn't bother to airplane, I just kept receiving the welcome to roaming texts. I don't even know if anybody called or texted me in that short time. I guess next time I go I'll arrange for couple of calls and texts and I'll make sure I get access to free WiFi to check if I'd be able to answer my fongo

But then again maybe you are correct, if I'm unavailable it's not like the system will just drop the call cause it's different number from the voicemail, or it's not like it's gonna 'correct' to the voicemail number, where else can it go? 

[will13am]

I have not been in the US with Public Mobile service and so I don't have a personal data point to share.  My understanding of call forwarding is that being connected to the home network is a necessary condition to making any changes.  Theoretically roaming should not alter any past settings registered in the network.  That's been my experience when I was using wind mobile.  For to the size of that network, switching back and forth between home and roaming happens frequently with no effect on call forwarding settings.  One great feature wind had that other services should adopt is the option to edit call forwarding options from the self serve account.  

[Anonymous]

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@Nezgar wrote:

PS: While at it, it would also be interesting to test if your phone rings, and if you are actually able to answer that incoming call without an active USA roaming add-on, while in the USA.

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This has been observed. But it's unofficial and could change at any time without notice.