Tutorial: enabling eSIM on Public Mobile

[allardljosh]

hmmm. Lucky Mobile seems to have this figured out... Anyone know where this is for PM?

[cavemantoronto]

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@DonForgo wrote:

Knowing how the Telecom companies work, they'll gladly let Public Mobile's user base switch to the higher pricing brands because the reception or reliability has lowered. 

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They can only go so far. If it it gets really bad, users will swtich to another company that isn't Koodo or Telus.

[DonForgo]

Knowing how the Telecom companies work, they'll gladly let Public Mobile's user base switch to the higher pricing brands because the reception or reliability has lowered. 

[dosanj]

hope soon

[wetcoaster]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

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Probably when physical SIMs completely disappear.  Taking an eternity to happen is like never happening.  How long has it been since VoLTE came out?  Can you tell if we are any closer to having access to it?  

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@will13am VoLTE is completely different:  until the UMTS network goes away, you can still call without using VoLTE; VoLTE is optional still.  If/when phones start shipping with only eSIM, eSIM support is no longer optional if you want customers with those phones to use your service! Without a physical SIM slot (or two), there's no fallback option like there is for regular 3G calling without VoLTE support.  These are apples and oranges.

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I would need to go and dig in the old posts, but I seem to recall that there are now new parts of the Bell / Telus network (specially in rural Atlantic Canada IIRC) that are served by LTE hardware only, without 3G fall back. Also, and again I don't have supporting information on my fingertips right now, there seems to be a trend to repurpose 3G band width for B2 and B5  LTE. So for some people VoLTE is not just a nice-to-have feature but a crucial part of their connectivity and Public Mobile is off their list of providers.

If this is actually the case I'd argue that the pressure for PM to offer VoLTE rather sooner than later would be higher.

[geopublic]

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@will13am wrote:

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Why do you say that I think it's in their favor to foot drag the roll out of technology?  I am critical of them for doing that.  I am also critical that they try to make money out of the foot dragging.  At the same time I am saying if that is how they wish to play the game, I am not interested in paying more.  I will go without.  I won't be the first to get an e-SIM only phone.  

+1 

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[will13am]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

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We are talking about a tier 3 service which means laggard by design.  You have seen my opinion on how Telus purposely drags the adoption of technology so that they can find ways to monetize the foot dragging.  Given how it is being rolled out right now, I don't care to take part.  In the past week, I moved my PM SIM back and forth between 3 phone countless times.  If this was an e-SIM, I would have to pay a $20 Telus tax for each movement.  I am totally uninterested in paying that tax.  If this is how e-SIM will roll out, they can hold it back forever.  

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@will13am here's the thing:  it doesn't really matter if you are interested in paying for your eSIMs.  I know that Telus holds back PM, but the difference is that, IMHO, in the not-too-distant-future, eSIMs will not be optional to offer if Telus want customers to be able to continue/start using PM's mobile services. This isn't an optional enhancement like VoLTE, VoWiFi, international roaming, etc; if you buy a new phone that only has eSIM and PM can't give/sell you one, you can't use their services.  I'm not sure how that's in their favour.

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Why do you say that I think it's in their favor to foot drag the roll out of technology?  I am critical of them for doing that.  I am also critical that they try to make money out of the foot dragging.  At the same time I am saying if that is how they wish to play the game, I am not interested in paying more.  I will go without.  I won't be the first to get an e-SIM only phone.  

[srlawren]

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@will13am wrote:

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We are talking about a tier 3 service which means laggard by design.  You have seen my opinion on how Telus purposely drags the adoption of technology so that they can find ways to monetize the foot dragging.  Given how it is being rolled out right now, I don't care to take part.  In the past week, I moved my PM SIM back and forth between 3 phone countless times.  If this was an e-SIM, I would have to pay a $20 Telus tax for each movement.  I am totally uninterested in paying that tax.  If this is how e-SIM will roll out, they can hold it back forever.  

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@will13am here's the thing:  it doesn't really matter if you are interested in paying for your eSIMs.  I know that Telus holds back PM, but the difference is that, IMHO, in the not-too-distant-future, eSIMs will not be optional to offer if Telus want customers to be able to continue/start using PM's mobile services. This isn't an optional enhancement like VoLTE, VoWiFi, international roaming, etc; if you buy a new phone that only has eSIM and PM can't give/sell you one, you can't use their services.  I'm not sure how that's in their favour.

[will13am]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

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At this point what proportion of new phones are e-SIM only?  Knowing this service, it will likely not react until the vast majority of hardware are e-SIM only.  Given the current pricing, I will take a physical SIM over e-SIM.  I swap phones sometimes just to test something.  With e-SIM, I would need to generate two for simple back and forth swap.  That would cost $20 x 2 for nothing. 

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@will13am fixating on the current percentage of devices that are e-SIM only seems counterproductive.  Right now it's pretty much smart watches and some IoT devices.  However, a device as high-profile as the everything-old-is-new-again Moto RAZR is, IMHO, a sign of things to come.  SIM trays and their supporting bits aren't particularly large, but it is space that manufacturers can otherwise use to make their device that much thinner or increase battery capacity by a small margin, all in a bid to differentiate in the crowded mobile landscape.  

You may well be right that PM might wait until the majority of devices are eSIM only to support this option, but it does seem counter-productive to alienate what I imagine will be a steadily-increasing portion of their user base going forward.  While they certain can and may well drag their feet on this like so many other things, it would be pretty stupid of them to do so.  Without VoLTE, you can still make calls; without eSIM support, you won't be able to use your shiny new device one day when you unbox it and find there's nowhere to put your dinosaur SIM card!

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We are talking about a tier 3 service which means laggard by design.  You have seen my opinion on how Telus purposely drags the adoption of technology so that they can find ways to monetize the foot dragging.  Given how it is being rolled out right now, I don't care to take part.  In the past week, I moved my PM SIM back and forth between 3 phone countless times.  If this was an e-SIM, I would have to pay a $20 Telus tax for each movement.  I am totally uninterested in paying that tax.  If this is how e-SIM will roll out, they can hold it back forever.  

[srlawren]

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@will13am wrote:

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At this point what proportion of new phones are e-SIM only?  Knowing this service, it will likely not react until the vast majority of hardware are e-SIM only.  Given the current pricing, I will take a physical SIM over e-SIM.  I swap phones sometimes just to test something.  With e-SIM, I would need to generate two for simple back and forth swap.  That would cost $20 x 2 for nothing. 

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@will13am fixating on the current percentage of devices that are e-SIM only seems counterproductive.  Right now it's pretty much smart watches and some IoT devices.  However, a device as high-profile as the everything-old-is-new-again Moto RAZR is, IMHO, a sign of things to come.  SIM trays and their supporting bits aren't particularly large, but it is space that manufacturers can otherwise use to make their device that much thinner or increase battery capacity by a small margin, all in a bid to differentiate in the crowded mobile landscape.  

You may well be right that PM might wait until the majority of devices are eSIM only to support this option, but it does seem counter-productive to alienate what I imagine will be a steadily-increasing portion of their user base going forward.  While they certain can and may well drag their feet on this like so many other things, it would be pretty stupid of them to do so.  Without VoLTE, you can still make calls; without eSIM support, you won't be able to use your shiny new device one day when you unbox it and find there's nowhere to put your dinosaur SIM card!

[will13am]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

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Probably when physical SIMs completely disappear.  Taking an eternity to happen is like never happening.  How long has it been since VoLTE came out?  Can you tell if we are any closer to having access to it?  

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@will13am VoLTE is completely different:  until the UMTS network goes away, you can still call without using VoLTE; VoLTE is optional still.  If/when phones start shipping with only eSIM, eSIM support is no longer optional if you want customers with those phones to use your service! Without a physical SIM slot (or two), there's no fallback option like there is for regular 3G calling without VoLTE support.  These are apples and oranges.

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At this point what proportion of new phones are e-SIM only?  Knowing this service, it will likely not react until the vast majority of hardware are e-SIM only.  Given the current pricing, I will take a physical SIM over e-SIM.  I swap phones sometimes just to test something.  With e-SIM, I would need to generate two for simple back and forth swap.  That would cost $20 x 2 for nothing. 

[srlawren]

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@will13am wrote:

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Probably when physical SIMs completely disappear.  Taking an eternity to happen is like never happening.  How long has it been since VoLTE came out?  Can you tell if we are any closer to having access to it?  

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@will13am VoLTE is completely different:  until the UMTS network goes away, you can still call without using VoLTE; VoLTE is optional still.  If/when phones start shipping with only eSIM, eSIM support is no longer optional if you want customers with those phones to use your service! Without a physical SIM slot (or two), there's no fallback option like there is for regular 3G calling without VoLTE support.  These are apples and oranges.

[will13am]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

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@XionBunny wrote:

its highly unlikely it'll ever happen.

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^^^ Realistically this^^^.  It's unfortunate.

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@will13am completely disagree, eventually they will have little choice.  Moto Razr 2019/2020 is the first big phone to drop with ONLY eSIM ability, and I'm sure there will be more that follow.  https://www.slashgear.com/new-motorola-razr-is-esim-only-heres-what-that-means-15599729/.  

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Probably when physical SIMs completely disappear.  Taking an eternity to happen is like never happening.  How long has it been since VoLTE came out?  Can you tell if we are any closer to having access to it?  

[srlawren]

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@allardljosh wrote:

hmmm. Lucky Mobile seems to have this figured out... Anyone know where this is for PM?

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Talk about a click bait title!  I was expecting a tutorial on how to magically enable eSIM as a PM subscriber.  Opened it to find the above?  Bleh.

[srlawren]

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@will13am wrote:

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@XionBunny wrote:

its highly unlikely it'll ever happen.

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^^^ Realistically this^^^.  It's unfortunate.

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@will13am completely disagree, eventually they will have little choice.  Moto Razr 2019/2020 is the first big phone to drop with ONLY eSIM ability, and I'm sure there will be more that follow.  https://www.slashgear.com/new-motorola-razr-is-esim-only-heres-what-that-means-15599729/.  

[computergeek541]

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@wetcoaster wrote:

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@geopublic wrote:

New phones instead of two sim slots offer one sim and one eSIM to get customers  to  buy into eSim. Once that happens then eSIM becomes the only option. (Sad day for the consumer).

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Full circle back to the CDMA days, locking the device to the account....

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Be prepared to welcome back the device swap fee, something that costed Telus (other carriers too) next to nothing, espcecially when you performed the change yourself.

I also wonder if a carrier would try to refuse to allow a device onto the network as a way to get around that they can't keep the devices themselves locked.

[wetcoaster]

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@geopublic wrote:

New phones instead of two sim slots offer one sim and one eSIM to get customers  to  buy into eSim. Once that happens then eSIM becomes the only option. (Sad day for the consumer).

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Full circle back to the CDMA days, locking the device to the account....

[geopublic]

New phones instead of two sim slots offer one sim and one eSIM to get customers  to  buy into eSim. Once that happens then eSIM becomes the only option. (Sad day for the consumer).

[AE_Collector]

No benefit then. So phones are coming that can't take a conventional SIM? Won't PM have to offer eSIM soon then? Or am I not understanding correctly?

AE_Collector

[geopublic]

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@AE_Collector wrote:

What is the e SIM benefit? Two SIMs on a single SIM phone?

AE_Collector

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Same benefit as sealed batteries in phones.

[AE_Collector]

What is the e SIM benefit? Two SIMs on a single SIM phone?

AE_Collector

[will13am]

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@wetcoaster wrote:

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@allardljosh wrote:

hmmm. Lucky Mobile seems to have this figured out... Anyone know where this is for PM?

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Public Mobile doesn't support e-SIMs. (As of now... they might get around to it eventually or, by the glacial pace improvements trickle down from Telus and Koodo, it may never happen.)

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Using e-SIM on Telus is not the panacea.  They want $20 to generate a QR code.  e-SIMs are not transferable between phones.  Nice cash grab.

[will13am]

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@XionBunny wrote:

its highly unlikely it'll ever happen.

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^^^ Realistically this^^^.  It's unfortunate.

[geopublic]

@allardljosh  If eSIM is a requirement for you then maybe Lucky would be your best choice because I don't see PM adopting anytime soon.

[XionBunny]

its highly unlikely it'll ever happen.

[wetcoaster · Accepted solution]

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@allardljosh wrote:

hmmm. Lucky Mobile seems to have this figured out... Anyone know where this is for PM?

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Public Mobile doesn't support e-SIMs. (As of now... they might get around to it eventually or, by the glacial pace improvements trickle down from Telus and Koodo, it may never happen.)