US Roaming ADD ON Talk/Text

[SandraA1964]

Will be traveling to Auburn, California and wondering if I purchase the Talk Text Add on, if it will work.  I currently on 3G $25/month plan.  Worried about the 3G network shutting down in the US.

[SandraA1964]

thank you!  You have been super helpful.  Have a great weekend.

[dust2dust]

Should be fine for morning pacific time. Among all the things you need to do before leaving just take that minute or three to buy the add-on.

Use those little spinner refresh icons to make sure you're looking at current info. You could also do it incognito mode. Maybe even on a non-mobile browser.

All the ideas to minimize chances of a problem.

The 611 service would be another option. You would need to pre-add money though.

[SandraA1964]

driving from Vancouver, BC to Auburn, California late afternoon tomorrow.

[dust2dust]

It varies. When are you crossing the border (land, sea, air)? I usually do it at the departure lounge at the airport.

[SandraA1964]

do you know how long it stays down?

[dust2dust]

It's almost like it happens every night. So yes it's normal.

[SandraA1964]

I am having trouble signing into my account to purchase the Roaming Add On.  I've been getting an error message when trying to log in on my phone and then just now on my laptop, I received a "down for maintenance"  message.. Is this normal?

[dust2dust]

@maximum_gato- Nor does my Samsung. But there's an app for that 🙂 VoLTE Check. So that would give you that screen showing provisioned or not. But you can see evidence of the presence of volte in the sim card status screen. If you see IMS and registered then you have it. That's what one of my phones has. My phone got the toggle and ims with my other US service. No volte on it with Public.

[maximum_gato]

@Nezgar 

Well none of my phones have VoLTE yet with only my dual sim samsung A320 while capable it cannot access the hidden menu when dialing *#*#INFO#*#* so I think it's a lost cause

[Nezgar]

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@maximum_gato wrote:

@Nezgar 

What type of phone were you using to roam?

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BlackBerry KeyOne running Android 8.1. An older rev of android at this point, but it originally came from Rogers and ran using VoLTE originally from 2018-2020. IMEI also gets the "green check mark" from the Telus VoLTE checker. 🙂 This phone is working with VoLTE on Public Mobile in Canada, but not in USA.

I have read other posts over the last few days that people with newer Androids, ie Samsung Galaxy 20FE running android android 13 or 14 i think were working fine with VoLTE in the USA, as well as iPhones.

We'll learn more as more people report in their findings using various models of phones.

[maximum_gato]

@Nezgar 

What type of phone were you using to roam?

@SandraA1964 

Look at it this way you are paying the same amount for a 15 day US Roaming add on ($15) as other providers charge for one day of Roam like Home service.

[SandraA1964]

Thank you.  I'll purchase the 15 day Talk Text Add On later.  I'll only be gone for 6 days starting Wednesday evening.

[SandraA1964]

OK.. thank you.   I will give it a go.

[dust2dust · Accepted solution]

Other than T-Mobile coverage you'll be fine. You acquired volte 'naturally'. I don't remember if those others did. I know Nezgar had prompted Public to enable it so that's a different scenario. I've been asking as well but still a big no.

[Nezgar]

@SandraA1964  In some other posts since my last here, others with newer androids and iPhones are working just fine with VoLTE in the USA.

Anyway, either way you can expect reliable data, sms, mms service in the US. Its just calling that might have the issues I described.

[SandraA1964]

Oh no!.. now I'm not sure if I should get the add on.  Doesn't sound reliable.

[maximum_gato]

@Nezgar 

Wow! Thanks for the feedback. That's troublesome news....do you intend to ask pm why VoLTE did not work for you while roaming in the US? VoLTE while roaming if provisioned for the customer shouldn't be country specific and contradicts pm's info on roaming add ons. It does explain some customers voice call issues reported in the last few days.

[Nezgar]

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@maximum_gato wrote:

@dust2dust 

Great work troubleshooting that VoLTE is enabled for the OP.

@SandraA1964 

Enjoy your trip! You may find this thread and it's update post helpful. Since you have VoLTE enabled on your phone you can safely ignore all of the advice about using the 2G network for voice services.

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

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I just returned from a 14 day trip to California, and purchased the 15-day 3GB Data/Talk/Text add-on before departure. I can confirm that even though my phone has working VoLTE service while in Canada, I did not have VoLTE once I arrived in the USA roaming on T-Mobile. I could make outgoing calls which would fallback to the T-Mobile 2G EDGE network, but incoming calls would only work if I forced the phone to 2G mode. If the phone was on LTE mode, incoming calls would only end up at voicemail without ringing the phone.

My home plan in Canada is $15/250MB/100 Minutes, and I can also confirm that the 3Mbps throttle associated with that plan was in place while roaming in the USA using the 3GB roaming data.

Once I came back to Canada, I again have VoLTE service on the home Public Mobile network.

So TLDR; - Whether you have VoLTE or not in Canada currently has no bearing on getting VoLTE service in the US.

[maximum_gato]

@dust2dust 

Great work troubleshooting that VoLTE is enabled for the OP.

@SandraA1964 

Enjoy your trip! You may find this thread and it's update post helpful. Since you have VoLTE enabled on your phone you can safely ignore all of the advice about using the 2G network for voice services.

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

[maximum_gato]

@BKNS27 

The OP confirmed their device has VoLTE with IMS registration so talk will be on T-Mobile's 4G LTE network unless unusually there is no 4G LTE network coverage and 2G network coverage is available.

[BKNS27]

@SandraA1964 

You will need to purchase the $15 US Roaming calling & texting plan. The settings will work on you are down in the US but you will need to set your phone on Roaming and set the Cellular Network to T-Mobile.

You will not see these settings if you are still in Canada because there are no T-Mobile network in Canada unless you live at a border town.

Talk will be at 2G and texting will be at 4G/LTE.

[SandraA1964]

LOL.  thank you!  

[dust2dust]

I would have been way less helpful if you had an iphone 🙂

Have a great trip.

[SandraA1964]

Thank you for your time and patience.  I will be there only for 6 days.  Leaving this Wednesday.  You have been very helpful!

[dust2dust]

You're all set. Let us know if you will be there more than 15 days as there are some complications with the system (not your phone).

[SandraA1964]

Yes ...set on automatic

[dust2dust]

Excellent then. You should have no problem with talk and text in the states (for as long as you're in a coverage area).

Last thing, settings, connections, mobile networks, network operators - is it set on automatic?

[SandraA1964]

sorry, I'm not too tech savvy.  ok.. did what you said and yes, IMS registered.   Plus software is up to date.

[dust2dust]

I had asked for you to go back to a previous reply to find the IMS thing elsewhere.

settings, about phone, status information, sim card status - look for mention of IMS and that it's registered.

And also, with wifi on

settings, software update and tap download and install

[SandraA1964]

where can i see anything about IMS registered?  I don't see it  under mobile network...connections.  Also nothing about more updates to come..