US Roaming Talk Not Working

[hncfreyja2]

Someone help me please.  My husband is assisting with power restoration in the states and he cannot call me.  He was able to call me elsewhere in the states but not from Santee, SC where there should be no tower issues or Augusta, GA where I understand service is still spotty.   But everyone else from Canada with him is able to call and he was able to call me when he was travelling through Pennsylvania and Massachusetts en route.

What am I missing here?  I got him to switch networks manually and to GSM only etc and restart his phone but he still cannot call me.  Text and data work. . He has the US Canada Plan.  Any suggestions for these other areas he's in?  Is there just no T-Mobile coverage or what?  TIA

[hncfreyja2]

Yeah, it's not.  Offff course.  Like I dunno how people are supposed to know these things.  It's not like I got a letter or email saying anything about the phone won't work.  There's nothing to be done about it now.  I am beyond frustrated.  Anyway, thank you for the links.

[Nezgar]

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@hTideGnow wrote:

hi @hncfreyja2 

he has an older phone and that's why the voice is not VoLTE and does not work in US.  Getting new sim card won't help.  He needs a newer phone to use VoLTE

instead of Facebook Message to talk, which actually works well, he can download VoIP app TextNow.  TextNow will give him another 10 digits number and he can call and text using the app with that another new number

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We have been lucky in Canada that the mobile carriers have been less militant about turning off their old network technologies, and blocking old phones like the US has. Unfortunately, when you travel to the states, even with USA roaming, phones that work just fine in Canada, may be blocked for certain functions like VoLTE calling on US networks. Telus/Public Mobile has no control of US network operators' policies.

Here are some links to the main carrier sites to check your IMEI if their network considers your phone fully supported or not:

T-Mobile: https://www.t-mobile.com/resources/bring-your-own-phone?cmpid=MGPO_EM_P_PREMIUMPLN_F5585C3B103402691...

AT&T: https://www.att.com/idpassets/support/pdf/Devices-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf#:~:text=HOW%20TO%20USE%...

Verizon: https://www.verizon.com/sales/prepaid/byod/enterDeviceIMEI.html

[hncfreyja2]

OK, yes.  That makes sense and would be useful. 

[hTideGnow]

HI @hncfreyja2 

with calling via Facebook, you can only talk to someone who also use Facebook

with VoIp app like textnow, you can call regular phone number (like doctor's office, govt etc) and people can call you from a regular phone too

[hncfreyja2]

So I guess I don't understand what is the advantage of Text Now VoIP app over FB messenger?  Doesn't it still need data to work?  And yes, Messenger has worked well so far at his hotel in Santee on mobile data but not where he was in Augusta.

[hTideGnow]

hi @hncfreyja2 

he has an older phone and that's why the voice is not VoLTE and does not work in US.  Getting new sim card won't help.  He needs a newer phone to use VoLTE

instead of Facebook Message to talk, which actually works well, he can download VoIP app TextNow.  TextNow will give him another 10 digits number and he can call and text using the app with that another new number

[hncfreyja2]

So for those who asked it's an LG G6 so is my understanding we have to get a new phone for it to work properly in the States?  Can he get a sim down there or something or is it the actual phone?  Right now we are talking on Facebook messenger and text but it is still pretty stupid to have a plan that you can't use to its full extent.  A new phone is pretty pricey when the old one works just fine in Canada.

[hTideGnow]

hi @hncfreyja2 what phone he has? did he try different networks?  And I believe he has data, try calling with WhatsApp or iMessage or download VoIP apps like TextNow or Fongo to make calls

[Nezgar]

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@hncfreyja2 wrote:

Yeah, it's not on that official list, is my understanding.  But it works in other areas just fine.  Just not in Santee or Augusta.  Crap.

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The places it *IS* working is not using VoLTE, its using the last vestiges of the old 2G GSM network, where available. I myself for example was able to use a 2G GSM network for calls in San Diego & Los Angeles last year, but not in Spearfish, South Dakota since T-Mobile no longer has any 2G GSM coverage there. (or 3G for that matter either).

What I would recommend in the mean time is seeing if your husband can install the TextNow VoIP calling app. It will let you make and receive calls for free with a new Canadian number over your mobile data or Wi-Fi instead. Fongo Mobile is another canadian VoIP calling app as well.

[Nezgar]

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@hncfreyja2 wrote:

It is set to WDMA/GDA/LTE Only.  He said he has tried all the networks.  PM keeps telling me voLTE is not compatible (it's an LG G6) but it works fine and uses VoLTE here in New Brunswick as I have previously verified.  We don't have a setting on that model.

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I also have a phone (BlackBerry KeyONE running Android 8.1) that works for VoLTE in Canada, but not in the USA. Since it's not on the official list, it's basically blocked by the USA carriers. The USA carriers are even more strict on which devices they permit VoLTE to work on than in Canada.

[hncfreyja2]

Yeah, it's not on that official list, is my understanding.  But it works in other areas just fine.  Just not in Santee or Augusta.  Crap.

[hncfreyja2]

It is set to WDMA/GDA/LTE Only.  He said he has tried all the networks.  PM keeps telling me voLTE is not compatible (it's an LG G6) but it works fine and uses VoLTE here in New Brunswick as I have previously verified.  We don't have a setting on that model.

[Nezgar]

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@hncfreyja2 wrote:

Someone help me please.  My husband is assisting with power restoration in the states and he cannot call me.  He was able to call me elsewhere in the states but not from Augusta, GA but everyone else from Canada with him is able to call.  What am I missing here?  I got him to switch networks manually and to GSM only etc and restart his phone but he still cannot call me.  Text and data work. . He has the US Canada Plan.  Any suggestions?  TIA

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For calling to work in the USA, the phone needs to be new enough to support VoLTE for calls, and in addition needs to be on the US Carriers "allow list" of specific models of phones to work with the feature as well.

There is a short list of models of phones at this official help article, any phone not on that list has risk of not working in Canada and/or the US for calls over LTE (VoLTE).

Otherwise as you discovered, the only workaround is to manually force the phone to T-Mobile GSM to make calls, but this 2G network has very limited coverage across the US.

[Handy1]

@hncfreyja2  Tell him to try phone set to 4G/LTE not 5G and make sure he’s connected to T mobile AT&T and can try Verizon. Also if I’m his phone /account doesn’t have voLTE enabled he would be stuck trying to use phone on 2G