US Roaming - what do you suggest?

[luv_era]

Hi Everyone,

I have multiple dates over the summer where I am taking vacations over to the US and am looking for some suggestions of which Add On will be the best for me. Each vacation is within 10-12 days at a stretch.

Basically I am hoping for unlimited incoming and outgoing to local and back to Canada and for some Data as well.

Let me know which of the following one or a combination of two would be most beneficial to my need:

Thankyou in advance for your recommendations.

[dust2dust]

There used to be separate standalone talk and text. But now they're bundled together with or without that data.

[luv_era]

Thankyou for the workings.

I think for the shorter trips (2-3 days) the call only will be best, especially when I am going to be mainly in the city areas.

For the longer trips (10-12 days), the package call/text/3GB data might be better.

Thankyou all for your suggestions.

[dust2dust]

It's (adding - not) so much you enabling volte, it's the provider. You might have the toggle for it though. Just leave it on. One way to check is to make a call. During the call, go in to settings, about phone, status information, sim card status and see if Mobile voice network type says UMTS or LTE. Or, not needing a call, go there and look for any mention of IMS and if there, is it registered.

Or if you have fewer bars when not doing anything, when you make a call do the bars jump up.

Or is there any new indicator on the top bar when you make a call.

To find 2G/GSM, settings, connections, mobile networks, network mode and see what choices you have there. One might be 2G only.

I found that with that setting on LTE/3G/2G that it dropped down fine in some areas. But in another area it would not and then it worked when I set it to 2G Only. Text also works on that.

All of this 2G talk is moot if you have volte though.

(all of these settings menus are of course for my Samsung so they might be different for you)

Adding - a couple edits

[luv_era]

My phone is a Moto G8 Power 2022. I don't think I can enable Volte on this one. And I do not believe I can manually select 2g/GSM on my phone.

Not sure if it matters, I have the $40 for 15GB data plan on 4G.

Hope this is the information you were asking for.

[dust2dust]

Watch those gaps. Be sure to time it that the add-on will expire shortly after returning home. Then time it that the next one will be the same. Allow a day or so after the day counter goes to 0/15 and the add-on disappears from your list.

There's a ridiculous problem with re-buying the add-on around the time that one expires. So just avoid the problem and make sure the timing is right.

Adding - yes Yummy brings up the talk aspect. Do you know if your phone has been enabled for volte yet? Do you know if you're able to manually select 2G/GSM on your phone?

[Yummy]

I just calls/SMS I would go with $15. Be advised that sometimes service will not be available, particularly with recent t-mobile hacking.

Data you can get at fast food and other stores.

PM will have T-mobile 2G network for US talk. Try to manually connect to T-mobile.

Roaming is for Data only. Voice and SMS text will still work.

Data will work on LTE, but will switch over to 2G to make a call.

However, the quality of service will vary depending on the different coverage areas when roaming in the USA.

[softech]

@luv_era since you need talk text and data , you would need the $30 bundle.

A possible work around is to buy local prepaid data card (or eSIM) and then use VoIP app like TestNow to  make free calls and text. (on another 10 digits number).    

[HALIMACS]

Personally, the $30 add-on gives you the best of all services.

And since you’re also going for less than 15 days at a time, it’s a good choice.