US add-on not making calls

[BrandonS47]

I purchased the $30 unlimited text, call & 3gb data add on Friday (2 days ago) for my US trip that began yesterday. From the moment I landed until now, I am unable to connect for any call. I get a "call ended" whenever I try to connect to a call. I can text and use data without issue. My wife has the same add-on but has no issues, just wondering why I can't connect? Resetting the phone did not work.

[DennyCrane]

@BrandonS47 Your phone is not VoLTE compatible with Public Mobile, and because the US shut down their 3G network you're going to have problems. Your only hope is a T-Mobile 2G coverage as noted; without that you won't be able to make calls on the LTE or 5G network with that phone.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/volte

You can certainly request a refund, but I'd suggest asking for a partial refund because data and text work.

[BrandonS47]

I'll try T-Mobile again later, I've spent way too much time on my laptop and not enjoying the weather here. Thanks for your help. If things still don't work, I'll use the option @HALIMACS suggested.

[HALIMACS]

@BrandonS47 

If you still don’t have services you’re paying for, ask the customer support agents and they will refund you the cost of the add-on and place the amount in your available funds.

There are several users who are unable to utilize the add-on services in the US for various reasons and refunding has become quite common around here in that respect.

To contact a Customer Support Agent, send a private message to the Customer Support Agents by clicking here 

You’ll need to be logged into your Community account for the link to work.

Watch for their response in your Community private mailbox which will be indicated by a number on the small envelope icon to the left of your Community avatar.

[dust2dust]

The GSM is certainly less coverage. But without volte, it's the only cell option from here. You could use a voip app with that data and continue to use the texting but yes talk is the problem with roaming. This place has severe restrictions on enabling volte for way too many devices. My phone is perfectly well able to use volte with another provider but this place refuses to enable it. It sucks.

It would seem your wifes phone has volte enabled.

Be on LTE and manually select T-Mobile. Data and text should work. Then switch that down to GSM. Any bars? Try a call? My guess would be that you're just not in a GSM coverage area. There's nothing in Alaska for example.

[BrandonS47]

also yes, it was the same add on as here. This is beyond frustrating, especially when my wife has no issues with the same add on, while also using a Samsung phone. Paying $30 for a week is expensive (especially compared to monthly options available), and a rip off when the features don't work.

[BrandonS47]

@dust2dustthe options are

LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect)
WCDMA/GSM (auto connect)
WCDMA only
GSM only

selecting GSM only doesn't show any available networks to connect to.

[dust2dust]

Where you found LTE etc, tap on that and you might see 2G GSM. It will also do texting on 2G. Then change it back to LTE when you need data. But the phone might also switch down itself if you leave it on LTE and connected to T-Mobile.

I would be surprised you had volte. Was that using the add-ons from here? But yes some people got volte initially on their devices and then the company removed it. Make sure the OS is all up to date.

[BrandonS47]

@dust2dustI have a Samsung S10e.

[BrandonS47]

 @HALIMACS @Phil_Adelphus 

My roaming is turned on, and my network is LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect). My phone is VoLTE as I was in Pittsburgh a couple months ago and was able to make calls (currently in Florida Keys). My current network operator is AT&T. I changed to T-Mobile but it's not available. My sim card does not allow for Verizon. My wife is connected to AT&T.

How would I change to 2g from 3g? 

An option sometimes pops up for roaming or home country, whichever one I choose gives the same error

[dust2dust]

Since data and presumably real sms text is working then the only fix is manually connecting to T-Mobile to hope the phone will switch down to 2G GSM. Or you might need to manually switch down.
If it's an iphone 8 or newer (and updated OS) then if it's not already on, turn on the volte option in the settings. It really should have been on already. I call this place Public MFi Mobile. If it's an Android then volte is a crap shoot.

[Phil_Adelphus]

@BrandonS47   Is your phone capable and enabled for VoLTE?  Otherwise you would have to try and connect to T-Mobile's 2G network because there is no more 3G in the USA.  Have you tried both AT&T and T-mobile?

[HALIMACS]

@BrandonS47 

first of all, make sure you’re roaming is turned on, and you connect to the T-Mobile or AT&T network ( if available )

if your phone is not VoLTE enabled, you may have issues calling.

You can otherwise switch down your network to 2G and calling will work. This is because the US has decommissioned the 3G network