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US roaming

ZULFIKARALI
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

If I wanted to America for 30 days than can I buy 1gb add-on 3times together? Or i have to buy one by one?

10 REPLIES 10

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@Sherbert 

Sorry I have corrected that sentence.

 

Well I do prefer fongo for my extra calling needs while in Canada when traveling textnow is a better app as it can have better call quality and you get both free incoming and outgoing texts vs fongo who charges a fee for outgoing text ($4?).

 

By providing all their services for free textnow does have a lot more ads to deal with so you have to also keep in mind those ads may use more mobile data than using fongo so you want to ensure you also turn the background data off and try to limit the use of TextNow while using mobile data.

 

Fongo on the other hand has limited ads that also tend not to use video or HD image resolution so it would use less mobile data. Generally it will use 0.5mb/min or 50mb/100min and marginally more for their ads.

 

Whereas I suspect textnow uses about the same amount of data for the calling but the ads could add more mobile data usage than fongo. I suggest you download both apps and test them before traveling to see which one you prefer and if you want to have both or only one.

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@dust2dust 

Fixed. Added "and/or" for the fact that fongo does not have free outgoing texts. Thx.

@Sherbert- The roaming data add-on gives you the mobility of using a voip app. You can also use wifi anywhere with a voip app. So yes if you focus on using wifi as much as possible then you won't be using roaming data as much.

 

@darlicious- point #8 - adding fongo app or textnow app

Sherbert
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

So I am not sure I understand what you posted, so for one I only need to purchase just the 1gB data add on? But the article also says to download one of two apps? So does that mean I will not use up my data as fast if I download these apps or one of them? 

darlicious
Mayor / Maire

@ZULFIKARALI 

If you choose to go with a local sim card then also download a voip provider app such as textnow or fongo. Before leaving Canada call forward your pm number to your voip #. Remove your pm sim card so it does not connect to a US tower and cancel your call forwarding. Once your local sim is working or once on WiFi any incoming calling to your pm will ring thru to your voip # on your phone. 

 

Here is info on pm's US 10 day Roaming add ons....

Spoiler
  1. While you have to have an active plan to purchase and use US roaming add ons the type of plan you have does not affect the roaming add ons features.
  2. US roaming add ons start the moment you confirm and submit your purchase in your self serve account and expire 240 hours later (10 days×24 hours).
  3. You can pre-load the funds needed to purchase the add ons in your self serve account so you only have to log in, select the US roaming add on and then confirm and submit your purchase.
  4. Wait til late as possible to purchase since they are immediately valid so on free wifi at the destination airport or stopping shortly before the border at mcd's or timmy's to buy the add on while on free wifi.
  5. If you are staying longer than 10 days you must wait a minimum of 24 hours to purchase the same US roaming add on or contact the CSA's to add it before the waiting period ends.
  6. If you have two US roaming add ons with a talk feature that overlap the talk feature basically gets disabled. Avoid this....but you will have to get one removed by a CSA to get your calling feature back if this happens.
  7. After purchase reboot your phone and manually select either at&t or T-mobile to get better reception. Some areas have better coverage by either provider so when travelling around the US you will be better served by choosing the provider with better signal strength by locale.
  8. You will recieve incoming texts without any US roaming add ons. Adding the fongo app and/or textnow app for use on wifi are good to use for a back up plan or you could call forward your pm phone # to your fongo # before you leave Canada and use it with mobile data on a locali sim card or WiFi.
  9. All US roaming add ons have either unlimted text, talk or both. Only data has limits depending on your purchase 250mb/500mb/1gb. Once the data is consumed it will just stop you could then purchase different roaming add on, wait 24 hr to buy or contact the moderator to buy the same US roaming add on again. (* except talk as previously mentioned.)

Happy travels and Stay--Safe!

 

Please note currently due to the decommissioning of the 3G network in the US by pm's roaming partners at&t has already begun this process but as of March 3rd 2022 still has some areas that are still served by the 3G network. T-Mobile has an end date of July 1st 2022. This will affect the ability of pm customers to send and receive voice calls and emergency service such as 911 while in the US and using pm's US roaming add ons. The current work around is to download a voip app such as textnow or fongo for use while on wifi or mobile data for voice calls when in areas no longer served by the 3G network which will eventually include all areas served by at&t and T-Mobile.

 

 

 

 

 

To contact customer support : Submit a support ticket via SIMon the chat bot Click here 

Or if you cannot submit a ticket via SIMon then Click here   ....for additional member supplied info.

BKNS27
Mayor / Maire

@ZULFIKARALI 

You might want to look at a local SIM while you are down south.

Best choice are Tello Mobile or Mint Mobile at a lower cost.

Also download WhatsApp or TextNow app for free wifi calling and texting.

JL9
Mayor / Maire

You may have some more reliable/cost effective local options if you are going to be in the US for a month

dabr
Mayor / Maire

@ZULFIKARALI    You should stagger them and there's a 24 hour delay for purchasing the same roaming add-on after it expires.  However, it might be cheaper to purchase a local SIM for 30 days travel time.

 

edit:  Reminder that roaming add-ons activate immediately after purchasing and should be bought as close to your travel date as possible because of the countdown on expiration for 240 hours.

DDM69
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

Buy one and once it expires you purchase another. Make sure your data roaming is on and choose your network when you are in the US.  You could also look into a temporary US SIM card for the month. 

You wouldn't buy all at the same time as they would all expire at the same time in ten days.

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