USA data

[Godmaire1]

I’m currently I. The USA and my current plan has 2 gigs data but I need more can someone explain. The add on? And which one to pick please 

[dust2dust]

@YVR- Connect to T-Mobile. I'm not sure AT&T is valid anymore. Talk will need T-Mobile and your phone needs to be able to drop down to 2G.

I'd be interested for you to observe if the APN changes when you manually scan and connect to T-Mobile.

And maybe experiment with :

https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/not-sold-by-t-mobile/byod-t-mobile-data-and-apn-settings

(hopefully this post will post with the link)

[YVR]

Know that this is on older thread.

Besides having a phone that supports the cellular bands in the USA (like LTE/5G), making sure roaming is on, checking the APN settings for public mobile are ok, and purchasing a US Data add-on or package, what else is needed for data to work with in the USA?

using the APN settings from public found here

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/ab/get-help/articles?category=phones&subcategory=setting-up-your-data...

Only can not get DATA to work 

Any other suggestions?

[mellondon]

Ok I agree with this as well. But if I have 3 days left on my 1G add on wane my plan renews it should finish the remaining data add on before going to my plan data. 
cheers

don

[dust2dust]

@mellondon- I'm torn on this. On the one hand it's how the system works. On the other hand, you have been able to have them do something for you in the past but apparently not anymore.

Like I said, if you used all of your 2gb of us roaming data before the 10 days of the add-on expires then it would become usable.

[mellondon]

@dust2dust but if my plan renews before the 10 days is up pm stops using the add on and goes directly to the plan us roaming.  This isn’t fair. 

[mellondon]

Thank you @darlicious  you completely understand. 

[dust2dust]

@darlicious- The banana split metaphor: No, it's more like you got the whole banana split with all the trimmings but then set it aside to devour the ice cream cake that showed up instead leaving you with a melted, brown, warm banana split. Yum. Garbage now.

The 10 days of service still exists. The customer could blow through the 2gb before the 10 days and the add-on steps back into service.

But I agree that the workaround for the very few customers that find themselves in this situation should continue to be honoured. I was just speaking to the workings of the system. Not the decency of the company which has been shown to be well compromised as to be not so decent.

[darlicious]

@dust2dust 

Yes the system is doing what it has been programmed to do previous to offering the $60 Canada/US plan at which once created and offered has caused the issue at hand. The customer is not getting what they have been promised when purchasing a 10 day US Roaming data add on. They are being short changed on their US roaming data. Thats not their fault its the limitations of Public Mobile's system....thus its the provider's fault.

That doesn't absolve pm of its responsibility and its obligations under the WCC. The customer and pm have entered a contract of 10 days length and have agreed to the terms of service. The provider has broken the terms of service by limiting the customer's access to the remaining data and service left in the 10 day US Roaming data on once his plan renews. Previously pm agreed to a workaround with the customer for the limitation as its cheaper than fixing the issue.

Keep in mind the customer is still inconvenienced by the workaround by having to spend the time contacting customer support, explaining the issue and waiting for it to be resolved all the while being in transit in the US and using their mobile data (if there is no available wifi) to do so.... Why pm is reneging on the compromise is beyond me seeing as the out of pocket cost for them is negligible. There are no excuses for a provider to not fufill services it has agreed to and accepted full payment for ahead of providing the service.

If you order a banana split and pay for it but when it arrives you only get two scoops of ice cream, half of a banana, no chocolate syrup and only one dollop of whip cream are you ok with that? Or do you complain and ask for a partial refund or compromise on a free chocolate dipped cone that you bring home to the wife?

[dust2dust]

I really want to sympathize but I'm of the opinion that the system is doing what it does. At renewal, add-ons step back. But these add-ons have a time limit unlike the Canadian add-ons. So it's unfortunate that the previous resolution is not being granted to you. But the system is doing what it does.

Renew early inside of 10 days left or buy the add-on if more than 10 days left.

[darlicious]

@mellondon 

Check your private messages I will send you a message.

[mellondon]

They stop using the us roaming before the 10 day rule and start using my plan 2g us and they are saying m loss. 

[mellondon]

Yes thank for explaining 

[dust2dust · Accepted solution]

After reviewing the past few conversations from the other user, it seems the two options of either buying roaming data or renewing early are the only ways to deal with this.

Buying roaming data has the added complication of the base plan renewing while the roaming was active. The add-on does what it's supposed to do. ie. step back. Renewing early has the complication of no pro-rating.

So I would conclude that if it's less than 10 days to renewal then renew early. If more than 10 days then buy the add-on. Just so as to not waste the add-on.

Of course renewing early throws out the remainder of the Canada data.

[darlicious]

@Godmaire1 

Ouch! The other option depending on where you are in your 30 day cycle would be to renew your plan early. If thats the route you choose add the $60 to your account balance and contact customer support to renew your plan early for you. Any rewards you have will not apply until your following renewal.

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.

[AE_Collector]

So I think if you buy the US roaming data package it will work for you. I have no experience with this plan though so others give their opinion as well please. If you haven’t bought add-ons before, check the cost, add the funds to your account and THEN select the add-on. I believe it will be good for 10 days maximum but the known glitch is that if your plan hits the 30 day renewal during the 10 days that the add-on is good for, the add-on will stop being used at plan renewal and will then expire at day 10. So determine where you are in your plan cycle first to maximize the use and timing of the add-on. As @hairbag1  noted, there are three options available to you. Be certain to pick one of the three US Roaming add-ons, not the first two in the data add-on list which are for use while in Canada only.

[Godmaire1]

Yes it was the snow bird package. And defiantly not changing it any time soon. Yeah my nephew hotspot the data and well ate it up in an hour 

[AE_Collector]

Oh right… that’s it. I was forgetting that THIS Add-on data is only good for 10 days and then expires rather than rolling over. So yes, just in this scenario it should continue to be used first even with the plan renewing during the 10 days that the add-on is valid. A conundrum for sure as it is such a one off scenario and only affects a plan offered three years ago for about a month!

[darlicious]

@AE_Collector 

Once he renews the add on data goes to the back of the line and the plan data gets used. The add on data ends up expiring....rather than being used first.

[AE_Collector]

@darlicious 

Yes that’s the user name. But what is the glitch… he buys a US data add-on if running out of the 2GB of US Only data included in his plan and what happens? Is it when his plan renews it continues to use up the add-on data until it is gone rather than leaving the unused portion for possible future use and immediately switching back to the renewed 2GB allotment?

[darlicious]

@AE_Collector 

You are thinking of @mellondon and adding a US Roaming data add on near renewal. Public mobile has also refused to compensate with the workaround that had been previously used to alleviate the issue.

[AE_Collector]

@Godmaire1 

When you say that you are currently in the USA and have two GB of data but need more..l this makes me wonder if by chance you have the $60 US Roaming plan that has 8.5 GB data in Canada only as well as 2 GB of US only Data? If so you have had this grandfathered plan for almost three years when it was offered for only a month or two. Let us know if this is the case. There is someone on here occasionally who has added US roaming data only to one of these plans and there is something about doing this that doesn’t go 100% as planned… I just can’t think what it is!

[esjliv]

@Godmaire1  

Roaming Public Mobile Get Help Article found here for reference and information:  https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/us-roaming#:~:text=Troubleshooting%20U.S.%20Roam...

• Make sure data roaming is enabled in your phone settings.
• Restarting your phone should help you connect to the correct network.

[darlicious]

@hairbag1 

Are you expecting a boy or a girl?

@Godmaire1 

The only pm service that works in the US without a US Roaming add on is incoming SMS texts. By purchasing a 10 day US Roaming add data on you can send and recieve MMS, use a voip provider like textnow or fongo for voice calls and the mobile data. To purchase add the funds first then choose, confirm and submit your purchase. 

More info can be found here.....

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 moderators 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 textnow app for use on wifi are good to use for a back up plan or in combination with a US roaming data add on.
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.

[hairbag1]

[will13am]

@Godmaire1 , you need to buy a US roaming add-on in order to use the service in the US.  There are data only add-ons, and ones with talk, text and data.  Look for US roaming in the title.  

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/plans