Unwanted connection to US Network

[BesVic]

Hello, whenever I switch on my phone at home (in Victoria BC) a get a message "Welcome to the USA", which means, my phone connected to a network in Washington State. 

How can I connect my phone to Public Mobile ?

Thank you

BesVic

[HALIMACS]

@BesVic 

Yes, to stop getting Community emails every time there is a response on a thread you have created, or are following, go to your avatar, under my settings, and put a checkmark in the line that says:

"don't send me any Community emails"

[softech]

Glad it works for you in the end. 

Also, not sure if you actually want to get those email.  If you want, you can tweak the Community settings on your profile to stop receiving those emails

Welcome to PM and enjoy the saving!!

[BesVic]

I got lots of emails regarding "Unwanted connection to US network".

I think I can fix the problem now.

Thank you all

B

[mimmo]

I also only get it when I'm in some parts of  metchosen Or Sooke.

[ShawnC13]

@BesVic, where in Victoria are you?  I rarely get any of those unless I am headed out to Sooke area.  I will have to pay more attention as I am going out there next week and check to see how my phone reacts.  I know that my work phone gets the Welcome to the US as I ping to Port Angeles.  I will try to remember to see how it acts when I am out there next.

[Anonymous]

 Well we know of two members @mimmo and @ShawnC13 on the south Island that might be able to add yet more corroboration.

Although I also like AE_Collector's technical internal input on this and the vision to say to the OP that maybe their phone works fine anyway and that it's just a little irritating to get the text all the time.

[AE_Collector]

@computergeek541 

my good friend who was a Telus mobility insider on the network side passed away at a far too early age in 2015 thus I have no new updates of how it works since then. But prior to 2015 he explained how it worked to me due to my interest as I am a frequent visitor to Point Roberts WA owning a summer place there. I am not certain exactly how they handle it but I always understood it to be a network arrangement as opposed to a billing arrangement. But I can’t say how it works for PM customers beyond my having been a PM customer from December 2018 on and I spent around 150 days (or part days) just south of the border in 2019 and haven’t been back since February 2020 now due to Covid. Places like Tsawwassen BC immediately North of Point Roberts would see customers flipping in and out of roaming when using their phone at their home prior to the set up of the border zone.

AE_Collector

[computergeek541]

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@AE_Collector wrote:

But the border zone solves that. If connected to a US tower that is part of the border zone the call is just handled like it is on Telus network. Maybe somehow the area with the tower on the Olympic Peninsula in WA is not part of the Border zone. Other than getting the Welcome to the USA message, I notice no difference in my service compared to being connected to a Telus tower a couple of miles to the North.

<edit> I just re-read @BesVic @post. I don’t see any mention of no service, only a concern about being connected to a US network.

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I takes this as you confirming that the "border zone" exists on Public Mobile?   Telus still knows that you're connection to a U.S. network, but simply zero-rates any usage charges for specific cell site locations when it comes to this policy.  I don't see this as a network matter, but one rather to do with billing.

[AE_Collector]

But the border zone solves that. If connected to a US tower that is part of the border zone the call is just handled like it is on Telus network. Maybe somehow the area with the tower on the Olympic Peninsula in WA is not part of the Border zone. Other than getting the Welcome to the USA message, I notice no difference in my service compared to being connected to a Telus tower a couple of miles to the North.

<edit> I just re-read @BesVic @post. I don’t see any mention of no service, only a concern about being connected to a US network.

AE_Collector

[computergeek541]

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@AE_Collector wrote:

But... since there is NO CHANCE that you will be charged for roaming since PM is Prepaid, it wouldn’t worry about it too much assuming you get a connection on PM elsewhere around Victoria. Every time I go to Point Roberts WA (not very often lately...14 months and counting...) I get that message but my calls go thorough just the same. Telus has a Border Zone agreement to hand off calls across the immediate border area as cell signals don’t respect geographic boundaries. I am not certain how data use is handled though.....

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I don't believe that charges are the concern here with connecting to a U.S. network, but rather that the service can't be used except for incoming text messages (unless the customer has a roaming add-on).

[AE_Collector]

But... since there is NO CHANCE that you will be charged for roaming since PM is Prepaid, it wouldn’t worry about it too much assuming you get a connection on PM elsewhere around Victoria. Every time I go to Point Roberts WA (not very often lately...14 months and counting...) I get that message but my calls go thorough just the same. Telus has a Border Zone agreement to hand off calls across the immediate border area as cell signals don’t respect geographic boundaries. I am not certain how data use is handled though.....

AE_Collector

[computergeek541]

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@BKNS27 wrote:

@BesVic 

It sounds like your roaming setting is enabled. Go into your phone setting>cellular>cellular data option>disable data roaming.

The network selection should display PM.

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As stated previously, the data roaming setting is unrelated to the preventing a device from connecting to a specific cellular network. Please note that disabling data roaming will not stop a phone from roaming.  it only prvents data use while roaming. The desired network  (Public Mobile in this case) must be manually set to prevent roaming.

[stevenanto]

I remember someone else having the same exact issue around christmas time. I would have to try and see if I can recover that thread

[gpixel]

@Anonymous lol getting a little carried away...

if you hadn't of put the APN settings I would of gave you a bravo

[BKNS27]

@BesVic 

It sounds like your roaming setting is enabled. Go into your phone setting>cellular>cellular data option>disable data roaming.

The network selection should display PM.

[HALIMACS]

@BesVic 

Re Android:

1. Select Settings.
2. Then Mobile Networks (if your device is running Android Lollipop, you will need to choose More Networks, then Mobile Networks)
3. Then Network Operators.
4. Choose the Public Mobile network.

Re iPhone:

1.  Select Settings. 
2.  Then Cellular. 
3.  Then Cellular Network.
4.  Toggle the slider to turn off automatic network selection.
5.  Wait while the iPhone searches for networks. 
6.  The available networks will be listed.
7.  Select Public Mobile.

[computergeek541]

@BesVic 

Your only way to prevent roaming is to manually set the network that you wish to connect to. The steps pointed out by z10user4 will prevent the phone from connecting to any other network.

Before anyone says this, disabling data roaming does not prevent a phone for connecting to a roaming network. It only prevents data use while roaming.

@Anonymous 

APN settings are unreleated to which network a device connects to.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

 @BesVic : Your phone is probably set to pick a network automatically. AT&T and T-Mobile are roaming partners so they're saying hello with a probably stronger signal. This is a problem for people along the border. You'll need to manually scan for networks, select Public Mobile and don't have it on automatic.

Then if and when you go to the states, you'll need to switch it back to automatic or select either of the US networks.

[Anonymous]

# You will need to manually scan for network

select network manually

1.Press Settings.
2.Press Mobile Data.
3.Press Network Selection.
To select network manually, press the indicator next to "Automatic" until the function is deactivated.
Press the required network select Public Mobile,

# 2 do one thing take your SIM card out and waiting for a minute and put it back and do rebooting your phone is will working,

what is mean for Rebooting the phone means to turn off your phone and turn it back on again.

Good Luck