need help connecting with US roaming

[neilhagen5]

My wife and I are both Public Mobile customers. We purchased 10-day roaming cell and data add-ons yesterday before we left home. Today, we drove from Alberta to St. Mary, Montana, and right away when we left the Canadian border we could see that there was a cell signal, with a strong signal from GSM/HSPA/LTE (autocorrect) networks -- partners of T-mobile I understand. But neither my wife nor I have been able to access either data or phone or text. We have re-booted both phones .We've had these phones for a while and have been with Public Mobile for years. We don't use the phones for much other than calls or email or some internet searches. What should we do?

THANKS!

Neil and Nora 

[softech]

HI @neilhagen5   you see T-Mobile network there.  I wonder if you want to try to just buy T-Mobile Prepaid plan (not roaming by PM but a direct plan by T-Mobile).  You will need to use the eSIm on your phone.  I am pretty sure galaxy 9 does not have eSIM but maybe your iPhone.

You will need to download T-Mobile Prepaid eSIM app and complete it there, check this post:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/Q-On-Experiences-with-PM-Roaming-eSIM-Dat...

[neilhagen5]

Alexandf -- thanks VERY MUCH for you guidance. I submitted two tickets so far -- yesterday (24 hours ago) and this morning (one hour ago). I see now the ticket from yesterday does have a generic response. I will work with them -- but meantime if you have other advice I welcome it. Neither my wife's iPhone nor my Galaxy 9 will connect with the local provider despite having purchased these roaming add-ons. kind regards, NH

[neilhagen5]

Thanks very much, Softech, for your insights. I am able to contact you through the fast WiFi where I am staying here in Montana. I definitely don't have data, SMS or voice, on my cell, even though the cell signal is strong from networks "GSM/HSPA/LTE (auto connect)". I think GSM is affiliated with T-Mobile. Honestly I'm in the soup here as I need data and cell for some professional activities while I am in Montana on vacation, and may need to return to Canada. Or drive a few hours to obtain a local SIM card for example from Walmart (there are no stores selling this nearby). But I just don't understand -- cell signal is strong, my phone is unlocked and is enabled for Roaming, and the Montana cell provider states that I am not registered. I did purchase cell/text/data, and the T-mobile map says the signal should be good (which I find it to be). Any further advice for me? THANKS!!

[Alexandf]

@neilhagen5 

open ticket with PM support and ask them to refund, and go to walmart store buy it prepaid sim US.

 At https://publicmobile.ca/chatbot.

Start by typing "Submit a ticket", then click "Contact Us", Then click "Other", then click "Click here to submit a ticket ↗" 

have trouble with Chatbot: Private message CS Agent at: 

      https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

Once ticket is submitted,(envelope icon on the top right) CS_Agent will reply you there

[softech · Accepted solution]

@neilhagen5   Unfortunately, it looks like Montana does not have the 2G signal for voice roaming

https://www.gsma.com/coverage/#466

It does have the LTE signal  so you will have data and text, but again, no voice

Make sure your phone is set to Enable Roaming Data and see if you can get data.  Once you get data, you can try to download some VoIP app like TextNow for making voice calls

Since it does not have voice, you can come back and ask PM to provide some kind of compensation (or if you do not get data as well in the end, you might be able to ask them for a full refund)