why can't I receive oversea calls?

[mar8]

Hi,

I just activated a basic $15 plan on yesterday.  I am expecting a call from Taiwan, the caller tried calling from both landline and cellphone but the calls won't come thru.  Can anyone tell me why.  The whole purpose of getting a prepaid plan is so I can receive oversea calls.

Thanks.

[cellphoneuser1]

@Leon4  You can receive calls from a caller who's anywhere.  It gets trickier for text messages but incoming calls work when they come from much more than 18 to coumtries.  Outgoing calls have limited destinations.

For texts, agreements aren't with coumtries. There can be a texting agreement with one carrier but might not be for another in the same country.

[Leon4]

  Sadly, Public Mobile doesn't support Taiwan at all (as I discovered via searching for rates to Taiwan just now).

  Ditto for the Netherlands, the only other international destination I have use for.  When I was with Koodo, I could get texts from a couple of Dutch numbers, but my replies never reached them, despite my Android phone not showing any errors.  It was the opposite with my friend in Taiwan.  She got my texts, but I never got her replies, despite her phone showing them as having been successfully sent.

  For one of the Dutch numbers, I asked Koodo about it and was eventually put in touch with a Telus network tech and after some back & forth and diagnostics, it turns out to be because Koodo didn't have a service arrangement with that particular Dutch cell provider.  I would've figured all the Telus brands would've been under the same service agreements, but that doesn't appear to be the case.  I was surprised to learn that Public Mobile only supports a handful of countries (14 or 18 or so), and countries that aren't on the list don't work, incoming nor outgoing.

[jimbobs]

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@mar8 wrote:

Hi,

I just activated a basic $15 plan on yesterday.  I am expecting a call from Taiwan, the caller tried calling from both landline and cellphone but the calls won't come thru.  Can anyone tell me why.  The whole purpose of getting a prepaid plan is so I can receive oversea calls.

Thanks.

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Any resolution to this yet?

[Nezgar]

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@JoyLuck wrote:

Area code - There are 26 area codes in Canada.

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I count 46.... minus a few not quite active yet... 😉

http://cnac.ca/co_codes/co_code_status.htm

[gpixel]

@mar8 I suggest you make a ticket and speak to one of the moderators by tapping on the ? icon on the bottom right. just type moderator>tap account specific question> no, I want human. the moderators will give you more information on correcting this issue. 

Moderators are available from Monday to Friday from 8 AM to midnight Eastern time.
Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 10 PM Eastern time

[LurganIeUk]

Can OP find a different area code on PM and change number. 

Also there are ways of porting. Ie. I have VoIP.ms that has some good selections of older area codes like 778. For a couple of bucks or less I could order a number and then ask PM to port it over. 

[jimbobs]

That sounds very odd.  In my year of being with PM, I've received calls from across Canada, the US and a number of European countries without any problem.  

The fact that they can successfully call your Rogers phone is interesting, however.  What area code is that?

Area Code 825 has been in use since 2016 so it is relatively new.  However, four years should be more than enough for it to be propagated to networks across the world.

I remember a guy from a couple of years back (2018) who had an 825 number and he was not getting calls from specific Canadian areas.  That suggests that it is a Telus issue.

EDIT: Here: https://www.reddit.com/r/freedommobile/comments/9hkqd1/problems_calling_area_code_825_landline_from/

[LurganIeUk]

Also if iPhone to iPhone you can talk over wifi FaceTime audio only.  Why does OP need a separate phone for receiving calls from overseas?

[ddeep91]

@mar8 

It could be that they are dialing the number incorrectly?

Also, go into your  Phone Dial app settings and make sure you do not have calls blocked checked.

Try to add them to your contact list and see if they can call you. 

You can also try calling each other using WIFI, Apps like (Whatsapp, Facebook messenger).

If they have WhatsApp, when you add them in your contacts correctly, you will see an option to send them a message on WhatsApp. 

Cheers

[LurganIeUk]

Can you successfully call your new Public Mobile number from your land line?

[geopublic]

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@mar8 wrote:

no, it's a new number.

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@mar8  First off, are you sure you are giving out the the correct number? If yes, can you receive local calls at that number? If yes, are you sure you are not blocking international calls from your device? If no, then try the sim in another phone to make sure it's not a setting within your phone.

[totalUser]

Hi @mar8 

First make sure that your dnd mode is off and try calling yourself.

If you suspect it's the number, just log in and change your number to something else, you can do it once every 30 days https://selfserve.publicmobile.ca/Overview/ChangeNumber/ 

Also you can open fongo account and they will give you choice of another Canadian number that you can forward to your number for free, if you would really like to keep your number

[gblackma]

@mar8 825 area code, is 4 years old considered new? We had another user who couldn't get overseas calls because the area code was too new. You may have to try getting an older number.

[mar8]

when the caller calls from a cellphone they hear a busy signal or nothing happens on my end.  If they call from landline it has that connecting tone but nothing happens on my end. I don't even see a incoming.

If they call my rogers line it connects no problem.  could it be the (825) area code from Public mobile that Taiwan doesn't recognize?

[mar8]

no, it's a new number.

[totalUser]

Hi @mar8 

Do you have new number or did you transfer?

What exactly happens when they try to reach you?

[mar8]

Hi,

I did check all the phone settings and it's fine.  When the caller from Taiwan calls there is a busy signal on their end and on my end nothing.  I asked the same caller to call me on my rogers phone, no problem.  So is the public mobile's network problem?  I am frustrated as this is day 2 without answers.

[JoyLuck]

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@mar8 wrote:

Hi,

I just activated a basic $15 plan on yesterday.  I am expecting a call from Taiwan, the caller tried calling from both landline and cellphone but the calls won't come thru.  Can anyone tell me why.  The whole purpose of getting a prepaid plan is so I can receive oversea calls.

Thanks.

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Is the caller doing this:

To call Canada from Taiwan, dial: 002 - 1 - Area Code - Land Phone Number 002 - 1 - 10 Digit Mobile Number

1. 002 - Exit code for Taiwan, and is needed for making any international call from Taiwan.
2. 1 - ISD Code or Country Code of Canada.
3. Area code - There are 26 area codes in Canada.

[will13am]

@mar8 , I sense the problem is at the calling end.  The only thing that could affect an incoming call on your end is call blocking features.  Please check that your dialer app is not blocking calls.  

[Triguy]

Did you recently port (transfer) your phone# ?  Try rebooting your phone.