Emergency Calls Only, No Network Connections - Unlocked, Locked, or Anything Else?

[Polkaroo]

I bought a phone from a big office supplies store sometime last year, maybe a year and a half ago or longer. It was an unlocked phone as I remember, I wouldn't have bought it under any other pretense. I was able to sign up to a cheaper provider owned by one of the larger companies not named Telus after shopping around. Had their service for a month, did not renew and went without a phone for a while. Then, I was able to get free service with Telus for about 6-7 months during the pandemic with an organization I am involved with. Free phone and everything.

Time is up with them, and I am suggested to go with Public Mobile and check it out and seems like Public is who I want to go with. I went to one location and was told that even though Public is owned by Telus, I would still have to unlock that phone. Because I wasn't helped by the organization I am involved with which is open weekdays only (now the weekend) and do not have the credentials/information I might be asked for if I were to call Telus (not really sure if I'm mistaken, but I didn't want to take the time yesterday), I just decided to use the phone I originally purchased at the supply store, found a phone sales business at my local mall and purchased myself a Public SIM card with the Lunar New Year promotion and Automatic Top Up on a new phone number.

My payment went through and my SIM was activated upon purchase yesterday. I was told my phone should work as soon as I insert the card into my phone. The SIM will not connect to the Network, says it is not registered with the network or something to that effect. I am able to make Emergency Calls Only, apparently. When I insert the old SIM from last year with the previous provider, although it is not activated it seems to be a working SIM card that has no issues.

Maybe I just lack education, but if I sign up with an unlocked phone to provider is it feasible that my phone would be locked and I would still have to contact them to unlock my phone again? OR am I having some other issue?

I waited hours just in case activation was delayed. I have checked the 4 last digits from the Change SIM Card page, and they are the same as the SIM I purchased. I re-entered the digits from the card into the Change SIM Card on the off-chance that the dealer had mistyped the SIM number, and still NO CIGAR.

I have restarted, turned off and back on the phone numerous times. I have talked to SIMon and entered the digits into numeric keypad. I have reset the network settings a couple of times. Nothing I have done outside of contact another provider is helping. I am very keen on using Public Mobile, and I realize things just don't always work the way that either party intended.

I look forward to hearing any solutions. I am aware that someone has suggested doing a factory reset with somebody before, but I see that as something I don't want to do until all my options are exhausted. Do I call someone... do I call Public, or... someone else?

I apologize in advance if I ramble a lot. Anything else I can do besides the dreaded "Could you please unlock the phone I purchased unlocked in the first place?"

[Dawn13]

HOW DID YOU FINALLY CONNECT TO A NETWORK AND WHAT WAS IT

[computergeek541]

---

@whyveeare wrote:

Just an FYI, I helped my father to move from Telus Prepaid to PM last year.  He had a Telus non-smartphone (Samsung I believe) and he had to have it unlocked by Telus to get it to work on PM.  So, yes rare, but it does happen.

---

That's a rarity.  I've had a Koodo-locked Samsung Galaxy Ace in my hand previously that would not work at Telus or Public until after it was unlocked. So, yes, it's possible for the a few devices, but generally, unlocking isn't necessary.

[whyveeare]

Just an FYI, I helped my father to move from Telus Prepaid to PM last year.  He had a Telus non-smartphone (Samsung I believe) and he had to have it unlocked by Telus to get it to work on PM.  So, yes rare, but it does happen.

[computergeek541]

---

@Polkaroo wrote:

Thank you, I had noticed something about APN and everything when I was checking the settings on my phone. I will make sure to do this before I head out. As I just explained to someone, I left my Telus phone at a family member's, who lives about a block away, and can make it over there quite quickly. Thing is there's no internet there, so hopefully I get that phone working and I can access this community through my data. 

---

There's no reason to change APN settings, at least not at the moment.  Incorrect APN setings cannot cause a phone to display a message of Emergency Calls Only.   Since you're not able to get a proper network connection, you wouldn't be able to test of the APN settings were set correctly, regardless.

As for someone telling you that the phone needs to be unlocked even though it was used at Telus before, this is almsot always not the case. I have seen the rare occcurance that happened to be true, but it's not the norm. The person who told you that Telus-locked phones need to be unlocked to use at Public Mobile flat-out gave you bad information.

[LurganIeUk]

🚀Due to dispariging remarks (now removed by an Oracle) from @Polkaroo I have left discussion. 🚀

[Anonymous]

OK...nobody post anything. Stay on the edge of your seats. Eyes peeled waiting for his return. Refresh refresh refresh and then we can continue on.

🙂

Dude...we're all just customers hanging out helping fellow customers. You're not the only person posting anything.

Edit: Wouldn't it be funny if not much else went on before he gets back.  It would look like the world stopped and waited for his return. 🙂

[Polkaroo]

Honestly, that would be incredibly polite of you if you waited around for me. But I don't want you to in the case that I don't respond soon enough. Keep up the good work, and thank you for everything you've already done. It's nice to see such a lively community here, I did not expect the help so soon.

You're all wonderful!

K, taking off now... will try the Telus phone as a first step.

[LurganIeUk]

edited by computergeek541: response to OP's comments removed

[Polkaroo]

No. But if/when I get connected to the Telus phone which is elsewhere right now, then it will and I will be able to return through the PM data using the Telus phone. It will take me like 6 mins to get over there. Once I retrieve the APN information I was told to, I will head over.

I will not make any further posts until I try that with the Telus phone.

[Polkaroo]

Thank you, I had noticed something about APN and everything when I was checking the settings on my phone. I will make sure to do this before I head out. As I just explained to someone, I left my Telus phone at a family member's, who lives about a block away, and can make it over there quite quickly. Thing is there's no internet there, so hopefully I get that phone working and I can access this community through my data. 

edited by computergeek541: terms of service

[TheGx]

@Polkaroo :You should contact the Moderator Team now since you've tried most things can try without their help. I had similar problem and was fixed by Moderator Team, here is link:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Getting-Started/Activated-Sim-over-3-hours-ago-still-... 

[LurganIeUk]

Are you saying the the phone that has the SIM in it right now....works with PM Data?

[Polkaroo]

I was about to try with the Telus phone, however I am just now realizing that I left it at a family member's place this morning. Tell you what, she doesn't have internet and I have no way to get back in contact with anyone here while out. Ah the suspense right. I will give it 5 mins, head over (she lives about a block away) and try the SIM card in the Telus phone. If that works I will be able to use data to log back into the forum and let you guys know. If it doesn't, I will be back eventually. Don't wait around for me or anything.

[LurganIeUk]

Not burned. Check PM web site for the "Telus" Samsung phone for compatibility and for the APN settings. It is most logical to get that one working for you first and then see what needs to be done for the other. 

[Polkaroo]

Yes, exactly. The one I've been trying with is a Samsung A50, the Telus model is an A5. What should the submodel look like and can I find it in my Android Settings?

I was able to keep the Telus phone. If I can get that working without having to figure out which company my other phone is locked to (assuming) I'll be somewhat satisfied. If I sign up for one carrier am I automatically locked into that system regardless of whether I purchased it unlocked? Or is it possible I just purchased a locked phone, and coincidentally signed up for a service that the company owned?

Burned ... does that mean if the phone I used was locked, the Public SIM may not work?

[LurganIeUk]

Does the SIM card work with the TELUS phone?

And the other phone...what is the make and model?

[Polkaroo]

I didn't port because, although skeptical I accepted a business operator's explanation that I would need to unlock the Telus phone even if I use Public. So I was planning on using a different phone, which I purchased unlocked and assumed would still be even after having a different carrier at one point. SIM card appears fine. Yes I have reinserted the SIM card and rebooted after doing so. Of course, my post may have been a bit confusing. I have two phones, one is Telus, the other isn't. The one I've been trying to get working is the one that is not Telus which I purchased unlocked originally.

[Polkaroo]

That was what I originally thought, but was told otherwise by the original business I went to which I didn't end up purchasing the SIM card from. I was skeptical of his insistance (I had pointed out in the first minute of talking to him it was a Telus phone and I thought it should work with Public since they own the company... of course he was like "NO, that doesn't matter... can you call Telus and get them to unlock it?). I had thought this would be the next best step on my radar and just giving the Telus phone a try. I will give you a Bravo now, as I see that as the only way to reward you in the interim before trying it. I am also interested in other answers as the phone I have been trying with is actually a newer and better phone than the one I got from the organization but I will keep your answer in mind as a Solution in the case that I go this route.

[Anonymous]

 @Polkaroo : Rambling is good. It provides details. So you have two phones? One was bought as an unlocked phone. The other was from Telus. Correct? What are the make/model/submodels of each? The pandemic one from Telus...do you still have it? Or did you have to turn it in? Leaving you with the one you bought a while ago.

Edit: Great work trying some things and doing some reading. I hope you haven't "burned" your SIM by trying to change to it. Try the SIM in another phone if you have another to try.

[JK8]

@Polkaroo 

If your phone was used with Telus before, it will work with Public Mobile regardless if it is locked or not since Telus owns Public Mobile. Did you activate with a new number or did you port your Telus number over? Have you reinserted the SIM card in again and rebooted? Is the SIM card clean? No dirty connections?

[Triguy]

If you phone is locked to your previous provider then you have to contact them to unlock it.  If it is a Samsung phone, you could them to unlock it.

[will13am]

@Polkaroo , a phone the has previously worked with the Telus service will work on Public Mobile even if it's locked.  Some phone brands particularly LG require a network reset when switching providers.  Give this a try.