Data Roaming

[Gerry_P]

If I have the 250 MB USA roaming data add on, what happens when I get to the limit? Will I incurr huge extra charges or does it just quit working until I purchase another add on?

[Nezgar]

---

@Gerry_P wrote:

I'm going to be in Florida for 21 days total. My idea was to purchase the 10 day talk\text\data package after I arrive there as soon as I get a WiFi connection.

If you preload a one-time payment to your account balance for enough to cover the add-on, you can add the add-on via 611 later once you are in the US, without having to find a Wi-Fi Connection.

I plan to leave the data roaming switched off until I actually need it in order to conserve data. Would having the data roaming switched off affect incoming or outgoing calls?

Calls & texts do not need data roaming. MMS needs it on though, but does not consume data from your bucket.

[Triguy]

If you want to purchase two of the same U.S. Roaming Add-Ons, you will have to wait for the first 10-day period to expire before buying the second, or you can contact a Moderator.

You maybe better off to purchase a local sim if you need continuous service.

[Gerry_P]

---

@darlicious wrote:

@Gerry_P  There are no extra charges with public mobile. You only get what you pay for. The add on will simply stop working once it runs out. If you need a new one you must wait 24 hours to purchase it. Do not order it late in the day...wait til after midnight et. so you get a full day as they start right away. Be aware when you return to Canada if the add on has not expired it can affect your incoming texts for up to 24 hours. Contact a moderator if you are not receiving texts and require them right away. Otherwise wait and it should fix itself. Rebooting your phone is helpful as well.

---

I'm going to be in Florida for 21 days total. My idea was to purchase the 10 day talk\text\data package after I arrive there as soon as I get a WiFi connection. You mentioned that when the 10 days are up, I would have to wait 24 hrs before purchasing another 10 day package. So would it be advisable to purchase a second 10 day package just before the first one expires in order to have continuous service?

Also, after reading a few of the tips, I plan to leave the data roaming switched off until I actually need it in order to conserve data. Would having the data roaming switched off affect incoming or outgoing calls? 

Thanks.... Gerry

[DolphinV8]

Darlicious, first thank you for these added suggestions of whom to reach out to Community experts with iPhone experience.

And YES to getting out of this "Community" stuff and away from my device... Done!

[darlicious]

@DolphinV8  I'm happy my suggestions are so helpful. If it wasn't for the community in the past 5 months since joining public mobile I would have been very much in the dark. It's been a great learning experience and absolutely invaluable. As I've been saying I'm looking forward to earning my "community" college diploma. Being an android user my iPhone knowledge is still in its infancy but coming along. @CalgaryBen and @iPhoneUser have been very helpful and instrumental in any knowledge I have gained. Call on them for advanced troubleshooting and advice they are fantastic. Now get off your phone and enjoy yourself while visiting our southern neighbour!

[DolphinV8]

Darlicious, thank you for this great advice. You've removed the confusion I had about keeping roaming "on" so PM's roaming add-on will work, and to restrict all non-essential updates either to when WiFi is on, or to restrict data usage on almost every app [In that regard, I suspect my iPhoto app was wasting a LOT of data updating my Cloud storage] and any other app I don't immediately need.  (You mentioned Google Chrome & Play using a lot of data in the background usage and the same is true with Apple apps and Safari operating system.

Those might be intuitively obvious to many users (otherwise there'd already be complaints in here about people's data plans getting used up in 2-3 days) but here is one that might not have been, which you offered:  manually select your network [US data network such as T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, etc.) so your phone is not searching between them for the "best" service. 

Digging around on my iPhone now, I see there is an option called "Low Data Mode" [found this in Settings-Cellular-Cellular Data Options->Low Data Mode which "helps reduce WiFi and cellular data usage (by turning off) automatic updates and background tasks, such as Photos synching.."  

PUBLIC MOBILE SHOULD GIVE A LIST OF STEPS  to 'reduce data usage' instead of letting the less savvy among us learn the hard way!  These steps should be really well laid out on the payment page where Public Mobile subscribers go to add a $20 ten-day U.S. talk-text-data plan.

Thank you again, and I'll probably cry foul again if these measure I've taken don't solve the problem.

[darlicious]

@DolphinV8   These would apply for normal data saving not just when using roaming add ons. However having roaming on is essential to your roaming add on working. Keep your data saver on this will prevent updates unless you are on WiFi. Restrict background data usage in almost every app this will save a lot of data usage and generally will have little or no effect on your apps. Google chrome and play use a lot background usage. Also manually select your network so your phone is not searching between at&t and T-Mobile looking for the best network.

[Triguy]

Make sure have roaming turned off and Gps.  Also turn off automatic updates for apps.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/us-roaming

[DolphinV8]

The moment I created my U.S. talk-text-data (at airport before I left Canada) my plan usage charge indicates I used up over half of the entire ten day's allotment. 

I did NOT use any data at all that day... did not start using any features till the following day.

Otherwise, I have no idea how so much data was all used up at once.

Buyers beware: make sure you know every single possible thing that would use up data.

Community: what steps should one take to avoid inadvertently using up all the data quickly?

thank you.

[pmmobile]

@Gerry_P 

---

@darlicious wrote:

@Gerry_P  There are no extra charges with public mobile. You only get what you pay for. The add on will simply stop working once it runs out. If you need a new one you must wait 24 hours to purchase it. Do not order it late in the day...wait til after midnight et. so you get a full day as they start right away. Be aware when you return to Canada if the add on has not expired it can affect your incoming texts for up to 24 hours. Contact a moderator if you are not receiving texts and require them right away. Otherwise wait and it should fix itself. Rebooting your phone is helpful as well.

---

If you need to add the add-on more than once and do not want to wait 24hrs, contact the moderators to add it automatically by letting them know when and how many times you would to add it. Also, once you are back in Canada you can contact them to see if something can be done so that you're incoming texts are not affected as well. Good luck !

[darlicious · Accepted solution]

@Gerry_P  There are no extra charges with public mobile. You only get what you pay for. The add on will simply stop working once it runs out. If you need a new one you must wait 24 hours to purchase it. Do not order it late in the day...wait til after midnight et. so you get a full day as they start right away. Be aware when you return to Canada if the add on has not expired it can affect your incoming texts for up to 24 hours. Contact a moderator if you are not receiving texts and require them right away. Otherwise wait and it should fix itself. Rebooting your phone is helpful as well.