Roaming option that can be included in the plan.

[vvt]

I did move in US and I will move back to Canada later. I like my number and I do not what to change it. It's annoying and expansive to buy roaming addon every 10 days. So, it would be great to have a roming that can be included in current plan and it will be less expensive than 45 $ a month. Roaming Talk & Text less expensive addon for 30 days can do the job too.

Thank you.

[will13am]

There's no other option. Roaming features are meant to be convenient but punitive on the wallet.

[Taekgun]

Though I agree with you @will13am, I think @vvt has a point and another "level" of US Roaming options would be great - increased cost, increased calling text and data would be appealing.

[stonechucker]

Get a VoIP setup, port your number to the VoIP service, then setup a local SIM in the US.

I have used VoIP.ms, and have used the built in SIP diaper on my android phone for this.  

Whatever provider in the US you go with will probably have very good Canadian long distance rates, or use the SIP dialer.

[Michael77]

Maybe PM could offer a Canada/US plan similar to Freedom Mobile's plan. I wouldn't need it but some customers might want it.

[srlawren]

Yeah this isn't going to happen, it's not a realistic request.

Like @stonechucker said, your best bet is to port your number out to a VoIP provider like the one he mentioned or Fongo or some other service.  This will allow you to keep your number and receive and make calls using that number for free, while using data from a US provider while you're there.  When you get back to Canada, you can either pick up a data-only plan from any Canadian provider and continue using your phone number virtualized, or else port it back to whatever provider you choose upon your return.  

I'm not sure how it works with VoIP.ms, but with Fongo, you can optionally pay them a small fee (I think it's $3 + tax a month, or at least it used to be, haven't checked recently) to be able to send and receive text messages, so you could literally keep using your Canadian number for everything if you like.

[stonechucker]

The VoIP.ms service has a 'beta' webclient SMS service, but you can have it forward to an email address for on the go access.  Someone also in the Android community created a Play Store appp, that is functional, but again, not a proper SMS interface.

It's a hassle, and it was more than I wanted to deal with, which is why I came to Public Mobile.  I was going to go data-only, but I didn't want to deal with the lack of full SMS support to the cell phone.

I've kept my VoIP service, and I use it occassionally, when I'm calling outside of what I have currently covered with PM.

[makkahn28]

I think PM should consider this.

Would be a shame IF PM stuck to spartan stuff, would make PM look Obtuse

[srlawren]

@makkahn28 extended stays like that are probably a small minority of PM's customers, @makkahn28.  There are other providers that might fill this need better.  I don't think it's a good investment of PM's time and effort to offer this up, they just won't recoup the costs in any sort of reasonable timeframe, IMHO.  I guess I'm not against it, so long as it's pretty far down the priority list, obtuse or not.