Anyone Ever heard of Fonus Mobile !!?

[BearFBI]

What the heck is this.

Fonus | Unlimited data, calls & texts. $30 a month. (fonusmobile.com)

This is new to me. 30$ a month for unlimited Data,Talk,and Text. Canada is on the available country list. 

Does anyone know anything about Fonus ?

Dont think data is unlimited, It has a possible 20GB cap then it throttles your speed. 20GB is still a lot and it only throttles it down to 0.5 mbps.

almost sounds scammy.

[KimPomares1]

Beware. It's not a phone plan like Public Mobile. It's a data plan with VOIP features

I got excited by the idea of a phone plan with unlimited everything, unlimited data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texting AND all over the world!

But you cannot use your default phone app to make calls or to receive calls. You have to use the Fonus app.

You cannot use your default phone app to send out SMS. You have to use the Fonus app.

You cannot use data right away, you have to set up intricate- and scary-looking APN settings. (Will I break my phone going into the guts of the settings like that?)

I would be okay with it if it was clear from their home page and the plans list that this was going to be the experience.

The advertising is misleading.

The home page and the plans listing page looks just like what you would expect from a mainstream phone plan service. Only in the tiniest of fine prints do they explain that the calls and SMS have to be done through their app, through VOIP features.

They should make it obvious. THIS IS A DATA PLAN WITH VOIP features. It is cheap but it is loaded with features. You have to use our app but you'll get used to it.

Something like that.

Instead, what happened to me is that I had to fight with a very unhelpful support agent who treated me like an idiot who cannot make the difference between a phone plan and a data plan and would not refund me.

I submitted a ticket to challenge their policy and pointed out the misleading advertising issue and used words like risk for class action lawsuit. Got the refund the next day. But beware!

[frankysplace]

Unlimited data has limits. Here is what I posted on trust pilot. While visiting in Carmel New York the cable internet went out for two days. So I decided to stream Netflix and Xfinity Stream over my Fonus data plan using apps on my phone. To my surprise I was not throttled over AT&T. In Canada I am always throttled to 512kb once I hit 20GB so I never go over 20GB by much. Toronto is home. After using almost 40 GB of data. I received this e-mail. Hi there,
This message serves to inform you that your account's data usage is greater than 99.5% of all Service customers and has been deemed excessive, indicative of our service being used as a home internet replacement.
This is in direct violation of our Fonus' FUP (fair use policy). You may find the FUP on our "Privacy & Legal" page, at trust pilot does not allow links.
Here is the excerpt of the FUP relevant to your situation:
"Fonus Mobile Service and any related data services are provided solely for purposes of web browsing, messaging, and similar activities. You are responsible for all data activity from and to your device regardless of who initiates the activity. You may not be allowed to use the Fonus Mobile Service with applications and systems that drive continuous heavy data sessions and generate excessive amounts of traffic. We reserve the right to limit, suspend or terminate without notice any misuse of our network or violation of these Service Terms and Conditions."
Please reduce your data consumption immediately and significantly; and use Wi-Fi whenever possible to avoid suspension of service. Fonus has the right to not renew our month to month service agreements if it deems excessive use is contributing to network congestion.
We thank you for your understanding and apologize for any inconveniences caused.
- Fonus Customer Service
For questions, chat with our 24/7 support team at fonusmobile.com. I have now tuned off my phone until my next billing cycle. if you plan on streaming video or use your device for heavy data do not go ever 20GB. The term unlimited data does not mean you can use the service like your home internet connection. It clearly states that in this e-mail.

[Gregmt]

Me too. Works fine. 

[Gregmt]

I have Fonus for over a year now. I was able to port my Canadian cell number to Fonus no trouble. I love the service. 

[alinajfi]

Data is great but calling service is via app which not really as good as it should be

[frankysplace]

I am using Fonus with my Puplic Mobile service. Here's how. Currently I pay 10 dollars a month with Public for unlimited incoming calls 100 outgoing minutes unlimited texts and 250mb of data. In three years, my bill will be $8. I use a MiFi 7000 hotspot with my Fonus data sim. I pay $33.16 US a month for 20GB of data 4GLTE speeds. I was able to get the hotspot to work over the Freedom Mobile Network only. It was not working over Rogers, Tellus, or Bell on the MiFi 7000 hotspot. To get my MiFi 7000 hotspot to work I simply turned off auto network select then I selected Freedom as my network. (Note hotspots are not officially supported by Fonus). I was able to tether off my HTC M9 while roaming on any network in Canada, Rogers, Tellus, Bell, Freedom and AT&T in the States. Tested this in Niagara Falls New York.  Once I reached my 20GB limit I was throttled to 2G speeds. Fonus uses a voip app for calls and texting. I mostly use my public mobile for calls not the fonus calling texting app. I also use sip uno to initiate calls over the internet using my free phone line sip credentials. This calls into my public mobile phone number and dials out anywhere in Canada for free. Giving me free unlimited calls out even though I only have unlimited incoming calls. Also while throttled I was still able to listen to radio or Spotify Facebook even works. Things still load up slower put still usable. Watching streamed video at standard def worked with some buffering. Searching surfing worked and buffering speeds was expectable. HD video is a now go. All in all I was surprised at what you can do when you are throttled to 500kbits down and about 200kbits up. VoIP worked fine as well. .  

[BearFBI]

@softech Apparently they started rough. I'm in there Telegram Chat and all seems to be good now....

The came a long way from the SIM cards in China. They are an actual carrier now with v3 and the MVNE.

Just people don't understand that this company is incorporated in the US.

[softech]

not sure I can put on trust on it yet

there are some scary stuff on Reddit posts on r/Fonus  about what has happened to customers in the past

and this articles

https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/carriers/telus-no-relationship-fonus/

Canadian
Website built in 2 days with WIX.
confirmation email from personal Gmail
SIM card sent out from China

[BearFBI]

@alinajfi Oh wow really ! 

How well does it work ?

[alinajfi]

I'm using it and it works 

[BearFBI]

Ah ! Figured it out. 

There using a service from ZoomMediaPlus called 24dataconnect. ZoomMediaPlus is apart of the AT&T partner exchange. So this ZoomMediaPlus company is using ATT as the backbone and roaming network agreements with the Telcos In Canada to make their 24dataconnect service advertised for enterprise use.

Well essentially what Fonus is doing is that their signed up with this service and are offering their unlimited data service in CANADA and 50 other countries using this backdoor through roaming agreements. There's no roaming policy with 24dataconnect as thats up to the NVMO to decide so it 100% works for primary use in Canada on all the big 3. Pretty interesting.

Zoommediaplus looks like it owns freedom pop and Unreal Mobile too. 

[BearFBI]

At lest I know where to go if I ever need lots of data. 30$ a month is a bit much once you factor in Canadian dollar, tax, and the separate plan you'll need for talk and text. I do have a few friends that might find this useful. I'm really curious about trying it out.

I'll keep updating you guys if I find anything elese interesting.

[BearFBI]

@darlicious right. Again this is where dotmobile can come into play. 

What really amazes me is how they got away with providing cell service ADVERTIZED to permenant residents in Canada and got away with the ATT fair use policy for roaming. 

With the new V3 update apparently you can port a Canadian number but its through their VoIP app similar to what fongo does. Calling aside the data part is really impressive. 

With V1 and V2 apparently data was 100% unlimited. Users were using 100's of GB a month and no throttle was in place. Since V3 there is a 20GB limit for guaranteed high-speed data but after the 20GB it may throttle to 0.5mbps if traffic usage on the towers are high. Some users haven't noticed a throttle at all after 40GB of use. 

I posted on a few forums about it and Canadian users seem to like it. The CEO is a little unprofessional and there's probably like a total of 5 people running the company but it amazes me how they got away with this. 

On a unrelated note, after doing more research I've also found 2 other companies trying to accomplish what dotmobile is doing and have failed. It's always interesting to look at these carriers because most of them have free service for the first so many users that signup. The Canadians that have the free Fonus plan are living in paradise with Free unlimited data.

[darlicious]

@BearFBI 

This is exactly what happens when the big three absorb the little guys offering cheaper service. Non-canadian companies find a back door to offer cheaper services within Canada. Its like cheap american cigarettes.....the federal and provincial governments finally found a way to shut down these illegal imports. But they did not shut down the cheap ( tax free) cigarette industry they just switched it to being supplied by some industrious and entrepreneurial first nations peoples that produce a better made all canadian product that benefits the local economy of those nations.

If the CRTC continues to allow the big three to swallow up the competition and not allow start up MVNOs to operate in Canada eventually Canadians on a budget will turn to non canadian providers operating in a very grey area in Canada whose profits are funneled out of Canada, who do not pay Canadian taxes nor employ any Canadians whatsoever so they contribute absolutely nothing to the Canadian economy. This will be the consequence of their actions if they continue to pander to the big three and their shareholders.

[BearFBI]

@Anonymous True but I would almost use this just for data. 

[Anonymous]

My problem with getting cheap service from the states is that then you're dooming all your Canadian contacts to call a US #. For most people that would mean some kind of cost or consumption.

[BearFBI]

UPDATE: My god. Im still trying to piece together what this service is. First of all it has a lot of mixed reviews. 

Apparently they resell ATT service and its roaming service. Its kind of dumb because there is no ability to port a Canadian number. There are reviews of people using it full time in canada with a US number and apparently it works. Theres no restriction to roaming.

Apparently they have free international calling too ?

This is more of a backdoor to providing cell service in canada. Too bad i never got to take advantage of the first 500 or something lifetime free signup plans.