Announcing Librem SIMple: An Affordable Cellular Plan that Protects Your Privacy

[luther]

@Kyle_Rankin

You can switch in either direction (SIMple->AweSIM, AweSIM->SIMple) and keep the SIM you have, but you will have to pay the corresponding one-time activation fee for the new service ($9.99 or $14.99 respectively)

The order form shows the renewal date as being one month from today, which doesn’t make any sense if I’m just changing my AweSIM service. How do I simply change to SIMple instead of ordering new service?

[Gavaudan]

It makes sense in that today would be the new monthly start date for your new service. I think the real question is would your awesim time be pro-rated?

[luther]

No, I normally get billed on the 22nd.

[irvinewade]

@StevenR

1.) After I get a confirmation from Purism that my Librem 5 is getting ready to ship to me, can I contact Purism, sign up and pay for AweSim, and receive the phone ready and tested to make phone calls, right out of the box?S
2.) In the scenario of question 1, could I port my current phone number after I receive my Librem 5?

First post in this topic addresses Q1. Announcing Librem SIMple: An Affordable Cellular Plan that Protects Your Privacy addresses porting (which involves some manual steps).

@ballgum

my librem phone isn’t really usable to me as a daily driver.

Responding to this comment and to @StevenR … the AweSIM / SIMple services are not limited to the Librem 5. You can use on other unlocked phones in the US (per the first post in this topic).

So this service isn’t as such dependent on when you receive your Librem 5 or when you start to use it as your daily driver.

From the perspective of the strictest privacy requirements there could be complex arguments over whether it is OK to use a privacy-focused SIM in a spyphone and then later on move the SIM to the Librem 5.

[Kyle_Rankin]

@raenrfm

So I’d have to get a US number tho, would I be able to make local calls in Canada without charges? Texting and data?

That’s my understanding but I’d double-check with our support team just to be safe.

[Kyle_Rankin]

1. Yes, when we email you to get an updated shipping address, we also remind folks it’s a good time to place an order for any accessories (including AweSIM/SIMple) so we can ship everything together. If you add a cellular plan we configure everything so it works when you get the phone. We try to time the actual activation so that the phone number is activated either right before the phone arrives or shortly afterward.

2. Yes

3. I’m sorry you feel that way about our customer service, I’ve always felt they go above and beyond answering all sorts of questions that normal support teams would balk on. We don’t currently have phone-based support and use the same email-based support as for our other products.

[Kyle_Rankin]

@code9n

Any plans to partner up with cellular providers in the rest of the World?

Possibly at some point, but for now we are sticking with the US market. It has the most issues with privacy to my understanding.

[Kyle_Rankin]

Contact support so we can switch over your plan.

[code9n]

@Kyle_Rankin

I’m sorry you feel that way about our customer service, I’ve always felt they go above and beyond answering all sorts of questions that normal support teams would balk on.

I know this wasn’t aimed at me but I wanted to chime in with my thoughts:

I agree with you - Purism support are the best of any support team for anyone I’ve ever dealt with. That’s a big claim but I mean it. Your support people do go above and beyond and I want to say thanks.
Great people, thank you.

[CeeCeez]

Uh, you are not keeping up with what is going on in Australia then. It’s as bad here as Germany in the late 30’s…

[irvinewade]

I think @Kyle_Rankin may have been referring only to: to what extent are MNOs/MVNOs monetising data that they collect when you use their mobile service?

In other words, looking only at surveillance capitalism and only at MNOs/MVNOs.

Taking “privacy” in its totality, I think you may well be right.

Of course there are some things that are exactly the same … like the Google data-sucker, or Facebook.

[luther]

I contacted support, and they said it would cost $15.

[ecs]

@Kyle_Rankin

they don’t plan on ever selling a new “dumb TV” but if they did it would cost more than a “smart TV”

Is this perhaps another business opportunity for Purism

[Kyle_Rankin]

We charge the one-time activation fee whether activating a new account, or moving from one type of plan to another. However in your case (AweSIM->SIMple) it would be $10. SIMple->AweSIM is $15.

[librem5]

Is it really worth porting a number (privacy wise) i’m assuming my number is anyways already tied to me.
Does it reset on carrier change ?
Or is it better to get new number (but then numbers are recycled so not sure if it’s clean slate)

[Gavaudan]

It would be better to get a new one. You’re already connected to your current number.

[amarok]

@librem5

i’m assuming my number is anyways already tied to me.

No doubt.

• If you’ve ever given it to a business as your contact number.
• If you’ve used it on applications for services or housing.
• If you’ve shared it with friends and family (who then uploaded all their contacts to Facebook or Google).
• If you’ve provided it when registering to vote.

In the U.S., and probably other countries, your detailed data (name, birth date, address history, phone numbers, income) get aggregated into your credit file, which you have very little control over. It also ends up in countless “data broker” databases, and is probably available for searching on hundreds of websites for free to anyone.

Once you get a new number from Purism, it will not be publicly attached to your name (although the information you supply to Purism will, by law, be available to law enforcement agencies that present a valid legal request for information).

But if you then start providing this number to people, businesses, and voting registrars as before, it will again be associated to your name and end up in public records. If you want to prevent that, I suggest you obtain one or more free or cheap VOIP numbers in addition to your Purism number, and use the VOIP number(s) in your business dealings and even some personal relationships. You can add the VOIP number(s) to the L5’s SIP dialer and use them as “burner” numbers. Or check out jmp.chat. But you’ll still get added to databases everywhere, unless you can somehow use a fictitious name for some things.

Some related info here.

[Gavaudan]

I use the DeleteMe service run by Abine. It has helped quite a lot (a bit pricey, though).

[librem5]

I already use jmp.chat.
I’m planning to use jmp.chat numbers exactly how you mentioned, if service specifically asks me for phone number then they get jmp.chat number.
My friends and family gets my personal number.

I’m having audio issues on Librem5 with jmp.chat and SIP though. Figuring them out.

[irvinewade]

@librem5

Is it really worth porting a number (privacy wise)

Probably not. In fact, probably counterproductive. Porting is offered for convenience, not privacy.

@librem5

numbers are recycled

Most definitely, numbers are recycled.

I would assume that any collected data attached to a phone number is qualified by your name. Otherwise, as you say, stored data would be horrendously inaccurate (because you would be having attributed to you information about the previous user of that phone number).

In Australia there are regulatory requirements about quarantining a phone number. However I doubt that the entry of a phone number into the quarantine pool (or, alternatively, the number’s leaving the quarantine pool) is reported to data collectors so that they can discard accumulated information.

@amarok

if you then start providing this number to businesses, and voting registrars as before

Or … just don’t.

However that is a judgement that only the individual can make … the benefit in providing a business with a mobile number v. the cost of the future privacy and other implications.