Cellular Provider update: AT&T?

Hardware Librem 5
15

I went ahead and purchased a PureTalk card. Data works wonderfully. Unfortunately, I have been unable to make calls with that SIM card. I have spent a fair amount of time today holding for technical support. I have no answer from them yet.

Seems like I may have wasted $40.00 signing up for a SIM card that does not make calls with the Librem 5. Frustrating. Maybe they will give my money back.

Thought I would give a status update . . .

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16

Yes. I was sceptical that an AT&T-based provider would work for calls (by VoLTE) on the L5.

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17

Unfortunately, it looks like only T-Mobile or AweSim work then?

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18

I would hold off until AweSIM is organised again and then find out which underlying MNO is being used. (Maybe someone inside Purism or outside Purism can already tell you that.)

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19

AT&T is being used as far as I know

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20

No need to guess. Run the command from this script and then check the Operator ID field for the MCC/MNC numbers.

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21

Not currently but their new one will be.(I haven’t received my new SIM yet)

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22

How does the possibility that AT&T might be the carrier for AweSim make sense given my failure with PureTalk as an MVNO of AT&T?

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23

I’ve been using AT&T for over a year now. Access point name is NXTGENPHONE.
I’m on a normal account, not PureTalk.

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24

The previous backhaul network for AweSIM was T-Mobile, but the replacement carrier is AT&T. For this to work, you must set your L5 to use 4G Only.

AweSIM’s replacement reseller has privileged account agreements with AT&T and is able to provide the arrangements necessary to enable ongoing support for L5 devices (whereas Android/iOS aren’t a challenge in this regard). Prior challenges involved unsupported IMEIs on the network which often work for a while until they are inevitably kicked off the network. Looking ahead, Purism is evaluating licensing/certification options for expanded IMEI carrier compatibility.

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25

This is all just too bizarre for me. I am strongly considering washing my hands of this nonsense. (Although my threats are largely idle and tossed to windy vagaries).

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26

While I don’t know all the ins and outs of it, it seems like it makes sense. Basically MNOs and MVNOs apply restrictions about what can go on their network. Different MVNOs can apply different restrictions even when using the same underlying MNO.

If you ask me, it should be illegal for any network operator to ban any device without demonstrating that that device actually causes a non-trivial problem for the network. In other words, the current rules support the convenience of the MNO oligopoly and support the device duopoly - and work against innovation and competition.

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27

Amen And Amen

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28

I think some of it comes down to anti-IED efforts and other such national security threats. IMO, this would take some high-level legislative action (in the US, at least) to change.

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29

IED? improvised explosive device?

I expect that duopoly devices are mostly made in China anyway. So if there are real national security concerns behind this then a) there’s a far far bigger problem being ignored and b) why would an MNO want to block a phone that is actually made in the USA?

Yeah, I was just “musing”. I wouldn’t realistically expect anything to change.

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30

Sorry, I tend to disappear for chunks of time. I’m curious what your settings are when you tried connecting with PureTalk. I usually don’t think I’m lucky enough to be the one that slips through the cracks (for the better outcome at least)

Of course I’d have to make sure (maybe you said before) that your 4G was definitely on. I have my phone set to 4G only as well, to make sure it doesn’t try and flip flop.

For the Access Point name, I’m pretty sure I had to put in “RESELLER” in all caps as opposed to PureTalk. What do you have for the APN?

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31

Maybe you mean something else, but the “Access Point Name” field can be anything, I believe. (I could be wrong, though.)

It’s the actual “APN” field that counts.

Here’s what PureTalk says for APN settings: Data Issues | APN Settings | PureTalk (some of which probably doesn’t need to be filled in on the L5).

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32

That is what I mean, correct. I’m not a super-expert, so in my head APN meant Access Point Name. However, the “name” field, which I assume is just what you’re calling it on the phone, is PureTalk. And you are correct, that it is the APN field that says RESELLER

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33

And, following your link, I do remember having to put in these two items:
MMSC: http://mmsc.mobile.att.net
MMS Proxy: proxy.mobile.att.net

But they weren’t found in the normal settings. They were found in the SMS/MMS settings.

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34

There was a data breach disclosed recently, though with the promises AweSIM provides to protect customer data from the upstream network provider, AweSIM customers are supposedly not affected. Hopefully we can hear back from Purism directly.
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/30/1241863710/att-data-breach-dark-web

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