I don’t understand. I see new items in the store for the Librem 5. What concerns me is the Modem. Do I need to buy that addition to my Librem 5 in order to get internet connection available? If not, which bands are supported initially from startup? I need the BroadMobi BM818-E1.
No, you do not need to buy a second modem. Some people however would like to purchase more than one which is why it is also being offered as an accessory.
As for which modem is included with the phone, we have been told they will be contacting customers before shipping the phone to confirm your modem selection.
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Okay, and we also do not need to buy the first modem(?) Except when we choose the Gemalto.
If you chose the Broadmobi modem it is pre-installed in the phone. I don’t know what the situation is with the Gemalto modem.
You can, of course, replace the modem later.
Didn’t look like the Gemalto was an option in the store will it be offered only through the email we eventually get?
i thought I knew that. But seeing the price mentioned here https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5-modem/ I wasn’t so sure anymore.
I would say that that is for people who are buying a standalone modem.
Such a purchase could make sense if, say, the person lives in the US, and hence buys the phone with the US modem variant preinstalled, but from time to time travels to Europe and wants the EU variant modem to take with and install on arrival - or vice versa.
The same logic applies if getting the Gemalto modem or even some unusual combination of a Broadmobi for one region preinstalled with a Gemalto for the other region standalone - or vice versa.
The difference is that
a) the Gemalto is not available at all at the moment, and
b) when it is available, it will be a premium over the Broadmobi to have it preinstalled (and presumably also a higher price compared with the Broadmobi to buy it standalone).
Well those are my expectations at the current time …
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You are most probably right. Maybe Purism should mention this on the modem page.
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