Info within my above post link provided while US Mobile −> T-Mobile and while further below, same chapter as linked, you’ll find (under Settings and info) following APN for LTE devices: fast.t-mobile.com. And as “a starter kit costs $10” (for 30 days) perhaps it is worth of trying if such SIM card package might suit your needs, if/when about to use it on Librem 5.
Too bad the chart doesn’t have a print button. (Auto format print gets four pages worth, mostly blank lines.)
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For people’s tests with different cellular carriers, see the community wiki:
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I copied the table into a spreadsheet. You should be able to do the same. (I had to realign a couple of items, so please check for accuracy.)
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That works for me on the images we posted here, using “Copy Image” from my right-click context menu, but it’s not available on Purism’s original modem chart. (FYI)
With Linux Mint and Pale Moon browser, anyway. May be different in other systems.
(Although I could have used the “Take Screenshot” application in Linux Mint, and selected the area to grab. It’s a large, awkward area, though.)
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The U.S. carrier successes from that chart may change as the 3G networks continue shutting down. At least for calls over 3G. Just something to be aware of.
Thanks both amarok and Quarnero, nice work.
Yes I could have done that but what I was really complaining about was the lack of a formatted print button. Like some websites used to do in the gold old days so the user didn’t have to work at it.
Some news sites used to do that. They don’t do that anymore. (Perhaps they’re trying to discourage paper use? Or is it that the print dialog omits clickable adverts and they lose money?)
That would probably be another topic on another forum.
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I have not received my L5 (ordered Aug’18) but did try my Verizon SIM card from my android phone in a beta PP and it did work (made a call). Verizon did immediately send me an email inquiring if it was me but they did not give me any problems. So with this and maybe flying under the radar as you say may allow pre-activated Sim cards even if one cannot be activated in an L5.
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That’s good news, but don’t forget:
Agreed…but the replaceable modem also lends itself to a evential possible solution. Or at the very least a puzzle to be solved which keeps me interested in not only Linux in my pocket, but learning experiences (to be shared) that benefits ongoing Linux hardware/software dev.
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In my case I have a data only plan with US Mobile (their “GSM” sim card), that works fine.
Then just for giggles I did a one time addition of 75 minutes of telephone time (for USD 2). I can make and receive calls just fine, but only when the modem is in the 3G mode, 4G does not work.
As far as “flying under the radar” goes in this case: US Mobile is fully aware that I’m using a Librem 5, I called them (on a separate matter) and discussed it with them, they told me that is fine, they didn’t care.
In case any of the above adds anything useful to the discussion…
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Your person may not have the right or experience to say “they didn’t care.” Unless you hear it from a high ranking employee, I’d not depend on them not caring. Maybe they don’t care today, but tomorrow is another day.
~s`
Neither optimistically nor pessimistically, just factual/objective, relating here to the product FCC ID 2AON8-BM818: “Grants authorize equipment for operation at approved frequencies and sale within the USA.”
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I don’t know the employee’s rank. What happened is that in my conversation with the rep, when the topic of the Librem 5 arose, he asked me to email a pic of the phone with the screen that shows the IMEI number to him, which I did. He then turned that over to their tech department. A day or so later a person from their tech dept wrote back to me thanking me for the information, and assured me that my use of the Librem 5 on their plan was perfectly fine with them.
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“The Circuit Switched Fallback, or CSFB, is a Service Handover Procedure, of LTE protocol, devised to deliver VOICE and SMS to LTE devices with a circuit switch network (3G or 2G).”
4G does not work at all?
My experience: 4G works for data, but not for voice phone calls.
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By the way, I finally got around to testing a Surfroam international data SIM, and the L5’s modem picked up 4G right way, first time. (It was actually more complicated to set up on my Android!) In the U.S., it roams on AT&T. Pair that with a functioning SIP option or messenger app and you’re good to go.
Surfroam is an Estonian company. Their current rate for the U.S. is €0.02 per megabyte, i.e. €20 per gigabyte. In Europe it’s €0.01 / €10. Roaming in some other regions of the world can be a lot more expensive.
Another seller of data SIMs is KeepGo, as others have mentioned.
I think this is a viable option until VoLTE gets implemented.
Surfroam added here (new category “International”): https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/community-wiki/-/wikis/Cellular-Providers
I have a KeepGo SIM on order. I will report my experience in the future. I already have a jmp.chat number set up to use SIP with Linphone and/or GNOME calls.
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I added your US Mobile info here: https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/community-wiki/-/wikis/Cellular-Providers
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