Terrible roaming experience in USA

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Terrible roaming experience in USA

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#2946175 25-Jul-2022 12:27

Linux:

@stw how is eSIM a good option when the issue is US networks are turning off 3G when this is required for Voice calls? This thread is about New Zealand customers roaming in the US

Its a way of getting round the 3G network shutdown and no VoLTE roaming as you wont be roaming at all - And most certainly cheaper than roaming.

Not for me tho, as it screwed up FaceTime/iMessage

https://www.commsupdate.com/articles/2021/09/17/t-mobile-us-to-shut-down-3g-network-on-1-july-2022/

GSM network on T-Mobile available until end of 2022 so that is an option if your carrier (and I know Vodafone Does as I have recently visited the US) lets you roam on T-Mobile but you have to force it away form AT&T which has no GSM or 3G network.

By the end of 2022 I would hope that VoLTE roaming is in play, but wont bet on it.

I am still god smacked the FCC allowed carriers to shutdown networks before this issue is resolved, its a huge 911 risk.

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

stw

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#2946225 25-Jul-2022 14:48

I was in Dubai last month and I turn on my spark esim and it doesn’t screwup your prime FaceTime/iMessage

I’ve had nothing but good experience on t mobile esim

tchart

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#2946653 26-Jul-2022 17:15

Ok so I was looking through my usage while I was away (got back yesterday) as I plan to make a complaint to 2 degrees about the lack of service.

I noticed that immediately after each roaming pack renewal there is a data activity of 250mb. This happens at different times but generally in the early hours (12AM-6AM NZ time). The time is not consistent but the size is.

Apart from this "regular" data activity its as I expected considering the flakey experience ie very low usage.

Any idea what this would be? My iphone doesnt allow app update over mobile data. Ive checked past usage and dont see any similar behaviour.

My wifes number show similar behaviour although hers is 100mb each time.

Linux

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#2946663 26-Jul-2022 17:37

Roaming terns and conditions cover when using another carriers network it is basically best effort and 2degrees have zero control over the quality of the network performance / coverage etc.....

The roaming issues have come about since the carriers in the US starting turning off 3G network

SaltyNZ

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#2946769 27-Jul-2022 06:59

tchart:

Ok so I was looking through my usage while I was away (got back yesterday) as I plan to make a complaint to 2 degrees about the lack of service.

I noticed that immediately after each roaming pack renewal there is a data activity of 250mb. This happens at different times but generally in the early hours (12AM-6AM NZ time). The time is not consistent but the size is.

Apart from this "regular" data activity its as I expected considering the flakey experience ie very low usage.

Any idea what this would be? My iphone doesnt allow app update over mobile data. Ive checked past usage and dont see any similar behaviour.

My wifes number show similar behaviour although hers is 100mb each time.

Correct. The way the service works is that we set a flag in your account which expires at midnight NZ time. If you have an active data session when the flag expires, it will be terminated. Your handset will reestablish the data session, causing you to be charged for the next day. The system currently only cuts a data CDR when the session ends, hence, you receive a CDR every day some time between 12:00-3:00am depending on when the background jobs gets around to your number.

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

MartinGZ

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#2947035 27-Jul-2022 18:09

Dochart:
https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/

I've found sites like this to be pretty flakey. Wasn't about to check the USA data, but the NZ page is way out of date.

As a aside, why cannot NZ Telcos make frequency data easy to find, although brownie points go to Spark on this on: Spark NZ network coverage

Dochart

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#2947036 27-Jul-2022 18:12

MartinGZ:
Dochart:
https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/

I've found sites like this to be pretty flakey. Wasn't about to check the USA data, but the NZ page is way out of date.

As a aside, why cannot NZ Telcos make frequency data easy to find, although brownie points go to Spark on this on: Spark NZ network coverage

What’s missing from the NZ page?

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KiwiSurfer

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#2947056 27-Jul-2022 18:47

Dochart:

What’s missing from the NZ page?

It says 2degrees 4G is Band 3 (1800) only which has not been true for a long time. 2degrees operates across Bands 1, 3, 8 and 28 (relying largely on a mixture of 8 and 28 for coverage). It also reports 2degrees as operating a 900/1800 2G network which is old information (and I don't think they ever did operate a 2G 1800 network anyway it was either mostly or wholly 900 only). Missing also 2degrees 5G.

It says Spark operates 900/1800 2G which is 100% wrong -- they never have done that open to the public. They planned for 2G but dumped that and launched with 850/2100 3G only. If they did do 2G it'd have been 850 anyway. They have removed all their 3G 2100. Missing Band 1 for 4G (which is listed as a essential band on Spark's website).

It says Vodafone has 2G 1800 which has been long gone for many years now. Missing bands 1 and 8 for 4G.

Out of interest I checked also the info for New Caledonia (as I have just been there recently) and it is also incorrect. Says the mobile network there is 2G 900/3G 2100 only where in fact they do have 4G on 800/1800 as well as 3G 900.

Probably somewhat useful as a guide but seems to be several years out of date for NZ and New Caledonia. I have a detailed page on my website with more detail on current frequencies being used in NZ for anyone interested.

SaltyNZ

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#2947058 27-Jul-2022 18:50

KiwiSurfer:

It also reports 2degrees as operating a 900/1800 2G network which is old information (and I don't think they ever did operate a 2G 1800 network anyway it was either mostly or wholly 900 only).

We had quite a lot of 2G on 1800, but it was the first to go to make way for LTE.

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

MartinGZ

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#2947148 27-Jul-2022 23:51

Sorry this is a bit off topic.

@KiwiSurfer. Thanks for that, it allowed me to update my list with a couple of changes. Perhaps at some stage you could include a summary as below?

BTW, I'm no expert at this, I just do a check each time I want to change a phone to make sure it’s got the correct bands. It's a real laborious task finding what I think is the correct info and even then I cannot be sure. I don’t know why the telcos make it so difficult.

Perhaps a sticky at the top of each telco forum that is updated by the telco unofficial/official forum user?

My summary:

KiwiSurfer

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#2948693 31-Jul-2022 20:24

MartinGZ:

@KiwiSurfer. Thanks for that, it allowed me to update my list with a couple of changes. Perhaps at some stage you could include a summary as below?

Thank you for the suggestion, I have added this here:

https://cellsites.nz/frequencies.html#band-summary

MartinGZ

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#2948709 31-Jul-2022 22:31

KiwiSurfer:

Thank you for the suggestion, I have added this here:

https://cellsites.nz/frequencies.html#band-summary

Cool. I assume you will add the 5G band as it rolls out.

@freitasm. Can this be added as a sticky to each of the 3 telcos? Perhaps as a link and a copy of the table? There are loads of threads where people ask for this info, like I said above, it's not obvious when you come to updating phones.

KiwiSurfer

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#2949858 2-Aug-2022 20:07

MartinGZ:

Cool. I assume you will add the 5G band as it rolls out.

5G info added.

nztim

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#2963498 5-Sep-2022 14:07

further my comments above about roaming and T-Mobile still having 2G for voice calls.....

looks like Vodafone have updated the FAQs and are defaulting customers onto T-Mobile since I was there

https://www.vodafone.co.nz/roamingus/

Still doesn't get round the facts that no VoLTE roaming is quite frankly unacceptable

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

KiwiSurfer

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#2963559 5-Sep-2022 17:31

That little table they have showing what you can/can't do with which phone on which network makes the whole situation look so amateur. In some cases you can do that but not this, and in other cases you can't do that but you can do this. Try explaining that to a typical customer...

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