So, I just purchased a Nexus 4 and I'm very happy with my purchase.
There is a carrier here in Mexico that was offering last month a HSPA+ 21 plan for just $12 per month, 3GB (unlimited... after the 3Gb they reduce the speed). But the plan was for data only. They provided one of those MiFi devices.
What I did was just remove the SIM card from the MiFi device and cut it to micro-Sim size (they provided a regular size SIM) and then I put it on the Nexus 4 and used the correct APN settings. The Internet is working perfectly.
But... they provided a phone number with the plan. I think all plans needs to have a phone number associated with it, right?
Anyway... the plan only includes data, and I can't make calls (well, I have a Skype Unlimited plan, so I can make VOIP calls) but surprisingly, I can receive calls.
But, here is the but... I only can receive calls from cell phones from the same carrier! I called my carrier and they told me that the associated phone number was not meant to receive calls, that it was a virtual number (to be honest, they were completely clueless).
So, is there something I could make with this virtual number to be able to receive phone calls from landlines?
Thanks.
It sounds to me as if the cellular provider has internal, non-routable phone numbers that they assign to data-only subscribers.
These articles on Wikipedia might help to give you a background of the PSTN system
Public_switched_telephone_network
Telephone_exchange
Trunking
PLMN
From the Public Land Mobile Network page:
The PSTN is largely governed by technical standards created by the ITU-T, and uses E.163/E.164 addresses (usually called telephone numbers) for addressing. A number of large private telephone networks are not connected to the PSTN, and are used for military purposes (such as the Defense Switched Network). There are also private networks run by large companies which are linked to the PSTN, but only through controlled gateways such as private branch exchanges.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, chances are that they operate a private network that is reachable by their customers but not linked to the PSTN, and your phone number is on the private network.
Related
Hi Folks,
I have what may be a considered a silly question but as someone who often visit's people in bad service areas this is something I've always wondered. Why don't phones 'fall back' to a Wifi connection if no cellular service is available?
Voice calls could go over a 'backup' VoIP service. - Digital service is digital service. It's all packets shuffling around and shouldn't matter whether is a cellular network or IP network.
MMS is already basicly email that could in theory go over any data network not just the APN.
SMS is even more basic than MMS, I'm guessing it would be trivial to move messages to an IP based network.
Whenever I plan on visiting someone who lives in a black hole (aka no service), I tell my friends to text my Google Voice number as it goes over Wifi. If they need to call me they can call my Google Voice number which forwards to my Skype In number that runs over VoIP on an Android app.
Is it just a money thing with the carriers? Why make your customers suffer through no or spotty service when you could just move everything OFF your network and on to something more reliable for them?
Your thoughts?
VoLTE seems to me to be much ado about very little. I know what the technology does, but I also read from the wireless providers the limitations such as:
- Both ends must use VoLTE. Many phones have it off by default.
- It only works with another phone on the same wireless provider's network. What are the chances of that?
- If the phone is not a carrier's branded phone, you do not get VoLTE or VoWi-Fi.
- It cannot be used with landline connections.
- Even if the call does go VoLTE/HD Voice, you will be billed for the same number of calls or minutes.
- If you force VoLTE by enabling VoWi-Fi, and be able to make and receive domestic calls for free while abroad, any international local calls or data will be billed at the very expensive international roaming rates.
- If you use a local SIM while International, you will get inexpensive local calls, but unable to use VoLTE to send or receive calls from home for free.
VoLTE seems Mickey Mouse when you have apps like Signal where you get secure chat, secure calling, and secure video conferencing, without being charged by the text, being charged by the call or by the minute, with the only dependency is a data connection.
Situation:
I currently live in the US. My end game is to live in Colombia and run an orphanage. This means a regular phone and long distance doesn't make sense. With someone like CallHippo, I can VOIP with a free number, call recording, free inbound, and 200 free minutes outbound and $.01/min. after that. This also enables me to change SIMs with no number porting, and use any Internet connection for calling without meeting any wireless provider requirements. However, it depends on a data connection. However, I've never had cell phone service without data available also, and VOIP requires very little bandwidth. 1GB of data is good for at least 1200 minutes of VOIP.
So my question is, Can you think of an instance anywhere anymore , where I might have voice but not data?
Thanks!
Hello everybody,
I have a question for you, I must do a completely legal marketing company with a pre-authorized number list. I used my android cellphone as an SMS gateway, I have rooted my cellphone and remove the maximum limit of SMS. However, my cellular provider decided to cut me off network access after only 600 texts during the day despite the fact that I have an unlimited SMS plan. Do you already have this type of problem and have you found a provider that does not really limit the number of SMS per day.
Do you have any idea if multi-country roaming type card providers are more permissive or do you know the limits with companies, thank you. For Canada and the United States.
Hi!
First, let me tell you what I did before:
A while ago I was on a longer trip to a far country, meaning roaming charges were extreme. Luckily my provider offers a VoIP service using the SIP standard, which I can use to make and receive calls with my regular phone number. So abroad I purchased a local SIM with several gigabytes of data included, removed my original SIM and installed the new one, installed a SIP cliant app, configured it to my provider account and that's it. I was reachable on my regular number, as if I were home, for a very small price. Could call enyone and they would see my regular phone number as the caller. Even SMS worked.
Now, the SIP service is being phased out by my provider and "replaced" by VoWifi (aka WifiCalling).
That works if I find a WLAN, but what can I do elsewhere?
Can I again get a local SIM and use it in a dual SIM phone (if I understand correctly, VoWifi does not work without the original SIM, so I must keep it in the phone, unlike for the SIP method above).
So, VoWifi would use the mobile data of the other (local, therefore cheap) SIM, instead of WLAN. Does this work?
I could carry with me another phone, insert the local SIM into it and turn on a hotspot, then connect to it with my primary phone, but then I would need to carry two devices, charge two batteries etc...
Is there a simple solution that would work? That is: one phone, cheap calls (the provider charges VoWifi calls as if at home country, local data only SIM are usually 10 USD per month or so), using my regular phone number for outgoing and incoming calls
Regards,
David