Getting a SIM for a foreign phone in the US
- By
- Aparna Patel
- |
- 26 Jul, 2023
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You need a new phone because yours does not support VoLTE
The problem you are experiencing is that even though your phone is LTE, none of the major US carriers list it as supporting Voice over LTE (VoLTE). Without VoLTE, a phone has to drop down to 3G or 2G networks to place a voice call, which have now largely been shut down in the US.
US carriers are using a VoLTE whitelist because of strict regulations and liability concerning emergency calling (911/112). The US Government also requires carriers use a complex GPS/cell tower location system to determine the location of phones making emergency calls (WE911), and that requires specific testing.
As a result, while carriers may allow roaming traffic for now, they require a whitelisted IMEI to activate on their network. Further phones must support VoLTE to work, even if the user desires data-only use, due to the possibility that somebody will attempt to make a 911 call in an emergency.
The status of the 3 US nationwide carriers are:
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AT&T officially shut down all pre-LTE 2G and 3G networks in February 2022, so it is impossible to place a call without VoLTE. Here is the AT&T whitelist.
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T-Mobile officially shut down all pre-LTE networks as of July 1, 2022. T-Mobile still has a 2G network operational, but it is intended for M2M devices only. T-Mobile IMEI check
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Verizon is actively shutting down their pre-LTE 2G/3G networks, to be completed December 31, 2022. Verizon’s pre-LTE network is CDMA-based and the vast majority of non-Verizon or foreign phones do not support it (with the exception of certain iPhones). Verizon IMEI check
All prepaid MVNOs must follow the rules of their base network.
Mint
Mint Mobile , mintmobile.com ,
is the lowest price option that I know of which is on T-Mobile networks.
I also went to T-Mobile for my foreign Samsung in the US.
Verizon and Sprint, iirc, use whitelists of IMEI numbers sold in the US, and likely will reject your foreign phone.
When Mint got going it was an easy choice since I don’t use so much data.
The two keywords you’re after are "pay-as-you-go" and "bring your own device".
The clerks at any retail shop of any cellular carrier will be well-acquainted with both terms. Yours is a common request.
They’re going to set you up right in the shop and test it on the spot. Either it’ll work and you’re in business, or it won’t and they’ll send you off with apologies or figure out a phone for you.
The cost of maintaining obsolete cellular network equipment is staggering. Every 3G tower kept alive soaks up a lot of maintenance cost, tower rental, and precious radio spectrum. That is why carriers are pushing people really hard to the newest networks, and why they may not let you enter the network with an older phone.
The top carriers (Verizon and AT&T) have more interest in supporting legacy systems, because they have well-heeled corporate customers with embedded systems – power companies with pole-top monitors, or railroads with transceivers in wayside boxes and locomotives. Those things are too costly to re-engineer and replace for every cellular generation. AT&T and Verizon are willing to maintain legacy networks for those customers.
Whereas the "value" carriers (the RyanAir of the spectrum) keep it simply by only supporting 1 or 2 generations. Reduces spectrum cost, reduces tower rental, reduces engineering costs. T-Mobile found it was more profitable to give me a decent 5G phone than to continue standing up a 3G network. They are cannibalizing their 3G and 4G spectrum and towers to expand their 5G.
Thus your conflict. Your expectations on price are set by the discount carriers, yet your old device requires support only the Tier 1 carriers offer.
I think now is the time to think about the value of your time.
I said above "walk into a shop". That’s because you have a "corner case" and the web sites are just not set up to deal with that.
And if you need to buy a phone, consider a used one off Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay etc.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
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