Mobile Carriers in the United States

[wi_badger]

FWIW, I'm testing with Mint Mobile which offer $5 trial SIM cards that work for 1 week. I even got one for just $1 at Best Buy.

I checked the IMEI and they support PinePhone:

"Congratulations! Your phone is pretty boss and will receive our fastest data speed—4G LTE!"

Watch this space.

Excellent !

I bought one of their SIM's on Amazon (yes, $1) just to have a SIM so the modem chip would test, ... I have been holding off on activation until call / text functionality had gotten better.  Maybe now is the time, woohoo !

Thanks for the confirmation, I had been wondering ...

More later ...

[buffer]

FWIW, I'm testing with Mint Mobile which offer $5 trial SIM cards that work for 1 week. I even got one for just $1 at Best Buy.

I checked the IMEI and they support PinePhone:

"Congratulations! Your phone is pretty boss and will receive our fastest data speed—4G LTE!"

Watch this space.

Excellent !

I bought one of their SIM's on Amazon (yes, $1) just to have a SIM so the modem chip would test, ... I have been holding off on activation until call / text functionality had gotten better.  Maybe now is the time, woohoo !

Thanks for the confirmation, I had been wondering ...

More later ...

Yes! Well since we're in the same boat, right now I'm trying to figure out how to set up APN settings detailed here -- don't be fooled, you don't need to install an app to configure APN like they are pushing us to do. We just need to put the information into the right configuration file or if one of the OS's already has the interface for it we can enter the information in a similar way. I have a sense that it has something to do with ofonoctl and modemmanager. I did some research and these links seem useful:

Configuring Cellular Connections
ModemManager documentation
Configure Cellular Connections
NetworkManager documentation
Manpage of mmcli 
Nokia N900 (nokia-n900) - postmarketOS

Also these threads: 
Howto: Mobile data on pmOS + Phosh with APN requiring user/pass
How to Send a SMS text trough the command line
New Phosh image - first impressions

If we can configure APN settings via command line in one OS then we should almost be able to do with all.

P.S. It will also be necessary I guess, to have a script that turns off the modem before the device shuts down, to prevent firmware corruption, see this thread for Ubuntu Touch, not sure yet what to do with other OSs, but if using ofonoctl I think it would be a script with something like:

$ ofonoctl offline
$ ofonoctl poweroff

and set it to run before shutdown.

Ignore me. This all seems to be mostly useless

[buffer]

FYI, avoid FreedomPop. They require Android 4.3+ and their free calling and texting works only with the Google Play app they make you use. Customer service said they are a VoIP service. So they don't work with dumb phones and pretty much won't work with the PinePhone.

[tllim]

FYI, avoid FreedomPop. They require Android 4.3+ and their free calling and texting works only with the Google Play app they make you use. Customer service said they are a VoIP service. So they don't work with dumb phones and pretty much won't work with the PinePhone.

FreedomPop voice and SMS doesn't work as you have pointed is VoIP type service. However, the data part still work if APN has been seen correctly set to fp.com.attz. You get 200MB free data per month. However, please watch out that you will get ding by $20 top up charge when over 200MB limit.

[bcnaz]

Using the AT&T sim card from a working BLU phone, I have made outgoing calls with Ubuntu Touch, and text messages both incoming and outgoing.
Using Debian Phosh I have made calls both incoming and outgoing, and two way texts.
I have not had to enter anything into the APN number setting, I believe that is in the AT&T sim card firmware..(?)

Using an AT&T Prepaid sim card

[bcnaz]

  
   I have been successful with 2 way voice calls and with 2 way texts using the prepaid AT&T sim card,  On Debian/Phosh.

  And calls out and 2 way text with Ubuntu Touch.

But I have not had any success yet with data service,  I do not know if it
 is software related

            OR

The APN settings  ?

       Any Ideas  ?

UPDATE :

After spending over an hour talking on the phone to the AT&T tech, he concluding it was a faulty sim card,
as it works for text and voice but system says I do not have a data account, which I do have the same sim card can access data while in my BLU phone.
SOO farther updates when I get a different sim card.

[buffer]

APN settings for Mint Mobile on Debian + Phosh:

Simply go to Settings > Mobile > Access Point Names > + button to add new,
Name: Ultra
APN: Wholesale.

That's all you need...

Calls and SMS work. But I know of no OS using ModemManager that supports MMS at all. See issue: https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/chatty/issues/30

I have bought a bunch of other SIM cards that I will use to test. Net10, Tracfone, and others to try when I get a chance.

For now, Mint Mobile is offering a month of unlimited data starting yesterday. Because of the COVID-19. Cool.

Oh, and to activate it I called them up, it was no problem. Did not have to download/install any apps from Google Play or whatever. Make sure to reboot the phone.

@wi_badger

[bcnaz]

I have 2 way voice and text messaging working on AT&T sim card,  but using a sim that was first in an IOS phone, then a BLU phone.

after an hour on the phone with the AT&T tech he said I needed a new sim for my data to work,
 and I can get a new sim for free from my local AT&T store.
That should clear up any problem with accessing my mobile data.

AT&T is currently running a special on PrePaid,  8gb of high speed per month, + unlimited talk & text for $300. per year. (online only)

[bcnaz]

I got a BYOP SIM package from TracFone and I have had great luck with the T-Mobile compatible SIM card so far. Activation was as simple as putting the card in the phone and sending a text message.

  Tracfone huh
   Does that include any data  ?

Last time I tried TracFone for data, it said "connected"  but after hours of waiting 
it never got past the "loading" screen.

Not at home or when I went and stood under the cell tower.

worked ok for voice & text 'if' I had a strong signal.

[saba]

I got a SIM from Red Pocket on their $10/month plan (500 minutes, 500 SMS, 500 MB).  You can choose AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint network. I got the GSMA (ATT) SIM and I can make calls and send/receive SMS on Debian/Phosh.

APN settings:

name: Red Pocket
APN: RESELLER