US Mobile, via T-Mobile, won't support Pinephone Pro - SOLVED, SIMPLY

[jovval]

After confirming that US Mobile (USM) supported the PinePhone (PP) via T-Mobile (and, naturally, not via Verizon), I purchased a PP Pro (PPP).

With the IMEI, I confirmed (and have confirmed three more times) with the representative that the phone is compatible.

Using the USM's web interface, I entered my information, including the IMEI, and USM transferred my # by the start of the next day.

I could neither make nor receive calls.

On the third call, the representative told me that my phone and IMEI were "partially compatible", meaning that some areas of T-Mobile's network did not have frequencies matching the PP and would have no service. (With Tello, a provider I subsequently called, the rep. told me the PP was "fully compatible" with T-Mobile's network.) But. The rep. proceed to say that

          because US Mobile requires a "phone modem" and the PPP has a "stand-alone modem", the PPP can not work with USM.

The last rep. suggested I try to "patch" the modem's software.

I would like to have USM functional on my phone as, out of nine (9) Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) it offers the best, sufficient service (500min, 500 texts, 500MB) comcomitant with the lowest cost ($5/mo -- yielding $8.57/mo including fees and taxes, per the representatives with whom I spoke).

All MVNOs trounce T-Mobile on price: $65/mo. So, I have high motivation to work with an MVNO, especially USM,

Could someone suggest a work-around, perhaps one that would allow me to have the PPP's modem masquerade as a phone modem?

I have resolved the problem.
The following is from a supervisor's email to me.

The APN needed to be in caps:
APN :- PWG  (PWG MUST BE CAPITAL)
MMSC :- http://pwg.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc
APN Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
APN Roaming Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
Leave all unmentioned fields blank or at default, save and select the APN and restart the phone.

Thank you!

    Daud Navin
    Associate Technical Support Manager
For some reason, I had lower case instead of upper case.
Stranger still, four consecutive representatives wrongly described the phone as not support as a "network module", "standby-modem", or "data device".
I only entered
US Mobile
PWG
under Settings --> Cellular Network --> SIMs --> Modify APNs --> Add APN
The supervisor deserves commendation for his composure, quick and simple thinking, and setting me at ease.

I have tested
(1) the phone for both incoming and outgoing calls.
(2) text with the Spacebar app for both incoming and outgoing messages.
(3) data using Angelfish by going to wikipedia's main page.
(4) wifi using apt to install a program.
(5) via terminal, as root, the command
ip addr
gave an external ip address (with a /29 route for those who understand routing).
(6) the command
lynx http://checkip.dyndns.org
gave an IP which did not match the IP from my prior command.
The command
whois <IP address>
for both the IP addresses above showed that both had T-Mobile as their owner.
I could ping neither address.
(7) The command, as root,
iptables -S
showed only
-P INPUT ACCEPT
-P OUTPUT ACCEPT
-P FORWARD ACCEPT
indicating that the PP is not blocking any traffic.

From my workstation (using its external IP address), I could ping neither address found in 5 and 6 above.