TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

If you have Consumer Cellular, do you know who your roaming data carrier is? Why is this important? Because regardless of whether your phone’s SIM card is set for AT&T or T-Mobile service at your home area, AT&T no longer supports data roaming for CC customers - you must have a TMobile SIM card or your data services won’t work outside your home area, although your voice service will. I don’t know the reason for the change, but I found out the hard way. Went out of town for the first time in a year and discovered that none of the data services worked once I left my home area. That was a real PIA because we couldn’t use any nav services such as Google Maps or Siri. Called CC, and was told I’d need to go to a Target Store and get a TMobile SIM card (we use AT&T’s network at home and the SIM is set for them as the roaming carrier). Say what? You mean We need to change our SIM cards whenever we travel? And the next question: why didn’t CC inform existing customers of this change? CC agrred to send me TMobile SIM cards, so now we’ll see if TMobile has good coverage in my home area and we can use this one SIM or we need to change SIMs whenever we leave our home area or lose data services just when you need them the most. If that’s the case, as much as I like CC, I’ll be looking for a new cellular carrier. Just thought any one using CC might want to check before they travel only to find out that no data services (including email, Google, Maps and Nav) work once you leave your home city if you’re currently using ATT’s network.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

I quit CC a couple of months ago. Never had good MMS...hotspot really never worked well so I had to get a sim for my pad. PITA and more costly. I went to Mint Mobile and they charged me 15 bux a month for the first six months. I paid 'em and don't have to pay again until June. MMS is stellar and the hotspot is great so no extra sim. Now, when I reup for another 6 months I'll be paying $20.00 per month cuz the 15 is promotional. Oh, and I get 4, not 3, gigs of data which is cool (I'm not a data user, but had gone over a couple of times at CC and they automatically bumped my plan up...). Mint is on the T-Mobile trunk...

therwol Loc: USA

I use CC and was unaware of this change. When I started with them a couple of years ago, they gave me a T-Mobile SIM card for my phone. Voice coverage was a problem at my house. I've had no issues since switching to an AT&T card. Now this. Can you define home area?

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I recently changed to Spectrum for internet, TC, and cellular. They say that Verizon is their carrier, but I cannot get data roaming in a lot of places. My daughter (who of course is on our plan) could no longer use the hotspot feature on her phone even though she lives in a major metropolitan area. It's pretty disappointing, so we may be looking for still another cellphone provider.

ad9mac

Thanks for the Heads Up. I'm in your area and will be getting in touch with them.
Been a satisfied customer for many years. This is troubling though.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

I have had a number of carriers since the beginning of cell phones, and T-Mobile has been the absolute worst--terrible signals.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

No. For me, my iPhone went to roaming mode about 25 miles from my home address.

ReFlections Loc: From LA to AL

I had CC also until a couple of months ago. They have changed tremendously. The customer service is horrible now as well as the phone service. I moved to Spectrum mobile and can’t be happier.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

We are CC users. Will have to check into this. Thanks for the heads up.

Don

Jimb13 Loc: San Antonio

I used CC several years ago. Sim card was T-Mobile. Went to visit family in Alaska. T-Mobile does not work there. I had to go to a Sears store and buy a AT&T sim card. Once I returned to CONUS, I left CC like a hot potato.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Who did everyone go to when they left Consumer Cellular?

ad9mac

I just got off the phone with CC.
Relayed your explanation of the ATT/T Mobile situation.
Lady told me the opposite is true.
CC is switching all their coverage to ATT.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

That just shows that either (a) what Carrier they use for data roaming depends on what area you live in (unlikely) or (b) the reps don’t know what they’re talking about (very likely).

I can tell you from actual experience that my AT&T CC provided SIM no longer works for data roaming - hence the reason for my call to CC, who told me what I originally posted and that it has worked out of area for years. i can also tell you that I just installed the TMobile SIM they mailed me after the issue was reposted, and now data roaming works out of my home area, so draw your own conclusions.

ad9mac

I wonder if 4G/5G might have something to do with it.
From doing a little research this AM seems TMobile coverage of 5G is much more complete than ATT.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

It is. In my area, I just received an advertisement from TMobile for 5G wireless service to my home for $50/month. Apparently they are rolling it out in about 50 cities in the US since their 5G network is pretty extensive and robust. Looks like about 100 Mb down/20 up at present (the 5G spec supports up to 10Gb) but I haven’t actually signed up and benchmarked it. I may give it a try without cancelling my cable ISP, because I can easily see wireless home internet taking a piece of the market from traditional wired. ISPs