topic Re: No signal for international calls in Mobile Services

No signal for international calls

Stephanie34 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 09:46:42 GMT

Hi I am currently in Indonesia using a travel e-sim, personal sim switched off. I then realized if anyone tries to call my personal number I will miss it. When I turn my personal sim on (data off so I don't incur charges) I don't get any signal, or texts from EE so I can't even call EE to seek help. I also can't call my voicemail to check any calls. I am PAYG contract and can't find any chat box functionality, my online account also said I have 0 data which concerned me since the sim has been switched off. Any help is much appreciated.

Re: No signal for international calls

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:04:45 GMT

Hi @Stephanie34

Welcome to the community.

Did you use your pay as you go SIM in the UK to send a text message or make a call before going abroad?

Chris

Re: No signal for international calls

Stephanie34 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:07:08 GMT

Hi Chris

Thank you for your reply.

Yes my EE sim is pay as you go contract.

many thanks

steph

Re: No signal for international calls

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:10:37 GMT

In order to activate roaming on a pay as you go SIM card, you need to make a call from it whilst you're on the EE network in the UK.

Did you do that, @Stephanie34?

Chris

Re: No signal for international calls

Stephanie34 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:13:34 GMT

I have been using the it in the UK for 24 months, and in Europe. Perhaps international roaming is not activated?

many thanks

steph

Re: No signal for international calls

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:17:15 GMT

OK, thanks @Stephanie34

Then it sounds like it's definitely set up for roaming. Have you tried manually connecting to an available network?

Chris

Re: No signal for international calls

Stephanie34 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:36:34 GMT

Hi Chris,

No how would I do that please?

thank

steph

Re: No signal for international calls

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:40:15 GMT

What kind of phone do you have, @Stephanie34?

Chris

Re: No signal for international calls

Stephanie34 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:46:15 GMT

iPhone 11

thank you

steph

Re: No signal for international calls

Christopher_G — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:51:31 GMT

Go to Settings > Mobile Service > Network Selection > Turn 'automatic' off. Let me know if you're able to connect to a network, @Stephanie34

Chris

Re: No signal for international calls

Stephanie34 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:01:06 GMT

I have found a network, so I need to turn off my travel Esim? Will I incur costs from EE if I turn my data on?

thanks

steph

Re: No signal for international calls

XRaySpeX — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:14:50 GMT

Do you have any PAYG credit? You need it to pay for making and receiving calls or send texts. Your pack is not operative there.

You don't need data roaming ON just for calls and texts.

Re: No signal for international calls

Stephanie34 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:33:28 GMT

Great I have a package thank you.

I’ve secreted the other networks but none of them are giving any signal?

many thanks

steph

Re: No signal for international calls

XRaySpeX — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 14:20:23 GMT

What package?

Re: No signal for international calls

bristolian — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 16:55:05 GMT

There's several references in this thread to "PAYG contract", which doesn't exist. PAYG refers to prepayment by topups or credit card payments where you cannot spend more than you pay,.

Contract refers to a monthly subscription with a bill, where charges can be incurred which are paid in arrears.

The roaming activation process is different for both.

Re: No signal for international calls

XRaySpeX — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:58:44 GMT

In point of fact by law PAYG is a contract. EE provides a "pay now, use thereafter" mobile network service for a consideration made by the user via top-ups. It's just that EE & other networks do not use the word "contract" in its legal connotation. Hence EE publish & impose T&C's for PAYG.

Re: No signal for international calls

Stephanie34 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:45:34 GMT

Okay I was on 24 month contract then I went on to sim only plan for 24 months? Does that make sense?

Re: No signal for international calls

bristolian — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:50:51 GMT

That alters everything. SIM-only is a pay-monthly plan (not PAYG) where roaming needs to be manually activated - usually by texting ROAMING to 150 before leaving the UK.

Without doing this, you will not get a mobile network connection abroad, and the symptoms you describe are the result.

Your only recourse is to contact EE CS by another means, and request roaming is enabled.

Re: No signal for international calls

XRaySpeX — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:12:56 GMT

Yes, but it makes about 50% of the responses here irrelevant to your problem.