topic Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean in Roaming

Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

carlstarus — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 23:00:53 GMT

I have been in the Caribbean for the last 14 months on assignment. Curacao to be exact. I was always able to receive SMS text messages while here. Now suddenly I can't connect to any of the local networks anymore. This is a major hassle, because now I can't get the verification codes from my bank anymore to log in. I can still see the local networks here, but can't connect to them. Does anyone have an idea what could be wrong? Any suggestion might be helpful.
Cheers,

Carl

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

bristolian — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 23:03:17 GMT

Are you on PAYG or pay-monthly?

If PAYG, when did you last incur any charges or top-up your credit?

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

carlstarus — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 01:16:52 GMT

I am on Pay monthly for over 14 years with the same number.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

XRaySpeX — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 02:47:31 GMT

@carlstarus As you are on contract, did you activate roaming on your EE a/c before you left UK by texting ROAMING to 150? Having a roaming billing add-on doesn't of itself activate roaming on your a/c. Having roaming activated on your EE a/c, not just on your device, is crucial to using your contract SIM abroad.

Often just rebooting the phone is the simple remedy. Also try selecting a network manually rather than auto.

Otherwise you need to call CS to get your roaming activated. Try calling CS on the Freephone no. in my sig. on Skype over WiFi. It should be free.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

carlstarus — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 02:55:47 GMT

I have actually turned off the roaming feature when I got here last year in June. The costs were way too high as this is outside the EU. All I needed was the ability to get SMS Text messages so I could log into my Halifax account and pay bills. I didn't even use it to make calls, just receive SMS messages. Today I have tried the SIM card in 2 other phones, thinking it might be the phone itself that is damaged, but I couldn't connect with either one of the other phones I tried. So the problem is not with the phone itself.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

XRaySpeX — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 02:58:37 GMT

@carlstarus : How did you turn off roaming from your a/c? Usually you don't or can't.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

carlstarus — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 03:03:13 GMT

I turned off roaming on the device itself (Android). EE >> Mobile data >> Roaming (On or Off Switch)

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

carlstarus — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 03:05:59 GMT

There are 2 mobile carriers here on the island.

Digicel
CHIPPIE

Neither one connects. (I can however see both providers in the list of local providers).

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

XRaySpeX — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 03:11:02 GMT

@carlstarus : I wasn't talking about data roaming settings on your device. I'm asking about texting ROAMING to 150 while in UK before travelling, which activates your ability to roam in general on your a/c.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

carlstarus — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 03:16:53 GMT

Oooh... OK I don't think I did that. I can't remember. But that does not change the fact that I was able to get all SMS Text messages since June of last year, up until 2 days ago. So 2 days ago something changed. All was fine up until 2 days ago.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

XRaySpeX — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 03:20:39 GMT

You sure you are on a contract? Are you billed monthly for your fees or do you top-up your credit from time-to-time?

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

carlstarus — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 03:30:26 GMT

Of course I'm sure. I pay my bill every month. I have never ever cancelled my contract with Orange and then it rolled over to EE and I kept it. I was grandfathered in to a nice contract and I don't want to lose it. I get my bill every single month. I just paid mine 3 days early this month on top of that.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

bristolian — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 09:12:53 GMT

@carlstarus wrote:

I have actually turned off the roaming feature when I got here last year in June. The costs were way too high as this is outside the EU. All I needed was the ability to get SMS Text messages so I could log into my Halifax account and pay bills. I didn't even use it to make calls, just receive SMS messages.

Adding to the previous comments, to make/receive calls or send/receive text messages abroad requires a network connection which means roaming. You may have disable data roaming on your device (there is no option to do so for voice roaming or text roaming), but the roaming facility will remain active on your account.

If you remain on pay-monthly, have roamed previously but now cannot connect to any local network, there is usually a network-specific reason why you can't connect. This may need a faults investigation to be raised via CS.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

carlstarus — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 15:26:41 GMT

I had roaming enabled in UK and that didn't help either.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

bristolian — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 15:41:01 GMT

@carlstarus wrote:

I had roaming enabled in UK and that didn't help either.

Roaming is the account-level which enables access to foreign networks.

Re: Suddenly Lost Local Connection in Caribbean

Rach_H — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 08:29:58 GMT

Hi @carlstarus,

I hope you're having an amazing time in the Carribbean!

Have you been back to the UK at all since you started your time there, or have you been there for 14 months consistently?

Rach