can data only plan sim card make voice call and text message

[newFidoUser2016]

I have a data only sim. can I make phone call or text message? if so, what is cost? thanks

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[FidoPierre · Accepted solution]

Hey @newFidoUser2016

Welcome to the Community!  

The SIM card will be capable to make and receive phone calls as it has a phone number associated to it. The plan however is not meant to cover this kind of usage and you would be looking at $1 per minute for incoming and outgoing calls and Long Distance (LD) calling at 45¢ per minute within Canada. 

You can check out more about the text messaging rates right from here.

I hope this information was helpful!

[kwu20180107]

Hello there,

My question is how can I avoid to make a phone call accidentally when I use data only plan? Or, can I or can Fido do some kind of setting to avoid this happen?

[FidoNick]

Hey @kwu20180107!

Great question!

We can block outgoing and incoming calls on our end, however it's important to note this will also block text messages.

If you'd like us to do this, please reach out.

If you prefer, we can even PM you here on the Community. Just let us know! 

[KAPABLE-K]

@newFidoUser2016

The data only plans can make and send text but its not meant to be used like that and you will be billed.

Local calls are billed at $1/minute, and outgoing SMS to Canadian numbers are billed at $0.25/message

[CmdrData]

If I put a data only SIM in a phone on the 2GB for $15 plan, I realize that I can make phone calls and send texts but it will cost $1/min, but incoming texts are free.  Are incoming phone calls free too?

[KAPABLE-K]

Hello @CmdrData,

Because its a data only plan any voice calls incoming/outgoing will incur fees.

[cuezone]

I see the 3 gig data plan for $15 sweet deal but here is my question.

Can you text or add texting to it?

Reason I ask is that I bought outright the LG Gpad 3 from Fido and want to activate it. The tablet is promoted to be able to do sms which it in fact can but I've been told that Fido will not allow it?

Seems strange to sell and promote something you can't fully use...

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[FidoMaria]

Hi @cuezone

I moved your post to this thread since I think the answer to your question can be found here. Check out the posts above!

[cuezone]

So then it is safe to assume then that yes we can add an unlimited texting plan to the data only plan, as the link you provided lists $10 for unlimited?

If this is the case, it is a dire shame that 2 live chat reps have earlier told me that no, you cannot and cannot even text period. This is why I didn't add this 2 months ago. Uneducated reps costing rogers/fido money, not good!

[FidoMaria]

@cuezone It's not every day that we get people with data-only plans who also want to use text messaging, so this may be why the reps did not know.

I did do some research, and it's definitely something that you can add.

You can reach out to us on Facebook/Twitter if you'd like to go ahead with the add-on, or if you prefer, I can send you a PM.

Let me know!

[cuezone]

Thank you very much for your help.

[FidoMaria]

@cuezone Always a pleasure!

[cuezone]

Hi , I've been shopping around of course to find the best deal of course and while asking your sister company Rogers about the texting on tablet addon they assure me that you can not add on any texting what so ever to a data plan and the only option is to pay pay per use prices. They told me also that it cannot be done on fido either. I'm now getting confused. It it for absolute sure that if I get the 3 tablet lines added to my account that my kids will be able to have a text addon on those so they can send and receive texts at an unlimited rate. They do not need any calling at all as they are the LG Gpad 3 tabs I bought outright from Fido/Rogers.

Even Bell told me they will not be able to addon any type of texting, Just doesn't make any sense to me at all that it cannot be done.

[FidoPierre]

Hey @cuezone

I would not be able to confirm for any other carriers but I assure you that we definitely have text messaging add-ons that can be combined with our data only plans. 

The only exception in this case is that these messaging add-ons do not work with iPads, but it will work with your tablets.   

[cuezone]

Great, Thank you!

[RRMS-Toronto]

I also have the 3GB plan and use apps like FONGO for phone/text options via internet IP.

I tried dual sim at one point and found that FIDO disables second sim when given priority over sim B. Sim B does not disable my FIDO access but allows full dual access when priority assigned to it.

Any ideas Fido how to get your sim to co-exist?

[FidoTerry]

Welcome to the community RRMS-Toronto!

Can you please give us more information what you mean when Fido disables the second SIM? Also which phone model are you currently using? 

This thread here can give you some help as well. 

[RRMS-Toronto]

Hi Fido-Terry

I have a dual sim ACER Z630.  The other sim is a Telus legacy plan.  The phone was purchased unlocked and has worked with various sim combinations.

My android software has a section under SIM that allows me to set preferred sim for calls,  text or data.  I have no issues with calls or text however, the problem arises when I set FIDO as preferred data.  The setting will disconnect my telus connection and return a network not found for telus, disabling all telus functions. When I set Telus as preferred data, both telus and fido functions return to normal operations.  

Is there something that the FIDO sim has programmed to override my Telus sim?

Thanks for looking into this.

[RRMS-Toronto]

Sorry,  forgot to mention that I have 2 IMEI numbers, one for each sim.

[FidoManuel]

Hey @RRMS-Toronto!

The only thing that comes to my mind would be that you don't have the propre APN settings saved on your phone for the Fido SIM card. 

That and maybe the fact that you must manually select the correct APN once you select a new ''preferred sim'' for data. Can you post a screencap of the APN settings you have for Fido?