Roaming changes in the USA

Find out how changes to 3G networks in the USA may affect your service

As they upgrade their networks, the major operators in the USA are closing their 3G services. AT&T and T-Mobile have already done so. This may have an impact on your roaming experience, depending on your phone.

Will my device be affected?

Now that T-Mobile USA are moving to switch off their 3G network, the 2G network will become more congested and this could affect the quality of service when making calls.

If you have a:

4G or 5G phone – you’ll still be able to enjoy your normal 4G data service in the USA,
3G phone – your phone will switch to USA 2G networks instead of 3G. This means you may experience lower call quality while using your phone.
2G phone – you may have issues connecting to the network and experience call drops as the 2G networks become more congested.

Will Talkmobile be launching a solution?

Our network partner, Vodafone, is proactively working with operators in the USA to reduce the impact on customers and aim to launch a 4G Calling Abroad solution later this year.

Why is this happening now?

For countries where our network partner Vodafone doesn’t operate, we work with other mobile networks to make sure you can keep using your phone abroad. This year, other operators are upgrading their network to expand existing 4G coverage and new 5G services. To free up the capacity for these changes, they need to switch off older networks like 3G.

Unfortunately, we can’t control our partners’ networks – but rest assured, once our 4G Calling Abroad is live, the upgrades will result in improved call quality for the latest devices.

How can I stay connected?

If your phone can’t connect to T-Mobile USA, you’ll automatically be switched to AT&T – you’ll still be able to use data in the USA but won’t be able to make calls.
To make calls in the USA, make sure you’ve selected the T-Mobile network in your roaming settings.
Many popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger offer voice calling features too – so if you have access to WiFi or 4G data, you can use these to make calls instead.