FreedomPop Upgrading Everyone to Premium Voice

**high technology** · 10-10-2020, 04:31 PM

I received a new FreedomPop SIM in the mail today that I didn't request. Inside the envelope was a tri-fold carrier that said "FREE UPGRADE TO PREMIUM VOICE INSIDE". It then went on to say "Ditch the App! We are giving all FreedomPop customers a free upgrade to Premium Voice".

Basically, they are retiring the app so they are sending out new SIMs and urging customers to upgrade by 10/15/2020 "to avoid service disruption".

The new SIM is a native AT&T (not AT&T MVNO) SIM, as it starts with 8901 410x (the 410 is the native AT&T Mobile Carrier Code -- most of the MVNO SIMs use 8901 170x SIMs, including my current FreedomPop SIM).

I will report back once I go through the upgrade process -- I am hoping this also includes VoLTE since AT&T is decommissioning their 3G network in a couple of years (which I know is an eternity in the cellular world).

Update: Decided to try the online upgrade, which brought me to purchase a plan. The new "free" plan is 10 mins and 25MB of data, so no thanks. I guess if the old SIM stops working, I'll be saving the $4.99 a month they have been charging to rollover my data, and I can just get a Red Pocket 100/100/500MB plan on eBay for $60/year and not have to deal with their shenanigans anymore...

**robbyrobby** · 10-11-2020, 12:01 AM

i wonder what this means for the yearly plans from target and best buy

i doubt they will be getting free native voice, hopefully they don't go away all together

**clocks11** · 10-11-2020, 10:07 AM

I have the 1yr plan from best buy, and didn't get any text about premium voice.

**zapjb** · 10-11-2020, 10:32 AM

So it's just more FP hooey.

**RFK** · 10-11-2020, 10:54 AM

This is sucks. Data only SIM could work in any unlocked phone with LTE Band 2 and Band 4 (even phones from 2014 are supported and I am using FP for navigation). New SIM is actually restricted to AT&T VoLTE compatible phones (from 02/2022 and may be even earlier because of IMEI whitelisting/blacklisting by AT&T) for calls and SMS. There not too many unlocked (not AT&T branded) phones that support VoLTE on AT&T:

https://www.att.com/ecms/dam/att/con...TT-Network.pdf

The situation is even worst with Wi-fi Calling (for unlimited calling via Wi-Fi). Only unlocked Google Pixel and iPhones (and two LG phones) support AT&T Wi-Fi calling (see above URL) or you have to buy AT&T branded crap.

**kevdogg32901** · 10-11-2020, 11:19 AM

Unreal is also doing this same thing, switching to premium and upping the price as well.

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**russsell** · 10-11-2020, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by high technology

[snip]

Update: Decided to try the online upgrade, which brought me to purchase a plan. The new "free" plan is 10 mins and 25MB of data, so no thanks. I guess if the old SIM stops working, I'll be saving the $4.99 a month they have been charging to rollover my data, and I can just get a Red Pocket 100/100/500MB plan on eBay for $60/year and not have to deal with their shenanigans anymore...

I've got multiple free FP accounts but just received one SIM. Nothing on what accompanied ties it to an account, so I'm not sure if that SIM can only be used on a particular account. Did it prompt you to add the SIM number when you tried the online upgrade?

More importantly, does one know for sure the old SIM will stop working ... the literature only mentions retiring the app. The big question (to me) is will the old plan still work if one does not upgrade.

**robbyrobby** · 10-11-2020, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by russsell

I've got multiple free FP accounts but just received one SIM. Nothing on what accompanied ties it to an account, so I'm not sure if that SIM can only be used on a particular account. Did it prompt you to add the SIM number when you tried the online upgrade?

More importantly, does one know for sure the old SIM will stop working ... the literature only mentions retiring the app. The big question (to me) is will the old plan still work if one does not upgrade.

good point. a lot of people use freedompop for the data only and staying on old free plan makes a lot of sense

if the app i really being retired completely than a big question about how this effects yearly plan users, i doubt they would suddenly tell them its data only, but giving free unlimited premium voice seems equally as doubtful.

I'm guessing the app is not being 100% retired, but its more an effort to get as many free and monthly users switched over as possible.

**djphilosophy** · 10-11-2020, 04:17 PM

I'll be slightly bummed if they do retire the app and force everyone to premium voice, as I don't use their domestic minutes/texts anyway and if they retire the app I'm guessing they'll discontinue the free international plan that goes with it. Really the only use I have for the app is to extract the SIP credentials for setting up another app (e.g. Zoiper, Linphone) to occasionally make free calls to friends abroad.

I'll be more bummed if they force everyone on the free 200/250MB plan down to 25MB. Other than an IoT device I don't even know what you'd use that for.

**robbyrobby** · 10-11-2020, 04:28 PM

some on reddit are reporting to have chatted with customer service and been told the annual plans are also being retired and users would be getting a pro-rated refund/credit for unused months. that would suck.

i do have a spare 1yr SIM that i am debating whether i should activate early just in case either it becomes useless not activated but i could get a prorated credit if its active or if it will in fact be good for a year but not if i wait and they suspend additional activations. i don't care about talk and text via the app but the data can be useful.

**RFK** · 10-11-2020, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by djphilosophy

I'll be more bummed if they force everyone on the free 200/250MB plan down to 25MB. Other than an IoT device I don't even know what you'd use that for.

You can use it as home phone if you have AT&T VoWIFI compatible phone (unlimited calls via W-Fi) or for one time sms verifications (additional Whatsapp or Facebook account).

**munkala** · 10-11-2020, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by robbyrobby

some on reddit are reporting to have chatted with customer service and been told the annual plans are also being retired and users would be getting a pro-rated refund/credit for unused months. that would suck.

i do have a spare 1yr SIM that i am debating whether i should activate early just in case either it becomes useless not activated but i could get a prorated credit if its active or if it will in fact be good for a year but not if i wait and they suspend additional activations. i don't care about talk and text via the app but the data can be useful.

I doubt they would credit remaining months on annual sims. That wouldn't make financial sense. I'm sure they will let you finish out what you paid for.

Best Buy is still selling the annual sims as clearance item.

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**Digital Rules** · 10-11-2020, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by robbyrobby

i do have a spare 1yr SIM that i am debating whether i should activate early just in case either it becomes useless . . .

Me too, I was gonna wait till my current plan expires, but will likely go ahead & get er done now.

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**millept** · 10-11-2020, 10:27 PM

I have two free accounts on the Basic 200 plan, and they haven't tried to upgrade me yet.

**high technology** · 10-11-2020, 10:56 PM

This web page pretty much says it all -- updated late-last week:

https://support.freedompop.com/hc/en...s/360055120873

The way it reads, everyone is losing their 200/500/200MB plan and the new plan will be 10/10/25MB and the new "FREE" plan WILL AUTOMATICALLY CHARGE YOU $8 for 500MB if you exceed the 25MB of data in a billing cycle (which is an almost certainty with any smartphone).

They've ALWAYS been a trap for the unwary, and I was misguided in thinking this might change after RED POCKET purchased them. Their new plans aren't competitive, so my gut reaction is to RUN AWAY from FreedomPop. They DON'T offer anything of value, except for perhaps a glovebox phone on AT&T with 10 cellular minutes. Otherwise, be prepared to overpay them.

In my case, I've been paying them $5 a month for rollover data since the global SIM days ($1.99/month when I signed up, plus a $2.99 fee they tacked on a couple of years ago). So I will presumably lose my 7+GB of carryover data. So I am going to reach out to see if they will rollover my unused data, and if they still offer rollover at the same price, I'd just burn down the data then cancel. Otherwise, I will ask them to give me a few months refund, else I am going to file chargebacks for the last several months with my credit card company.

Yeah, they might be legally able to do this, but they were happy to take my $5 for little to no usage for over a year (it was a backup giving me AT&T coverage where I previously had no active AT&T SIM).