4 ms·

This use case is already being solved in the boring way. T-Mobile and Google Fi offer free global data roaming. All other carriers have been pressured to lower

by paxys 3y ago

This use case is already being solved in the boring way. T-Mobile and Google Fi offer free global data roaming. All other carriers have been pressured to lower roaming prices on their networks in recent years. There is more and more free wifi coverage available everywhere (and phones now have auto connect capability). People are switching away from SMS to other apps. This is really not a problem that needs an expensive satellite connection to solve anymore.

Difwif 3y ago
Unfortunately for actual nomads Google Fi doesn't work. After 3 months outside the US they shut down your service.
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  Just pop your SIM card into a serial interface attached over the internet to a US-based phone’s SIM card slot every night (or one night a week?) Surely they won’t notice you teleporting around? Hopefully the phone doesn’t mind the latency when talking to its SIM that’s supposed to be 3cm away.
kwhitefoot 3y ago
All the thungs you named do not exist in remote areas and where they do exist they disappear as soon as a natural disaster like an earthquake happens. being able to use SMS in a disaster area is a big deal.
riversflow 3y ago
> people are switching from sms Not my experience at all. I use SMS more now than I did a few years ago. The aggregate hardly matters when it comes to individual choices. > T-mobile and Google Fi > free wifi coverage. Ha! Where do you live? This doesn’t hold up to any place I’ve been that isn’t the flatlands. Cell coverage sucks any place with real terrain. I live in California within 25 minutes of a major metro, but in the hills. I only get one provider, Verizon, at my house, and only a few bars of LTE, no 5g. Any other provider gets no service at all. There is no place with free wifi within a 5 minute drive that I know of.
Nextgrid 3y ago
Pretty sure free roaming is still very much a promotional offer and a loss leader, it's not meant to be used all the time: most carriers either limit the amount of time you can roam and/or implement separate data caps (often much lower than the main one).

by paxys 3y ago

Difwif 3y ago

Unfortunately for actual nomads Google Fi doesn't work. After 3 months outside the US they shut down your service.

Scoundreller 3y ago
Just pop your SIM card into a serial interface attached over the internet to a US-based phone’s SIM card slot every night (or one night a week?) Surely they won’t notice you teleporting around? Hopefully the phone doesn’t mind the latency when talking to its SIM that’s supposed to be 3cm away.

kwhitefoot 3y ago

All the thungs you named do not exist in remote areas and where they do exist they disappear as soon as a natural disaster like an earthquake happens. being able to use SMS in a disaster area is a big deal.

riversflow 3y ago

> people are switching from sms Not my experience at all. I use SMS more now than I did a few years ago. The aggregate hardly matters when it comes to individual choices. > T-mobile and Google Fi > free wifi coverage. Ha! Where do you live? This doesn’t hold up to any place I’ve been that isn’t the flatlands. Cell coverage sucks any place with real terrain. I live in California within 25 minutes of a major metro, but in the hills. I only get one provider, Verizon, at my house, and only a few bars of LTE, no 5g. Any other provider gets no service at all. There is no place with free wifi within a 5 minute drive that I know of.

Nextgrid 3y ago

Pretty sure free roaming is still very much a promotional offer and a loss leader, it's not meant to be used all the time: most carriers either limit the amount of time you can roam and/or implement separate data caps (often much lower than the main one).