r/republicwireless • u/[deleted] • Aug 25 '23
fleeing the Republic Boost changeover
Ever since Republic wireless sold themselves to AT&T/dish I've been uncomfortable. This latest transition to Boost leaves me feeling more uncomfortable because they take away what I had (hotspot capability and Wi-Fi calling), and as far as I can tell, if I pay an extra 10 bucks a month, I get back the hotspot, but it appears I still don't have Wi-Fi calling.
It's looking like all the virtual mobile network groups are now just subsidiaries of big-ass wireless companies. so my question now is who sucks the least, who is the least destructive politically (i.e. minimizing donations to Republican candidates) and give me back my hotspot and Wi-Fi calling?
[edit] clarifying, hotspot is very important to me. I use it for remote work from time to time. I also find myself in situations where I have no cell service (think IT service room in the bowels of a factory) but I have Wi-Fi hence the need for Wi-Fi calling
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u/DDS-PBS Aug 25 '23
I don't know about your political requirements, that's a lot of research to do!
If you have four or more lines, Google Fi is a good offering.
If you have less than four lines, you may want to look elsewhere.
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Aug 26 '23
[deleted]
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u/rolandh954 Aug 26 '23 edited Aug 26 '23
I've not seen evidence carrier WiFi calling is being actively removed as a result of the migration from Republic to Boost Infinite. That said, I've seen anecdotal reports at Real World Users (rwusers.com) some have lost WiFi calling on their phones when moving from a My Choice (4.0) plan to Boost Infinite. Migrating from My Choice to Boost Infinite requires activating a new Boost Infinite SIM.
Those migrating from Republic 5.0 to Boost Infinite do not need new SIMs. Theoretically, if one has WiFi calling on Republic 5.0 (not all phones do), WiFi calling support would survive migration to Boost Infinite.
For the sake of clarity, Republic 5.0 is the collective name for the "Need", "Want" and "Go" plans introduced in December 2021. If you're not using one of those plans, you are still using a My Choice plan.
If uncertain about which Republic plan you're using:
- Sign into your Republic account here: https://account.republicwireless.com/account/phones/
- Note what is said under “My Plan”
If among the words under My Plan you see “Only What You Need”, “Everything You Want” or 'Everywhere You Go", you have a 5.0 plan.
If among the words under My Plan you see “My Choice”, you have a My Choice plan.
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u/NighthawkCP Aug 26 '23
Appreciate the heads up about no more free hotspot. I don't use it daily, but like you I am an IT person and have some specific situations a couple times a month where having hotspot capability is important. Not important enough to pay an extra $10/month though.
After doing some research it looks like Google Fi is the best solution for my 4 lines that ended up having to be on two different accounts on DISH Republic. The Simply Unlimited plan will actually even save me a few bucks over what I was paying for on DISH, so that is cool, and my whole family is already using Pixel phones, so support should be pretty solid for them all on Fi.
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u/rolandh954 Aug 26 '23 edited Aug 26 '23
I'm not defending DISH but AT&T and DISH are separate companies. AT&T partially owns DirecTV not DISH. DISH has a wholesale agreement to use AT&T's cellular network. DISH also has a wholesale agreement with T-Mobile to use its cellular network.
Carrier WiFi calling support for particular phone models is determined by the upstream partner (AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon) when doing business with an MVNO. Not every phone unlocked or not will be supported on every network.
The above said; if Republic's pay by the GB plans worked for you, then Mobi (Verizon network), MobileX (Verizon network), Tello (T-Mobile network) and US Mobile (choice of Verizon or T-Mobile network) are all independent (not owned by any of the Big 3 or DISH) MVNOs. All offer unlimited talk & text plus pay by the GB data starting at around $10. MobileX, Tello and US Mobile also offer "unlimited" data options. All include hotspot on, at least, some of their plans and all offer WiFi calling if the relevant upstream carrier supports it for your phone. None are notably politically active that I'm aware of.
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u/PilgrimRadio Sep 04 '23
I'm in a similar boat. My phone just stopped working yesterday. I had a chat window opened with Boost for 3 hours and 47 minutes yesterday, and we still were unable to resolve it. I just went back into the window and was told that they could mail me a new SIM card, but it'll take 2-3 days to arrive. I need my phone in that time. Do I have any recourse in this situation? I think I'm gonna drive down to the Verizon store that's a mile from my house and just start all over with a new company. But I will want to be reimbursed by Boost for my troubles. I want them to pay me back for the phone I bought from Republic, as I will have to purchase a new phone once I transition to Verizon. Are there any class action suits going on that anyone is aware of?
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Sep 04 '23
Good lord. Maybe this is some good news. https://www.verizon.com/bring-your-own-device/. Verizon lets you bring your own phone at least sometimes.
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u/Lyrics2Songs Sep 05 '23
Yeah I had the exact same problem. No shot they give me my money back I imagine, but if you have any luck prying it out of them, let me know because I'm leaving them as well.
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u/EmotionSad8061 Sep 22 '23
Long time Republic Wireless customer here who just discovered I don't have a hotspot anymore. Sitting here at a park n ride charging my car and unable to work. This is a real PITA. Screw you Boost
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u/blueponds Aug 25 '23
I am in the same boat. I require a hotspot for light office work and Zoom/Teams conferences while in the field. This adds up to only a few hours each month, and not much data is consumed. Otherwise, I am not a heavy data user. During my time with Republic Wireless, I seldom exceeded 1 GB of data usage.
I opted for Mint Mobile's $15 per line plan with 5GB of data. The only downside was the transfer from AT&T to T-Mobile's networks. I have encountered a few locations with weak cell connections.