T-Mobile SIM Successes: any out there?

I am hoping someone has had success using a T-Mobile SIM card for the RS3. I’ve already been told by Emlid that Verizon isn’t possible yet (which is bonkers!) and the only alternative my work has is T-Mobile.

I’ve inserted the SIM into the unit and am using:
APN: fast.t-mobile.com
Authentication Type: Not provided

But when I try to enable “Use Mobile Data” it eventually stops trying and reverts back to the disabled position.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi @PointSetter

We haven’t seen that many cases like this, but lets try a few troubleshooting:

  1. Can you try using the SIM card without entering the APN?
  2. Can you ensure the Data roaming function is enabled?

In most cases, issues with internet access via SIM card are often resolved by adjusting the configuration. However, if you still can’t enable mobile data, please generate a full system report of your Reach while the SIM is inserted, and send it to us via support@emlid.com.

As a workaround, you can insert the SIM card into a mobile phone, connect to your RS3 using Bluetooth, and use the NTRIP over Bluetooth option. This way, the receiver will use the internet from the mobile device to receive corrections.

I can not. If no value is placed in the APN field it will not let the user save the information for SIM operation.

It is enabled.

I’ll look into how to do this and send it through.

Well, for one using NTRIP over bluetooth is only something that could be done with a device using Android since iOS will not recognize the RS3 as a bluetooth GNSS reciever because it lacks the MFi hardware required.

But also - if I’m honest - its a bit of a pain in the ass to have to connect to the RS3, then have it connect to an available hotspot, and then switch it to our Esri system to start data collection.

To further my honesty here (and being aware this isn’t your fault): the fact that Emlid doesn’t have the RS3 ready to use either a Verizon or T-mobile SIM is a massive let down and I’ll be sharing my opinion that it’s not a fully baked solution with any and all colleagues until this is resolved. These are two major carriers in the US, how could this be overlooked?

@PointSetter

Thanks for the update! Let’s walk through this together.

When working with NTRIP over Bluetooth, there’s no need for an MFi unit. That’s because Reach units use two types of Bluetooth connections: BLE and classical Bluetooth. BLE is used to connect the unit with the Emlid Flow app, and through this connection, you can use NTRIP over Bluetooth. With this, the phone uses its internet connection to receive the NTRIP corrections and sends them to the Reach unit via Bluetooth. On the other hand, Classical Bluetooth transmits real-time position data from the Reach receiver to third-party software or devices. From Reach’s side, there are no SIM card restrictions, so we often suggest this as a practical workaround. I would still like to look into this for you. I’ll need a few more details from you:

  1. What Esri app are you using on your phone?
  2. How are you connected to it with the unit?

These are two major carriers in the US, how could this be overlooked?
We haven’t conducted local tests, but I agree with you that Verizon and T-Mobile network compatibility would benefit everyone. However, as far as I know, some of our users and dealers from the US have successfully worked with Google FI Wireless/EIOTCLUB/Twilio/SPECTRUM SIM cards.

We’re using Esri QuickCapture on iOS, making NTRIP over Bluetooth not possible with the RS3 since iOS will NOT recognize the RS3 as a GNSS device due lack of MFi. If it doesn’t recognize it as a GNSS device, then no NMEA codes are recognized from within the Esri app. When I have paired the RS3 with an Android device via Bluetooth for testing purposes, there was almost zero connectivity reliability and therefore I switched back to a network connection.

At the moment the only option is to use the iOS device as a hotspot for the RS3 to connect to the CORS network for position connections. It makes for a cumbersome and inconvenient connection workflow, which is why I have been trying to use a SIM directly in the RS3.