If you purchase a computer with an internal cellular modem that has an eSIM rather than a regular SIM card, you may have problems making it work with a US carrier. That is because manufacturers are getting away from traditional SIM cards in favor of the electronic version for phones, but the technology is new to laptops and evidently is extremely limited in its implementation and thus far too advanced for our largest carriers to properly respond.
I just received a new Lenovo T14S laptop with a preinstalled Fibocom FM350 5G modem.
This device, which is produced in partnership with Intel and MediaTek, provides for high-speed 5G wireless compatibility and connectivity for most of the carriers in the world. Because I travel internationally, I want data access on the cellular network not only for my phone, but also for my new computer. I use T-Mobile as a carrier when I travel outside of the United States because I have always felt that they have the best deal on voice and data worldwide for phones. However, I have never used a laptop or tablet on their network, opting for a modem that is compatible with Verizon for use in America. For my new computer I thought that I could continue to use the Verizon network in the US and overseas because they have a special travel pass plan for ten dollars a day for essentially unlimited voice and data access while traveling.
Configuring a modem in a laptop with a regular SIM card has always been a straightforward and simple procedure. The process takes little time to complete, once the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) and the ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identification) is recognized by the cellular provider. The embedded modem that is now being provided by Lenovo does not have a regular SIM card, but an eSIM, which is the electronic version of the traditional SIM.
All hardware and eSIM modems have an IMEI number. The IMEI denotes the equipment type which must be approved by the carrier for operation on their network. That is precisely the problem with an eSIM enabled modem. If the cellular provider does not have the identifier in their database, they will tell you they cannot configure it on their network. If you purchase a Lenovo or any other computer that incorporates the Fibocom card, you are limited to the mainly off-brand Virtual carrier resellers that are listed in their application, unless you figure out a way around the issue.
This was the case with my laptop and its eSIM as I discovered when I tried to register it, first with Verizon, and then T-Mobile. I thought it would be an easy task to configure the new computer to work on Verizon, primarily for use in the United States. Newer phones have eSIM capabilities, and now laptop modems are adopting the electronic SIM as well. I had never tried to set up a laptop for cellular network access for use while out of the country because Wi-Fi or a personal hotspot is usually available.
It took several hours and multiple calls to tech support for Verizon, T-Mobile, and Lenovo to finally figure out how to add cellular data to my computer, after I was told it was impossible. Anyone that is ordering a laptop with an eSIM should be aware of the potential difficulties, which are a result of a lack of knowledge on the part of Lenovo and at least two of the US major carriers as to what hardware they have approved. Checking with your cellular company before ordering a computer with a data access modem is suggested to make sure it will work.
My new computer is running Windows 11 and has a “mobile plans” App preinstalled. This is set up to allow the modem to be configured for service on different Virtual Network Operators, including LenovoConnect. The Lenovo plan offers data access in the US and Europe for a service that is valid for thirty days at a premium price. In searching for a US carrier in this application, I found there were none.
I called Verizon customer service several times, and finally reached second-tier tech support. After supplying the IMEI for the modem, they searched their database and said it was not recognized and not compatible with their network. They were going to file a trouble ticket and try to register the IMEI in their system and get back to me. I am still waiting.
Even if they could get the modem working, I was advised that my idea of using their daily overseas travel pass for my computer would not work. Their pricing does not apply to data, only to phones. Setting up a computer that could be used out of the US on their roaming plan would be extremely expensive because they would bill by the Mbyte. So, I opted to call T-Mobile. It was the same story. Not compatible with their network and I was told there weren’t any laptops that could be used on their system, only iPads. Senior technical support could not figure out how to make the modem work. Their advice was to contact Lenovo.
I again contacted tech support at Lenovo. They had no answer but shipped me a new modem that supposedly would work. They said to insert it into the empty smartcard slot and add a regular SIM card. They were wrong. It was the same card that was originally supplied in the computer and could not be provisioned.
I finally contacted Kevin, the local manager for the T-Mobile corporate store near where I live. He is a twenty-year employee who knew what he was doing and said he thought he could solve the problem, notwithstanding what I was told by customer service. He basically fooled the system into taking the unrecognized IMEI, generated and scanned a QR code to download the T-Mobile communications App, entered APN settings, modified the windows settings, and set up a new phone number for the computer.
He totally bypassed the preinstalled Lenovo mobile plans application and went directly to the network setup function to turn off Wi-Fi and turn on cellular. While the computer reported no Internet access, it showed signal strength on a 5G tower, and worked properly. The result: I now have data access from virtually anywhere in the world for a rate plan of twenty dollars a month that was designed for iPads.
I have often written about different data plans for the three major carriers in the US
T-Mobile is the only one that offers essentially free data access worldwide as part of their US rate plans. That is why the carrier is ideal for use on a tablet or computer for overseas roaming. As an added advantage making or receiving phone calls over VoIP are considered as a data call, so they are also free. I am aware of no other carrier with the same pricing plan
If you buy a computer with a modem and eSIM, don’t count on your cellular carrier configuring it anytime soon without a lot of misinformation, frustration, and trouble. I was lucky to find a persistent and dedicated employee who worked his way through the problem and would not give up until the eSIM was registered into the network and operational. The eSIM technology will be present in most laptops going forward but it is not common for the major carriers that I contacted. Luckily, T-Mobile does not solely rely on the IMEI which meant that the system could be tricked into accepting numbers they did not recognize. All it required was someone who understood the network and how to circumvent it.
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