It is up to buyers of the Librem 5 to test the phone with their own cellular network provider. For people in the US who wish to avoid testing, Purism offers its AweSIM cellular network service in the US, which is compatible with the Librem 5.
The following is a list of the cellular providers which community members have tested with the Librem 5. Note that VoLTE is still work-in-progress. The table is sorted alphabetically by country and provider but keep USA at the top and international at the end. If you have more info, please add to this table.
| Location | Provider | Network | Bands provided | Modem | Calls | VoLTE | SMS | Data† | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | AT&T | AT&T |
GSM: 850, 1900 (PCS) UMTS/HSPA+: B2 (1900 PCS), B5 (850) LTE: B2 (1900 PCS), B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1), B17 (700 bc), |
BM818-A1 | Using 4G Only [AT&T 3G was scheduled to shut down on Feb 22, 2022; 4G data works, VoLTE with BM818-A1 works on At&T. But user needs to enable VoLTE on the Librem 5] |
dylanlesterpvcs 1 2 Edited on 06-17-22 by João Azevedo to add status information on VoLTE |
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| USA | AweSIM | AT&T | ditto | BM818-A1 | MMS does not work the best, ie, it is slow but most everything comes through eventually | |||||
| USA | PureTalk | AT&T | ditto | BM818-A1 | Post-3G-shutdown (info per @N8W): VoLTE working after enabling in terminal; 4G data works. Due to AT&T's device whitelisting, status needs reconfirming. |
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| USA | Surfroam | AT&T | ditto | BM818-A1 | Data only, global roaming (prepaid). | amarok | ||||
| USA | Vegolink | AT&T, T-mobile USA | ditto | BM818-A1, all | Data only, global roaming (prepaid). |
amarok | ||||
| USA | 1Global (formerly Truphone US | T-mobile | ditto | BM818-A1 |
|
Works for 2G calls on T-mobile for now, and 4G data, but no VoLTE calling; prepaid international SIM, but now discontinued; existing SIMs still usable. Cost varies by region/country. MMS not supported by 1Global on any device/network. |
amarok | |||
| USA | Red Pocket GSMA | AT&T | ditto | BM818-A1 |
|
Works now, but AT&T may not allow L5 activation. [AT&T 3G was scheduled to shut down on Feb 22, 2022; 4G data works, but VoLTE with BM818-A1 still experimental, not yet implemented.] Due to AT&T's device whitelisting, status needs reconfirming. |
amarok | |||
| USA | Consumer Cellular | AT&T | ditto | BM818-A1 | works; (AT&T 3G was scheduled to shut down on Feb 22, 2022; 4G data works, but VoLTE with BM818-A1 still experimental, not yet implemented.) Due to AT&T's device whitelisting, status needs reconfirming. |
laubster | ||||
| USA | T-Mobile | T-Mobile |
GSM: 1900 (PCS) UMTS/HSPA+: B2 (1900 PCS), B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1) LTE: B2 (1900 PCS), B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1), B12 (700 ac), B66 (1700/2100), B71 (600) |
BM818-A1 | Reports that LTE works well: 1 Passes T-mobile's IMEI compatibility checker |
In use, Golbats-Everywhere | ||||
| USA | Mint Mobile | T-Mobile | ditto | BM818-A1 | odh | |||||
| USA | Ting X3 SIM | T-Mobile USA | ditto | BM818-A1 | Golbats-Everywhere; amarok | |||||
| USA | US Mobile | T-Mobile | ditto | BM818-A1 | Data and 3G calls work. | dln949 | ||||
| USA | Verizon Wireless | Verizon Wireless | CDMA: LTE: B2 (1900 PCS), B4 (1700/2100 AWS 1), B13 (700 c) |
BM818-A1 |
Whe3zy:I just got off the phone with Verizon. Based on the IMEI # of our L5 phones, Verizon does not support them at this time. smd0665: I can verify that the Librem 5 does not work with Verizon, despite supposedly being able to access band 13. The people at the Verizon store tried really hard, but it does not work. |
Whe3zy, smd0665 | ||||
| USA | PagePlus | Verizon Wireless | ditto | BM818-A1 | Had to change APN settings; got LTE SMS to work, but no calls or data. | TLG | ||||
| USA, Canada | Soprani (JMP) | AT&T, T-mobile USA, Rogers, Bell, Telus | ditto | BM818-A1 | Data only, U.S./Canada roaming (prepaid, and annual fee, non-expiring data); all traffic is routed via an IP address that does not match your current location. An eSIM version is also available, as well as an eSIM adapter (a card that can load multiple eSIMs, compatible with various OS). |
amarok | ||||
| Australia | OPTUS | LTE: 2100 (B1)1800 (B3) 2600 (B7) 900 (B8) 700 (B28) 2300(B40) | BM818-T1 | SIM activated only on a large display using a dock. To activate MMS at Chats→Preferences→SMS and MMS Settings MMSC: http://mmsc.optus.com.au:8002 APN: mms Proxy: 61.88.190.10:8070 Settings→Mobile→Mobile Data ON Settings→Mobile→Access Point Names +(add new APN) Name: Optus MMS APN: mms (leave others blank) Note: This report predates the Australia 3G shutdown, current status is unknown. |
frankkolmann | |||||
| Australia | Telechoice | LTE: 1800 (B3) 2600 (B7) 900 (B8) 700 (B28) | BM818-T1 | SIM activated only on a large display using a dock. To activate MMS at Chats→Preferences→SMS and MMS Settings MMSC: http://mmsc.mdata.net.au:8003 APN: telstra.internet Proxy: 10.1.1.180 Settings→Mobile→Mobile Data ON Settings→Mobile→Access Point Names +(add new APN) Name: Telstra(next G) APN: telstra.internet (leave others blank) Note: This report predates the Australia 3G shutdown, current status is unknown. |
frankkolmann | |||||
| Australia | Telstra |
GSM: 900, 1800 (DCS) UMTS/HSPA+: B1 (2100), B5 (850) LTE: B1 (2100), B3 (1800 +), |
BM818-E1 | No longer works with Telstra post 3G shutdown. The BM818 modem does not support VoLTE on Telstra. | Various | |||||
| Australia | Vodafone |
GSM: 900 UMTS/HSPA+: B1 (2100), B8 (900) LTE: B1 (2100), B3 (1800 +), B5 (850) |
BM818-T1 | SIM already activated in another phone; using `live.vodafone.com`. Vodafone still works post 3G shutdown using VoLTE. However, emergency calling does not work. | irvinewade, Updated report | |||||
| Austria | A1 Telekom |
GSM: 900 (E-GSM), 1800 (DCS) UMTS: B1 (2100) LTE: B7 (2600), B20 (800 DD) |
BM818-E1 | Using already activated SIM and needed to modify the APN settings. "LTE is working fine too." | dale6667 | |||||
| Canada | Rogers | Tbaytel | BM818-A1 | Rogers won't support VoLTE on the Librem 5 for now | ||||||
| Canada | SaskTel | UMTS: B2 (1900), B5 (850 MHz) LTE: B4 (1700 MHz), B13 (700 MHz), B41 (2500 MHz) |
BM818-A1 | Postpaid account; temporarily changes from 4G to 3G during calls. | spacesurfer | |||||
| Canada | Vidéotron | Freedom Mobile | BM818-A1 | MMS uses different APN from data and is therefore problematic for now. | ||||||
| Germany | Aldi Talk / Medion-mobile |
GSM: 900, 1800 (PCS) LTE: B3 (1800 +) |
BM818-E1 | Reports that voice calls, SMS, MMS and LTE works well. VoLTE works on the Librem 5 with this carrier. But VoLTE on the Librem 5 needs to be enabled by the user. | João Azevedo's Evergreen | |||||
| Germany | O2 |
GSM: 1800 (PCS) LTE: B20 (800 DD) |
BM818-E1 | Voice, data, SMS and MMS work well | Guido's Evergreen, João Azevedo's Evergreen | |||||
| Germany | Telekom |
GSM: 900 (E-GSM), 1800 (DCS) LTE: B3 (1800+), B7 (2600), B20 (800 DD) |
BM818-E1 |
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Voice, data, SMS and MMS work well | Evangelos's Evergreen), jonsger 2024-10 | ||||
| Germany | Vodafone |
GSM: 900 (EGSM), 1800 (DCS) LTE: B7 (2600), B20 (800) |
BM818-E1 | VoLTE requires modem firmware version: 20220930 | jonsger 2022-10 | |||||
| Netherlands | Simpel |
work around |
Simpel does not provide MMS services | janvlug | ||||||
| New Zealand | Slingshot | 2 Degrees |
UTMS: B1 (2100 MHz), B8 (900 MHz GSM) LTE: B3 (1800 MHz +), B1 (2100 MHz), B8 (900 MHz), B28 (700 MHz APT) |
BM818-T1 |
Volte calls, SMS texts and 4G data work. Emergency call works. Did not test MMS. APN settings on Slingshot website |
Rasheed Ahmed | ||||
| Poland | Orange |
GSM: 900 (EGSM), 1800 (DCS) UMTS: B8 (900), B1 (2100) LTE: B1 (2100), B3 (1800), B7 (2600), B20 (800) |
BM818-E1 | Tested with "nju mobile"-branded pre-paid SIM | ||||||
| Portugal | Altice / MEO |
GSM: 900 (E-GSM), 1800 (DCS) UMTS: B1 (2100), B8 (900 GSM) LTE: B3 (1800 +), B7 (2600), B20 (800 DD) |
BM818-E1 | Tested with Altice/MEO family pack. This carrier does not support VoLTE nor Visual Voicemal. Calls, SMS, MMS and LTE work well on a Librem 5. | João Azevedo's Evergreen | |||||
| Sweden | Tele2 |
GSM: 900, 1800 (DCS) UMTS: B1 (2100) LTE: B3 (1800+), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B20 (800 DD) |
BM818-E1 | Drops to 2G during phone calls, cutting all internet access. | lipu | |||||
| Sweden | Telia |
GSM: 900 (EGSM), 1800 (DCS) UMTS: B1 (2100) LTE: B3 (1800 +), B7 (2600), B20 (800 DD) |
BM818-E1 | Using a prepaid SIM card; temporarily changes from 4G to 3G during calls. | skalman | |||||
| UK | iD Mobile |
GSM: No UMTS/HSPA+: 2100 (B1) LTE: 800 (B20), 1800 (B3), |
BM818‑E1 |
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Data, SMS and 3G calls all work flawlessly.2 MMS is a work in progress. After inputting the carrier’s settings, I can currently receive MMS messages fairly reliably, but I can not reliably send MMS messages. | patch | ||||
| UK | Lebara | Vodafone | ditto | BM818‑E1 | Calls works relatively well but not perfect | |||||
| UK | Three | ditto | BM818‑E1 |
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Data, SMS and 3G calls all work flawlessly.3 MMS not tested with latest software but probably the same as ID mobile as they appear to use the same underlying MMSC. | patch | ||||
| Ukraine | TriMob | 3mob | BM818‑E1 |
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2G/3G; MMS not provided by network operator | riabenko | ||||
| Ukraine | TriMob | Vodafone | BM818‑E1 |
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2G/3G; MMS not provided by network operator | riabenko | ||||
| Ukraine | Vodafone | Vodafone | BM818‑E1 |
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2G/3G/4G; MMS not provided by network operator; VoLTE requires activation with carrier, but not yet confirmed to work | riabenko | ||||
| Ukraine | Kyivstar | Kyivstar |
GSM: 900, 1800 UMTS/HSPA+: B1 (2100) LTE: B1 (2100), B3 (1800+), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B40 (TD 2300) source |
BM818‑E1 |
|
2G/3G/4G; MMS not provided by network operator | riabenko | |||
| International | Surfroam | Varies by region & modem | Any | Data only (prepaid). Data roaming must also be enabled. 2G/3G/4G (varies by networks). Cost varies by region/country. | amarok | |||||
| International | Truphone | Varies by region & modem | Any | Prepaid SIM & Top-ups now discontinued; existing SIMs still work until balance depleted. 2G/3G/4G (varies by networks). Cost varies by region/country. MMS not supported by Truphone on any device/network. | amarok | |||||
| Location | Provider | Network | Bands provided | Modem | Calls | VoLTE | SMS | Data† | Notes | Sources |
NOTE: AweSIM works in Puerto Rico but Purism is not authorized to activate lines for Puerto Rican residents.
B_X_ = Cellular bands with strikethrough are not supported by the installed cellular modem.
† Data needs to be enabled by going to Settings > Mobile > Mobile Data.
* Purism developer Sebastian Krsyszkowiak says this is caused because the Librem 5 doesn't support VoLTE:
There’s no VoLTE, so it drops to 3G when in call. This would mean that there’s no 3G reception where you live, so it makes it drop all the way to 2G (but data should still work, although much slower - unless there’s something wrong carrier side of course).
The BM818 has VoLTE support but it is not enabled by default. This is still a work in progress.
2 UK iD Mobile: The operator’s name appears as i" instead of iD on the Librem 5, but does not seem to affect operation.
I have VoLTE enabled all the time, and it works fine for me almost all the time. This has remained consistently the case, except that, one year ago, I discovered at least one specific geographic location where the phone would not ring for incoming calls when using VoLTE, making it seem like I was ignoring calls and breaking outgoing calls. I had to switch to 3G in that location. [forum post] It’s possible the experience may have improved since then, as I haven’t tried making or taking a call in that location recently. VoLTE still works fine in the places where I normally use it.
3 UK Three: I had VoLTE enabled all the time and found it worked fine for me, but see note about VoLTE on ID Mobile, which might also apply to Three as it’s the same physical network (not tested).
In practice, according to Cellmapper.net, almost all Three cell sites seem to operate on bands 3, 1 and 20, with 3 the most common, followed by 1, and 20 the least common. Where other bands are used, they seem to be in addition to these main bands, so modem compatibility is a non-issue.
Protocols and bands supported by the different cellular modems in the Librem 5:
BroadMobi BM818-E1 (for Europe):
- GSM: 850, 900 (EGSM), 1800 (DCS), 1900 (PCS)
- UMTS/HSPA+/WCDMA: B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B5 (850), B8 (900)
- FDD-LTE: B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B20 (800)
- TDD-LTE: B38 (2600), B40 (2300), B41 (120M, 2500)
BroadMobi BM818-A1 (for the Americas):
- GSM: 850, 1900 (PCS)
- UMTS/HSPA+/WCDMA: B2 (1900), B4 (1700), B5 (850)
- FDD-LTE: B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (1700), B5 (850), B12 (700), B13 (700), B17 (700), B25 (1900), B26 (850), B66 (1700)
- TDD-LTE: B41 (200M, 2500)
BroadMobi BM818-T1 (for Asia, Australia & New Zealand):
- GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
- CDMA: BC0 (800)
- UMTS/HSPA+/WCDMA: B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B4 (1700), B5 (850), B8 (900)
- LTE-FDD: B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (1700), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B28 (700), B66 (1700)
- LTE-TDD: B34 (2100), B38 (2600), B39 (1900), B40 (2300), B41 (200M, 2500)
Thales Cinterion PLS8-E (for Europe):
- GSM: 900, 1800
- UMTS/HSPA+/WCDMA: B1, B3, B8
- FDD-LTE: B1, B3, B7, B8, B20
Thales Cinterion PLS8-US (for the Americas):
- GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
- UMTS/HSPA+/WCDMA: B2, B4, B5,
- FDD-LTE: B2, B4, B5, B17
The Cinterion PLS8 modems will cost extra when Purism offers them, because Purism is having to custom manufacture their M.2 cards.