We are ordering a couple more MBX Mini routers. We love them for field use. 95% of our usage will be domestic, but we suspect occasional international use and picking up international data SIM cards when needed for short-term needs.
There are two different SKUs for the MBX Mini - a North American one and an International one. Looking at the specs, the international SKU has several additional 5G bands supported that the North American doesn’t, but it also has all the North American bands.
When ordering our first MBX, I thought it was a no-brainer and that we should order the international version because it does North America and more. I was talked out of it by our reseller and was trying to get a clear answer as to why we would only buy the North American version.
Does anyone have any insight? Is there some domestic carrier issue that makes the NA version work better than the Global one?
I would compare the bands supported by each. In general global devices are not as good a fit for NA market.What carrier, regions do you mostly use, and what intl carriers do you think you might want to use. As a peplink partner I can help you look this up, recommand and order it for you.
Hi Jonathan - In the US, we use the big three. Internationally, we would use whoever the dominant carrier is in the area with the best performance and buy a pre-paid SIM card.
The follow-up by Mystery might be the real answer. The IMEI of the international units isn’t registered for domestic use. While this may be the reason, it seems silly because I can take an iPhone anywhere in the world, and it can speak 5G on every band, including all the international ones, but I can’t take a Peplink that supports all the different bands and use it in the US. It seems lame if true.
Blame the carriers in NA. They are blocking most third party modems, so you really need a certified device for that. In EU this is not allowed, which is why we can use any modem, as long as it supports the bands the carrier uses. Sadly because of how the NA carriers operate we can’t have a true ‘Global’ SKU per modem type. Technically it should be possible, but there is no one that can do it currently.
Even the iPhones from NA are different from other regions. They might not support all bands of the other countries and the same the other way around. So yes you will probably get online in all countries, but not always with the best connection.
The Peplink US models will also work internationally as long as you have the bands supported for the country you’re visiting. Most other regions aren’t that picky about the IMEI/modems that are allowed on their networks.
And for non 5G models there are also 4G+ modems that are aimed at NA+international.