Cellular plans for stand alone ipad

An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or Messaging features. An iPad with Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. An iPad is not, and can never be, a standalone substitute for an iPhone.

However, when coupled with an iPhone, the capabilities of iPad significantly broaden to include access to Cellular Voice and Messaging services of the associated iPhone - relayed to the iPad over WiFi using Apple’s Continuity features. For the most part, an iPad using Continuity is able to access Cellular calling features, of the iPhone, when both the iPad an iPhone are in close physical proximity and are connected to the same WiFi network - but this is not the end of the story.

Now, if your both your Cellular Carrier and your calling plan support WiFi Calling, your iPad can make and receive calls independently of the iPhone - even when the iPhone is switched off, elsewhere, or using a different WiFi network. Not all carriers support full WiFi calling.

If your have an iPhone, the settings that you need to change/verify on your devices are:

On your iPhone

Settings > Mobile Data >WiFi Calling > 

• WiFi Calling on This iPhone - set to ON
• Add WiFi Calling for Other Devices - set to ON

Settings > Mobile Data > Calls on Other Devices > 

• Allow Calls on Other Devices - set to ON
• [Allow Calls On] - explicitly enable your new iPad from the list of devices.

On your iPad

Settings > FaceTime > Calls from iPhone > Calls from iPhone - set to ON

Additional information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:

Continuity

Work across all of your devices seamlessly – Apple Support

SMS/MMS Messaging

Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support

WiFi Calling

Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support

Making and receiving calls on iPad

Make and receive phone calls on iPad - Apple Support

Try tello I use it and they offer an esim plan with 2 gb and unlimited calls and texts for $10

My carrier offered to add my iPad to my cellular plan for my iPhone and sent me an additional SIM card.

So my iPad can use cellular data over LTE/5G, but the phone number is only activated on the SIM for my iPhone.

just to add, then when you say stand alone it sounds like you do not plan on having an iphone too

if that is the case then the ipad will not be able to make normal calls or send sms's even though it has a cellular model then it's only the data part not the cellular voice part which is required to make normal calls and send sms's

it will still be able to make facetime and facetime audio og imessages but that would only work to other apple users