USB 3g modem and Elementary OS - how to manage?

Question

linux

Good afternoon!
The situation is as follows. There is a Lenovo x220 with GOBI 3000.
Under ubuntu 3g works, elementary network manager does not even offer to enable mobile communications.
Although modem-manager sees the modem and even receives SMS.
When setting up by adding a connection manually, with the "connect when available" checkbox, the network rises, but it's not clear how to manage it:
after sudo ifconfig down and subsequent up, there is no connection, you don't want to leave the connection always active - the tariff is paid on the days you go online, and often near wifi and 3g is not relevant.
Actually I see the following outputs:
1. To score on elementary os and use Ubuntu / Mint - not welcome, because I like the GUI (when I tried to put it on Ubuntu, everything turned out crooked, I left the idea);
2. Attach to Ubuntu's Elementary Network Manager - but I don't know how to do it, if it will help and if I won't break anything else.
3. Is there any way to manage 3g connection in linux not via NM?