Pre-paid SIM cards

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WarriorFour - 12 Feb 2005 01:04 GMT

Anybody know where I can purchase prepaid SIM cards that include data
(GRPS) service? Location does not matter as long as the card is good
wherever there is GSM/GPRS coverage.

Thanks,

Wf

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Donald Newcomb - 12 Feb 2005 01:36 GMT

> Anybody know where I can purchase prepaid SIM cards that include data
> (GRPS) service? Location does not matter as long as the card is good
> wherever there is GSM/GPRS coverage.

Yeah. An Italian Wind prepaid card will do GPRS while roaming.

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Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

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BG - 12 Feb 2005 10:18 GMT

>Anybody know where I can purchase prepaid SIM cards that include data
>(GRPS) service? Location does not matter as long as the card is good
>wherever there is GSM/GPRS coverage.

There are also:

Zelta Zivtina from Tele2, Latvia
Kontantkort from Vodafone, Sweden
Just Talk from Orange, Denmark
Xtra from T-mobile, Germany
TIM Card from TIN, Italy

and _MANY_ more...

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http://borgus.net ---- http://osbymikro.tk
====================================== free sms
http://2sms.tk

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M. Saaaddy - 12 Feb 2005 14:45 GMT

USA?

>>Anybody know where I can purchase prepaid SIM cards that include data
>>(GRPS) service? Location does not matter as long as the card is good
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> and _MANY_ more...

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BG - 12 Feb 2005 16:31 GMT

>USA?

The OP wrote "Location does not matter as long as the card is good
wherever there is GSM/GPRS coverage"

So, no, my knowledge about geography tells me that Latvia, Sweden,
Denmark, Germany and Italy are still in Europe.

Why do you ask?

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====================================== phone pages
http://borgus.net ---- http://osbymikro.tk
====================================== free sms
http://2sms.tk

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M. Saaaddy - 12 Feb 2005 21:19 GMT

I am asking because I 've been looking for a prepaid sim with GPRS in the US
for a while! Though you might know! Believe it or not, I have a TIM Italia
sim here with me but it is fairly expensive to use here in the US. I only
use it when I am in Europe.

>>USA?
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Why do you ask?

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ng906 - 12 Feb 2005 16:40 GMT

> Anybody know where I can purchase prepaid SIM cards that include data
> (GRPS) service? Location does not matter as long as the card is good
> wherever there is GSM/GPRS coverage.

Vodafone.
This operator works in several countries around the world, and usually
you have the GPRS data service where a local Vodafone cell is
available. (Note that you couldn't have GPRS coverage if you join in
roaming a different operator...)

Ciao,
Enrico

PS, Costs may change depending on the country....

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Donald Newcomb - 12 Feb 2005 19:35 GMT

> Anybody know where I can purchase prepaid SIM cards that include data
> (GRPS) service? Location does not matter as long as the card is good
> wherever there is GSM/GPRS coverage.

BTW, it's not exactly prepaid but Mobal's post-paid O2 SIM can be
provisioned for GPRS.
You can check the prepaid GSM website (www.prepaidgsm.net) for information
on all the SIMs we've mentioned here.

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Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

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Mike S. - 22 Feb 2005 17:34 GMT

>> Anybody know where I can purchase prepaid SIM cards that include data
>> (GRPS) service? Location does not matter as long as the card is good
>> wherever there is GSM/GPRS coverage.
>
>BTW, it's not exactly prepaid but Mobal's post-paid O2 SIM can be
>provisioned for GPRS.

The Mobal product is very interesting, and I'm not sure I understand their
business model.

They seem to be a reseller of O2 (BT Cellnet) services, but with a unique
billing plan which has nothing whatsoever to do with anything that O2
sells under its own brand in the UK.

You pay $19 for the O2 SIM, which is charged to a major credit card,
and then .... potentially .... nothing ever again.

If (and only if) you use the SIM to make calls, you are charged (up to)
multi-dollar international roaming rates like the prepaid international
roaming SIMs many of us know. For a little additional money you can add
GPRS service. Voice mail that can be toggled on/off is available too.

You are no obligation to actually =use= the card in order to retain your
account and UK phone number, but they may temporarily bar the number after
18 months of inactivity as a safety precaution.

For occasional, emergency use before buying a local prepaid SIM in another
country, it looks ideal. It has all the flexibility of an international
prepaid roaming SIM, without ever having to worry about running out of
stored minutes or the inability to refill when you're away from the
issuing telco's country.

What's the catch? Further ... how exactly do they make money on low-usage
subscribers?

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Donald Newcomb - 23 Feb 2005 00:35 GMT

> The Mobal product is very interesting, and I'm not sure I understand their
> business model.

Neither do I, and I have one of their SIMs. ;-)

> They seem to be a reseller of O2 (BT Cellnet) services, but with a unique
> billing plan which has nothing whatsoever to do with anything that O2
> sells under its own brand in the UK.

Right, they are some sort of O2 service provider.

> You pay $19 for the O2 SIM, which is charged to a major credit card,
> and then .... potentially .... nothing ever again.

They do say that if you don't use it every N (9?) months they may close your
account.

> If (and only if) you use the SIM to make calls, you are charged (up to)
> multi-dollar international roaming rates like the prepaid international
> roaming SIMs many of us know. For a little additional money you can add
> GPRS service. Voice mail that can be toggled on/off is available too.

Check. Having the GPRS activated was free for me and I have not yet actually
received any bill for the tiny usage I've made of it. They were very hard
pressed to explain exactly how GPRS would be charged and I'm waiting to see
if I get some monster bill for just 2kB, or so. Also, outgoing SMS is very
spendy BUT you can use the GPRS with smsBug. ;-)
Incoming SMS is free and O2's M-mail seems to work perfectly.

> You are no obligation to actually =use= the card in order to retain your
> account and UK phone number, but they may temporarily bar the number after
> 18 months of inactivity as a safety precaution.

> For occasional, emergency use before buying a local prepaid SIM in another
> country, it looks ideal. It has all the flexibility of an international
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> What's the catch? Further ... how exactly do they make money on low-usage
> subscribers?

It's a mystery to me. I just have it as a backup in case my other options
don't work.

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Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

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