On a related note, I recently got a company-paid iPhone with international voice roaming from AT&T.

It's constantly searching for networks. It finds Orange AT (the main roaming partner), T-Mobile AT, E-Plus and a few others. But it doesn't lock them in permanently.

For instance, last night, no problem locking in Orange in my hotel room. This afternoon, it can't do it.

It has to be the iPhone. Nokias have a better reputation for reception.

Even if the iPhone was unlocked, it's value as a traveling phone seems limited, unless there are carriers offering combination voice and data plans for short-term, prepaid use.

For instance, I got a voice mail but I can't check it because it requires data. Tried checking it but it says it can't complete international call.

I did get a text from the US though.

Yeah I just received emails from Poste Mobile, one in Italian and this one:

Nice to know I don't have to pay for another SIM.

OK, in Rome and finally got to a post office which is open (BTW, Google Maps points out more post offices than actually exist).

First one, at Termini, said I had an invalid CF (well I did generate the original online).

So I went to another post office and they exchanged my SIM with balance and same phone number (I think).

Yet I put it in, enter the PIN (scratched off the card the SIM came in). Now, it keeps telling me "SIM card registration failed."

Maybe it takes awhile for the SIM which they gave me to register on their network? They scan the bar code of the package the SIM came in. I'm trying this about 30 minutes after they scanned it.

They even showed my number had almost 13 Euro of credit on it.

Waiting for postal services is brutal. If I'd known that, I'd probably would have gone with TIM or Vodaphone, even though the PosteMobile seemed to offer the best value.

It sure sounds to me like a phone issue. Beg, borrow or steal a phone you can try your SIM in and see what happens.

I haven't really tried to address the problem I was having until this afternoon.

While waiting at the post office in Capri, I removed the SIM, reinstalled it and voila, I'm on the network.

So "SIM Card registration failed" is a real strange message.

Postmobile special numbers?
 

So the post office gave me a new Postemobile SIM to replace the one I'd bought last May (as detailed in various other threads).

One thing that I'd done with the old SIM was to copy addresses and so it added things like Guarda Finanzia to my address book. I think also the Polizia too IIRC.

It also added "Check Balance" and "Credito Residuo." The former is #999# and I remember using that last year to get my balance (but not necessarily my expiration). It would SMS the balance.

Now, with this new SIM, when I try that number, my Nokia E61i reports "Request not completed."

The Credito Residuo is a 6-digit number without # or * characters and my Nokia says something like SMS request forwarded and it gets to a recorded message.

Someone also mentioned 4242 for some other Italian carriers to change language. Is that a standard thing? I tried it and it didn't do anything.

Also, is there a special number for entering a top-up card number?

Or for checking when your credit and SIM expires?

This PDF manual shows some menu items which may save the special numbers but I didn't copy over any contacts from this new SIM. But it doesn't list the special numbers themselves that I can see.

http://www.postemobile.it/PosteCusto...0uso%20SIM.pdf

When this new SIM first registered with the network, it said something about configuring MMS and it wanted to send an SMS in order to do it.

Maybe I need to copy the contacts from this new SIM because the previous contacts for special numbers like "Check Balance" and "Credito Residuo" are no longer valid?

I don't have a Poste Mobile simcard so I don't know the special numbers. Anyway, 4242 is the toll-free number to recharge, check balance and do some other things with a WIND card, so it's quite obvious it doesn't work with different operators.
To refill a PosteMobile card they say to call 435243 or the call centre at 803.160 and then press 4. Both are free.
You should have a sim menu on your PM card, on the E61i you can find it probably at the end of your menu. Click there and you should already have the options for credit check, refill, etc... You don't have to copy anything.

OK, found it, Credito Telefono, and it worked.

Now, should I be able to recharge from the US or better to do it before leaving Italy?

You cannot recharge from the US AFAIK, you have to do it in Italy.

I've kept the Poste Mobile SIM in my phone here in the US. It uses the AT&T network, which is the bigger of the two GSM networks in the country.

Today I got a text:

Google translation wasn't the best but I gather it's saying recharge or the SIM will be de-activated within 30 days?