Is the need for an "International" SIM Card ending?

[petkow]

Though texting and talking whilst roaming with an EU SIM within the EU is getting cheap, data roaming is not. However, there are plenty of great offers for data on local SIMs which you can pick up cheaply and easily as you travel. As you mention, you could just "swap out" your SIM into your MiFI device (or USB Modem). Just like with any other mobile, you just have to make sure your device is unlocked, and operates at the right frequencies. You will also need to program the configuration for data access (APN etc.) of each local SIM that you will insert into your device.

[Grampa]

Originally Posted by petkow

You will also need to program the configuration for data access (APN etc.) of each local SIM that you will insert into your device.

That's what I'm a little worried about. I was looking at some unlocked Huawei E585 units on EBay selling for around $100, hoping to use one for an upcoming trip to Italy. I won't have the SIM card until I get to Italy, but I won't be taking a computer with me -- only iPhones, which I doubt would connect to the device over USB. The iPhone browser might connect over wifi (assuming the device's web interface does not use Flash). So I would need to set it up in the USA, where I will have a computer but no SIM card, or in Italy, where I will have a SIM card but no computer.

It would also have to be shipped so that it arrives before I leave in a little over a week.

Still, I'm tempted. The data plans look pretty good as long as no roaming is involved.

[Stu]

I have the $67 international data plan and have done VOIP over 3G a number of times, but you can't just blindly dial and expect the call to go through. I need to run an echo test, determine that I am on HSPA, and cross my fingers.

I have an iPhone with an exchange server. Domestic data would be over $40 because I'd need qn enterprise plan. The extra money I pay for international can be saved on one trip. In June in South Africa, I went through more than 900 megs. This month in Canada, I went through 600 megs. Much of this was VOIP over 3G. I also use the phone to trigger callbacks to my roaming SIM, to reset call forwards on my VOIP DID, to GPS all over the world, to stream music, and have unlimited Google Voice texts.

IPhone international also works on an iPad, but that is not officially supported. In sum, these plans can pay for themselves. When you are broke, it is somethingnyounthink about cutting, but on whole, I think it is a good plan.

[petkow]

Originally Posted by Grampa

That's what I'm a little worried about. I was looking at some unlocked Huawei E585 units on EBay selling for around $100, hoping to use one for an upcoming trip to Italy. I won't have the SIM card until I get to Italy, but I won't be taking a computer with me -- only iPhones, which I doubt would connect to the device over USB. The iPhone browser might connect over wifi (assuming the device's web interface does not use Flash). So I would need to set it up in the USA, where I will have a computer but no SIM card, or in Italy, where I will have a SIM card but no computer.

It would also have to be shipped so that it arrives before I leave in a little over a week.

Still, I'm tempted. The data plans look pretty good as long as no roaming is involved.

You shouldn't really have too many problems preconfiguring some profiles into your device before your trip. There are plenty of sites that list carrier APN settings. One of them is: Carrier APN Settings - ModMyi - Wiki

[Grampa]

Originally Posted by petkow

You shouldn't really have too many problems preconfiguring some profiles into your device before your trip. There are plenty of sites that list carrier APN settings. One of them is: Carrier APN Settings - ModMyi - Wiki

So you're saying these devices allow you to enter profiles for several carriers? I see that the site you referenced has APNs for TIM, Wind, and Vodafone in Italy. Since it is a 3 branded device, it probably has 3 already in it. That would cover me for any provider I might want to use. I contacted the vendor, and he also thought it wouldn't be a problem.

I'm not sure, but I believe I should also be able to use it with AT&T back here in the states -- it supports 850, 900, 1800, 1900, and 2100MHz -- but their rates are pretty bad. The DataConnect Pass is $15/day (100MB), $30/week (300MB), or $50/month (1GB).

[Grampa]

Originally Posted by Grampa

I'm not sure, but I believe I should also be able to use it with AT&T back here in the states -- it supports 850, 900, 1800, 1900, and 2100MHz -- but their rates are pretty bad. The DataConnect Pass is $15/day (100MB), $30/week (300MB), or $50/month (1GB).

Just a little follow-up on this sub-topic. I bought the Huawei E585 MiFi modem, and it appears to work as advertised. To test it out in the USA, I signed on to a T-Mobile plan that is $40 per month for 5GB of data. I did not consider the overpriced AT&T plans. Unfortunately, T-Mobile operates most of its 3G network on a 1700MHz band, which the device does not support. So I'm using it on 2G, and I won't be reaching 5GB any time soon. The good news is that the T-Mobile plan is pro-rated, so that if I suspend service after a week, I pay $10. It is not a prepaid service; they will send out regular bills. But I should be able to stop it and start it at will.

When I get to Italy, I will probably get a 1GB data add-on from TIM for 15 euros. Although VoIP is certainly a possibility there, most of the calling we expect to do will be between my wife and me when we get separated. For that, VoIP over the iPhone is not an option, since only one of us will be carrying the MiFi. So we will bring along a couple of GSM phones and get Italian SIM cards when we arrive. I still have credit on my "international" SIM card, but I can't see having my wife call an Estonian cell phone to tell me where she is, and that she just found a great bargain in a shop.

[bartolo5]

Originally Posted by petkow

... However, there are plenty of great offers for data on local SIMs which you can pick up cheaply and easily as you travel.

I beg to differ. Unless you plan ahead and do your research about what SIMs to get, what APNs to use and what tariffs are available on prepaid for data it's going to be difficult to get that info once you are on the country because most sales people at the stores have no clue about any of this and of course you won't have internet to research anything because that's what you are trying to get.

I was recently in France, tried to get SFR iPhone prepaid plan, 10 euro for a week of unlimited data (great deal) and getting it to work it was a total ordeal. The SFR store I went did something wrong and didn't activate the plan properly, I tried to add it manually through the phone and their automated service but SFR doesn't accept non french credit cards there (lame). Had to back to the store, have the guy call customer service and they did fix it, but they told me it would take two days for it to start working.. and it did take two days for it to start working. Another major problem was finding what APN to use; the guy at the stored configured every setting of my iPhone by hand from the instructions that he was given on the phone. Still, they configured wrong apn.. after some research on a free wifi hotspot I was able to figure out that the right apn was 'sl2fr' ..

In Italy not too long ago I had a similar story, had to walk a lot through Milan to find a TIM store, and then they didn't speak english so communication to have them add the right plan was shaky. They didn't accept credit cards in the store so I had to run to an ATM to pay them with cash because the store was closing soon.. I had researched the APN and this one just worked right off but the guys at the store had no clue about it.

In the USA there is simply no decent option for prepaid SIM data that I know of.

If you frequently visit a few countries and you've got the hang of what's the situation of prepaid data in each one of them then yes, local SIMs are a great way to go for data, cheap and they work. But what we really need, is some international deal that give good data prices in many countries... I'm putting my hopes on Truphone Local Anywhere SIMs although currently their data rates suck, but they say they are going to improved them soon.

[monkeyboy]

Originally Posted by bartolo5

In the USA there is simply no decent option for prepaid SIM data that I know of.

not sure what your criteria are, but in case you didn't know, Tmobile has recently changed their prepaid pricing structure and now offers a Data DayPass for $1.49. So that's $1.49US for "unlimited" data, per day, although there are reports that speeds get throttled back after a certain amount of usage. And you of course would need to start by having a Tmobile PrePaid SIM. Still this is a vast improvement over Tmobile's previous data prepaid offerings...

[bartolo5]

Originally Posted by monkeyboy

not sure what your criteria are, but in case you didn't know, Tmobile has recently changed their prepaid pricing structure and now offers a Data DayPass for $1.49. So that's $1.49US for "unlimited" data, per day, although there are reports that speeds get throttled back after a certain amount of usage. And you of course would need to start by having a Tmobile PrePaid SIM. Still this is a vast improvement over Tmobile's previous data prepaid offerings...

Is this full unrestricted internet access? There seems to be something fishy about it because their prepaid rate for the month is $50 for 1GB. If you paid daily for 'unlimited' data it would come out to be just $45 so something doesn't add up

[Grampa]

Originally Posted by bartolo5

Is this full unrestricted internet access? There seems to be something fishy about it because their prepaid rate for the month is $50 for 1GB. If you paid daily for 'unlimited' data it would come out to be just $45 so something doesn't add up

I believe this is simply an add-on for Pay-As-You-Go voice customers. It would not be available without an existing plan. However, you could pay $10 for 30 minutes of prepaid voice (available for 90 days), and then get the data for $1.49 per day additional. I don't know whether this could be used with a smartphone or data device.