Questions RE: TIM SIM Plans & Options

[webdweeb]

Greetings,

I have two TIM SIM cards from a 2010 trip to Italy, which I have managed to keep alive with a yearly top up. I also managed to register both on the TIM web site and have logins at the "119" page for both SIM numbers. I'm pretty sure I deactivated the data option on both cards, but I'm not exactly sure how to verify that on their web site. One SIM is the standard size and was originally purchased for an iPhone 3G, and it has the "TIM 12" plan but no data option (at least from what I can tell from the 119 web site). The other is a microSIM I purchased for my iPad and has the "TIMBase Internet MB" plan assigned to it, but no voice plan (since it was for a tablet, not a phone).


I plan to use both SIMs with our two unlocked iPhone 4S phones, and am planning to cut down the standard SIM to microSIM size with a SIM punch cutter. If possible, I also would like to use one of the SIM accounts with my Macbook Air for the first week of our visit, as the apartment we rented does not have internet service, but I am not sure if I should get a USB modem stick or use one of the iPhones in tether mode (it will only be used in tether mode at the apartment, so the power draw is not an issue).

My initial questions are:

- How do I add a voice plan to the data-only SIM?
- Can I change the voice plan on the "TIM 12" SIM if I want a different one?
- what other data options, if any, are available for the data SIMs, or am I locked into the current one?
- which data options allow tethering?
- do the USB sticks available from TIM come unlocked?

[Effendi]

Your data-only sim, in reality, can make and receive calls too. The costs, AFAIK, are the same as the TIM 12 plan.
For all the data options see here:
Prepaid data overview (Italy)
Usb dongles sold by TIM are unlocked, no problem.

[webdweeb]

Thanks for the reply. I don't see the internet plan assigned to one of my cards (ie, the TIMBase Internet MB) on the list of service options on the page you mentioned-is it under a different name, or is that the "standard" internet service option (probably the most expensive, too)?

Is it possible to add the data options through the web site, or do I need to do it in person or use an SMS to select an option?

[Effendi]

The TIMBase Internet MB is the basic data plan for all data sim-cards sold by TIM, it's not a data option you can add. On that page you only see the data options you can add to any TIM prepaid sim-card.

BTW here are the details for the TIMBase Internet MB:
Web/Wap surfing: 1,01€/MB
National calls: 12,1 €cent/min plus 16,13 €cent setup fee

The easiest way, in my opinion, is to activate the options through SMS, it's very easy and straightforward. You can also ask a shop to do it for you. I think you can do it also online, but I don't have a TIM prepaid so I cannot check it for you, sorry. But I can help you with some translations from Italian, if you need.

[webdweeb]

Effendi, thanks for the clarifications. I have been able to toggle back and forth between a Google Translate tab and the 119 tab and get most of the page translated, so now I just need to decide which plans to select. It appears that the SMARTPHONE MAXI gives me the most options (ie, 500MB data limit, VOIP, tethering), so I will probably go with that one. I noticed that the activation text message for that is the same as for the SMARTPHONE option-is that correct? Also, do you know how this plan is debited to my SIM credit, ie, do I need to shut it off at the end of every week if I don't want it?

[Effendi]

To activate: TIMSMARTMAXI ON to 40916
It recurs automatically every 7 days, so if you do not want to use it anymore you have to deactivate calling 40916 or through the website. It seems there's no SMS command to deactivate it...

[webdweeb]

Effendi, do you know if I will get charged roaming rates if I try to activate the data options while still in the US? I'd like to get the phones configured before we land, but not if the setup will drain my existing credits. BTW, I was able to successfully activate the TIM 12 plan for my iPad microSIM through the web site, but the site doesn't show any options for activating data plans for either card.

[Effendi]

Sorry for my late reply, I was on holidays.
I think you can activate the option also before you leave, but you will surely pay the cost for the SMS (about 50 c€ if I'm not wrong) and you will start paying the data option too.

[webdweeb]

Effendi, thanks for the reply. I guess the best option is to activate the data plan a couple of days before we leave-that way the plan will be functional when we arrive.

I notice from your sig that you are in Trieste, which looks like a fairly easy day trip from Venice (our first stop in our upcoming Italy trip). Maybe we will try to add that to our itinerary-I've always been intrigued by the city, since it appears in a lot of my favorite mystery and thriller novels and movies.

[Effendi]

I work in Trieste even if I'm originally from Genova, on the other side of Northern Italy. Both are beautiful harbour-cities. Trieste is probably the "less-Italian" among Italian towns since it has a rich Austro-Hungarian past and has Slovenian, Serbian, Jew and Greek minorities. It's nice and very interesting. By train it's about 1h30m from Venice. From here you can also easily visit Slovenia.
Have a nice trip!