1 SIM for 2 SPs ?

D

DaveO

Active Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
52
Reaction score
0
Location
East Rand
I have 2 SIM cards, 1 Vodacom and 1 MTN. Each with its own number ( 082... & 083... ).

At present, I have to swap cards in my phone ( Nokia 6820 ) to get the best signal / gprs / edge coverage, depending on where I am in the country.

The phone does have an option to select the operator manually ( it lists Voda, CellC and MTN ).

Can I use the same SIM card for both MTN and Vodacom connections ?

If so, how can I get it set so that it has the correct cell number when I select and set the operator manually ( ie. the 082 number when Vodacom is selected as the opetaor, & the 083 number when MTN is selected ) ?

Regards
Dave
 
Yeah good question,

i thought of this once and as a solution is used to think perhaps they should make a phone that can take 2 sim cards. But I prefer your solution; one sim, multiple networks.

It should be something that the operators prepare for with number portability looming, I would say its in the network operators best interest to implement this.
 
DaveO said:
I have 2 SIM cards, 1 Vodacom and 1 MTN. Each with its own number ( 082... & 083... ).

At present, I have to swap cards in my phone ( Nokia 6820 ) to get the best signal / gprs / edge coverage, depending on where I am in the country.

The phone does have an option to select the operator manually ( it lists Voda, CellC and MTN ).

Can I use the same SIM card for both MTN and Vodacom connections ?

If so, how can I get it set so that it has the correct cell number when I select and set the operator manually ( ie. the 082 number when Vodacom is selected as the opetaor, & the 083 number when MTN is selected ) ?

Regards
Dave
Click to expand...
\


You can get a dual sim card holder.I can get them but its VERY difficult.

How it works:
You have a Voda and a MTN sim on this holder.You have to turn the phone OFF and ON to switch networks + enter the pin number of the SIM CARD you want to use
 
Hi Tahir Ally

Are you saying that the dual sim is a physical 'holder' that 2 sim cards slot into ? If so, where does it fit in the phone ?

Surely SIMs have the ability to store 2 numbers for different networks on the same SIM ? I have googled and found that this is available overseas, but no reference on the MTN or Vodacom sites.

Regards
Dave
 
Hi Gambit

Thanks for the link. I don't see an option for the 6820, but am sure I will find another manufacturer that does have one.

However, this is not what I require. I would like to know if it is possible for the SPs ( Voda / MTN ) to register the same SIM card on their networks ( naturally linked to a different phone number on each network ).

This means that I can use 1 SIM card and switch between the 2 networks by changing the 'operator' setting on the phone.

Regards
Dave
 
Not what DaveO wants, but anyone interested in trying the dual-sim holder thing - there's a review of such a product in the TechSmart Magazine of July 2005. Called SuperTWIN (page 32). You can contact Martin at Rare Treats on 083 222 1539.

I have absolutely no connection with them - I only saw the ad!

If anyone do try this, please post something on the forum on how it works. Interested in getting it too (for using Vodacom GPRS on prepaid SIM until my CellC contract runs out).
 
Yes never mind number portability, what about SIM portability
 
DaveO said:
Can I use the same SIM card for both MTN and Vodacom connections ?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not. There's a long technical explanation but basically there are additional ID's on the SIM that connects you to a specific network and you cannot connect more than one network to a single SIM.

I guess that's why you get all these twin-sim holders.
 
Hi v3g

Many Thanks for the extra detail - I now understand why it can't be done.

I will shop around for a dual sim holder.

Regards and enjoy the weekend
DaveO
 
DaveO said:
...
The phone does have an option to select the operator manually ( it lists Voda, CellC and MTN ).
...
Click to expand...
I find that manually setting the network on my phone to Vodacom is better than having it set to automatic - appears to avoid continual hunting for alternate towers & whatnot...obviously sim cards are specific to their respective networks - so with a Vodacom sim card manually select the Vodacom network on your cellery phone, and with an MTN sim card manually select the MTN network...
 
There are a couple of points to raise here

Don't confuse the SP and the Network Operator (NO)

Your SIM is configured to work on a given network where you are registered on the HLR (Home Location Register). When you go roaming you register on the VLR (Visitor Location Register). By default your SIM will choose the HLR when it can.

It is theoretically possible (although these days unlikely to happen) that an MTN subscriber may find themselves in an area where MTN offers no coverage but Vodacom does. You could then roam on the Vodacom Network. Your calls would be carried on the Vodacom network, and they would then on bill MTN for your usage, who would in turn bill you. You would still, however be regarded as an MTN customer using the Vodacom infrastructure. BTW this is exactly what happens to CellC customers.

Which network you "belong" to has nothing to do with number portability, when you port your number from one network to another, you will be issued a new SIM. It is via the SIM that the NO knows who you belong to, and hence where to route the call billing data to.

So, the short answer to your question, and I'm sure you are sick of hearing it, is "It can't be done"

What may be possible in the not too distant future is sophisticated handsets that can perform a sort of LCR function, and choose which bearer to use, e.g. GSM, VoIP, Wimax, Bluetooth etc. However this will require "advice of charge" info to be available up front and will doubtless be quite complex. It will also mean, of course, that you will most likely be billed by multiple entities for effectively the same services and you might not know in advance which service you are going to use. At the end of the day, for post paid customers at least, you will need a contract with each of the providers for this to be possible.
 
i saw that dual sim holder at one shop in Randburg Sanlam Centre.

Maybe it's simple to carry two cell phones.

At my work, some product manager carries 3 cell phones for each network. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X