3G SimCard

[MrG]

I have been using my Nokia N95 on MTN the last month and have come to the conclution that iTalk sucks really bad.

I gotta phone their Customer Care desk for any tiny piece of information I want right down to Unbilled amount.

My plan is to port my Vodacom number away from Nashua Mobile to Vodacom Direct in September when its 24 months and stay with Vodacom.

With MTN I was using a 3G simcard, are those yellow simcards 64k or 128k cards?

My question basically is, im using a 32K simcard with my Vodacom Talk 120 at this point and would like to upgrade to a USIM card.

What would be involved? I have heard it helps alot with switching between GSM and UMTS, which when it comes to my experience on the MTN network it does help ALOt, but that may just be because its a different network, cell towers at different places? Who knows?

 

[ajax]

The problem with service providers other than the likes of Vodacom SP and MTN SP is that if you want info you have to call them on a non-toll-free number.

Usually you are put on hold for the first few minutes so you end up spending a fortune on peak calls while it would have been free otherwise.

 

[MrG]

Vodacom and Nashua is actually fine, cause the VodaFone live page which you access for free via vlive! has all your free minutes, sms messages and data bundles etc.

www.nashuamobile.co.za has all unbilled information updated daily, and has free minutes etc also on that site. www.vodacom4me.co.za has all the other account information available on there, including activation of APNs for data, reset of mailbox passwords all that stuff.

If you are with VSP you can also remove and add bundles etc, thats the only thing with Nashua and Vodacom that is a negative. However with MTN direct you have these features I mentioned above, but as you say, you cant access **** when you with iTalk, they dont even give you an unbilled amount.

MTN Loaded should have some information pertaining to your account on that page, but it has nothing? I am happy just using the peak minutes on that MTN contract and sticking to Vodacom.

Ive just loaded a MyMeg 500 onto my Vodacom contract with Nashua today... if I was with VSP already, just click on the site and complete now I had to fax the world and everything in it to everywhere, and still wait for them to put a message through to Voda... sigh

but still I want that 3G or USIM card.

 

[Csnoopy]

Vodacom and Nashua is actually fine, cause the VodaFone live page which you access for free via vlive! has all your free minutes, sms messages and data bundles etc.

www.nashuamobile.co.za has all unbilled information updated daily, and has free minutes etc also on that site. www.vodacom4me.co.za has all the other account information available on there, including activation of APNs for data, reset of mailbox passwords all that stuff.

If you are with VSP you can also remove and add bundles etc, thats the only thing with Nashua and Vodacom that is a negative. However with MTN direct you have these features I mentioned above, but as you say, you cant access **** when you with iTalk, they dont even give you an unbilled amount.

MTN Loaded should have some information pertaining to your account on that page, but it has nothing? I am happy just using the peak minutes on that MTN contract and sticking to Vodacom.

Ive just loaded a MyMeg 500 onto my Vodacom contract with Nashua today... if I was with VSP already, just click on the site and complete now I had to fax the world and everything in it to everywhere, and still wait for them to put a message through to Voda... sigh

but still I want that 3G or USIM card.

After much pain and agony IMO VSP is the way to go. Unless somebody can inform me otherwise.

 

[Csnoopy]

Some info on sim v usim

USIM
UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). The coming mobile telecommunication network of the next generation needs a powerful smart card.

This card shall store all relevant user data and perform the necessary algorithms.

The main difference between the well known SIM card (for GSM networks) and the new UICC (Universal Integrated Circuits Card) is, that the UICC is a multi-application smart card.

UICC versus USIM
The cause of the confusing naming can be explained as follows :

Universal Integrated Circuits Card
UICC is the name of the chip card. The design of this chip card allows the storage of more than one application on the chip. The applications are independent, and can be simultaneously executed.
Universal Subscriber ID Module
USIM is the name of the application stored on the UICC that is necessary for telecommunication with UMTS.
Beside the storage of data on the chip card, the USIM also provides the authentication in the UMTS network. One of the new features of UMTS is the authentication of the network by the card. Due to this bi-directional authentication a security leak of GSM is closed.

Why Multi-application?
The possibility to store more than one application on the UICC provides new services that an operator can offer. Beside the telecommunication application (USIM), digital signature applications or monetary transactions are possible. Austria Card offers both development of applications and the implementation of 3rd party applications on the chip.

GSM versus UMTS
Due to the high acceptance and diffusion rate of GSM an implementation of UMTS without utilization of the existing GSM network is not practical. Austria Card offers different implementations of chip cards concerted to the needs of the customers.

The simplest version is the storage of the necessary data files on the UICC. This version guarantees that in case of loss of coverage an automatic fallback to GSM is provided. The implementation of all GSM files and the USIM offers the possibility to use these cards also in GSM-only devices. For the automatic fallback the necessary data files of the USIM must also be available.

USAT
The Universal SIM Application Toolkit (USAT) offers additional features and extends the functionality of the USIM. These procedures are executed direct on the chip without the need of interaction of the user. The range of possible applications include customer specific menus as well as call control features.

Austria Card
The combination UICC and know how of Austria Card let a UMTS device become the essential assistant the user wants. The UICC can be adapted to the customers needs.

Due to the experience of the past years as GSM SIM card supplier, and the application development, Austria Card has become a competent partner in the 3rd Generation of telecommunications.

Austria Card is ready to face the challenges of the new telecommunication generation.