DataSIM: one voice contract and Data SIM Cards that share a Contract Data Bundle

I cannot comment on the conversion of contracts, but it is possible to have 2 Data SIMS linked to your main contract (in phone). You will load bundles on your normal contract, and the 2 data sims will draw their data "through" that bundle.

I am currently doing this with my Notebook and Touch Diamond ... makes data management so much easier. I have a 3Gb bundle on my phone, and all my devices use from the same bundle

EDIT: Oh yes, be careful when applying for this at a Vodashop. They normally have no clue that there is such a thing as a Data SIM, and they normally end up cancelling your current SIM and replacing it with a new SIM
 
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Data sim allows for the following.

SIM 1 - VOICE AND SMS (TO BE USED IN YOUR NORMAL PHONE)
SIM 2 - DATA (TO BE USED IN YOUR 3G MODEM)
SIM 3 - TO BE USED IN YOUR BLACKBERRY

Should you have all 3 sims, they all linked to one account. If you have a 500meg bundle they will draw from that one bundle. I might be mistaken, but if you have a data sim to use in your modem, then data might be de-activated on your main sim...so no more using your phone browser. Vodacom3G, perhaps you can confirm this?

When going into a Vodashop make it very very clear you want a DATA SIM and specify whether it is for 3G or Blackberry. On our system it is two different things and if you activate the wrong one it is not gonna work.
 
Isn't there however a thing about only ONE sim allowed to be "online" / "active" at any given moment? So you can't , for example have the situation of sitting in the front of your laptop using the one sim for internet via a modem -and- still have the other sim in your phone available to answer incoming calls....[even if you think about it, if someone phoned you, which sim will answer the call?]

...that is the catch 22 that caught me last time. So in the end i was forced to have a seperate "number" [sim] to answer phone calls with while i'm using the modem..anyway...

I think for data-only purposes it shouldn't be an issue as you don't generally need to use internet on your phone -and- laptop at the same time. But Voice/Data combo was a problem.

Maybe the tech changed [tried this like 2 years ago] .
 
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ocleroux said:
Data sim allows for the following.

SIM 1 - VOICE AND SMS (TO BE USED IN YOUR NORMAL PHONE)
SIM 2 - DATA (TO BE USED IN YOUR 3G MODEM)
SIM 3 - TO BE USED IN YOUR BLACKBERRY

Should you have all 3 sims, they all linked to one account. If you have a 500meg bundle they will draw from that one bundle. I might be mistaken, but if you have a data sim to use in your modem, then data might be de-activated on your main sim...so no more using your phone browser. Vodacom3G, perhaps you can confirm this?

When going into a Vodashop make it very very clear you want a DATA SIM and specify whether it is for 3G or Blackberry. On our system it is two different things and if you activate the wrong one it is not gonna work.
Click to expand...

You are mistaken ... DATA is active on all 3 SIMs, with your main SIM having the normal voice stuff as well.

3G vs Blackberry doesn't make a difference, unless you want to use the special Blackberry APN
 
What you are refering to diabolus is called twin call and was developed for people with car phones installed. In the case of twin call, only one sim can be used at a time. The last sim to be switched on will kick the first one off the network and will from then on receive all calls. Data Sim allow for all 3 sims to be used at the same time.
 
I seriously want something like this!

I'm at work or at home for most of my activity, yet I usually cough up a lot of money I wouldn't need to if my 500MB laptop data was linked to my main account. I think I currently have 850MB left over with the roll-over :/

Was considering telling the work to cancel my data, and rather subsidise my cell. Then I could connect via my phone on the few occasions where I MUST have mobile data on my laptop.
 
ocleroux said:
What you are refering to diabolus is called twin call and was developed for people with car phones installed. In the case of twin call, only one sim can be used at a time. The last sim to be switched on will kick the first one off the network and will from then on receive all calls. Data Sim allow for all 3 sims to be used at the same time.
Click to expand...

Correct. I also have twincall on top of all the rest, and whichever SIM (on the twincall setup) has broadcast to the network last, ie when you switch the phone on, that SIM is active
 
I'll post the reason for asking about this Data SIM in another thread. Perhaps there's another way to reduce my bill, without using too much less on the Vodacom side ;)
 
I have the same setup. Voice contract and 2 data sims with 1 data bundle. Works well!
 
Pyro said:
Please do tell - how do you set this up?
Click to expand...

Fortunately for me we have a corporate account at work and our account manager arranged it all. I do believe however that ginggs arranged a data SIM at the Vodacom walk in customer care in Canal Walk (others should be able to do the same).
 
Nice to see how the forum supports itself with quality answers. :)

All the statements made by those who use Data-SIM and Twin-SIM are quite correct. Data-SIM is one of those little known gems. Voice is not active on the 2 'non-voice' SIMs.

BTW, Data-Sim is actually 3 separate SIM's that are strapped together at the billing layer, so all three can be active at the same time. Whereas Twin-SIM expects only one SIM to be active.
 
Pyro said:
Please do tell - how do you set this up?
Click to expand...

Go to a Vodacom shop, and ask them for a DATA SIM connected to your existing contract. The normal response is: "You can't do that" :), then you point them to this URL:

http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/data_sim/data_sim.jsp

PLEASE ensure that you tell them more than twice to provision the new SIM as a DATA SIM, and that you are not looking for a replacement SIM for your currently active SIM
 
When I got my Data SIM, Vodacom Customer Care gave me a choice of a 32K SIM for free or pay in R63 for a 64K SIM.
The Vodacom shop were going to charge me R110 for a 32K SIM.
 
All I wanna do is lower my data bill! Having an independant 2GB on my desktop, independant 500MB on my netbook and using 50-100MB OOB on my phone is costing near R1000pm!

3GB shared between them is less than R700 ...
 
LandyMan said:
Go to a Vodacom shop, and ask them for a DATA SIM connected to your existing contract. The normal response is: "You can't do that" :), then you point them to this URL:

http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/data_sim/data_sim.jsp

PLEASE ensure that you tell them more than twice to provision the new SIM as a DATA SIM, and that you are not looking for a replacement SIM for your currently active SIM
Click to expand...

Thanks Landy, gonna print that and pop by a Vodacom shop this weekend ;)

--- Edit scratch that - First I'll check if I can convince the work to move my data over to my contract... then I'll pop by there :)

As per the link:
A once off connection fee of R97.00 as well as a SIM card fee of R105.00 is applicable on activation and a subscription fee of R9.00 will be levied per month for each Data SIM. The usage of each Data SIM is charged at the applicable data rate subscribed to and will be billed to your primary contract account.
Click to expand...
 
Dolby said:
All I wanna do is lower my data bill! Having an independant 2GB on my desktop, independant 500MB on my netbook and using 50-100MB OOB on my phone is costing near R1000pm!
Click to expand...

:eek:

Before I had ADSL I reduced my data costs by "sharing" a large bundle with a friend via datasim. Naturally you have to watch your bandwidth consumption to keep it 50/50.
 
Thanks V3G ... that was one of my nagging questions!

The other is email : do I keep my name address and everything works seamlessy?
 
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