US Carriers: Make Multiple SIMs a Reality!

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobilityminded.com/5568/carrier-challenge-in-the-usa-offering-two-sim-cards-for-one-phone-number' target='_blank'>http://www.mobilityminded.com/5568/...ne-phone-number</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"These days, most of us use Bluetooth enabled car kits, and it is not necessary to have a second SIM card for safe vehicle use anymore. However ... many people have multiple phones. Smartphones are now quite prevalent, but sometimes you don't want to carry your most complicated phone everywhere you go. For instance, I like to carry a smaller phone on me during the weekends while on the road with my kids. The hassle now is to get my SIM card out of one phone and place it in the other. And we all know how frustrating it can be to do so. It would be so much easier to have a duplicate SIM card already placed in my second phone..."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1260642195.usr7.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Johan van Mierlo (and others, including myself) have had ENOUGH with the 1 SIM per number draconian rule of US carriers. It would be relatively easy for carriers to allow more than one SIM per number, which would be great for those of us with multiple devices that hate swapping SIMs in and out all the time. Mobility Minded is running a poll right now on the issue, and if you're wanting a second SIM to soothe swapping, I'd encourage you to vote!</p>

[Fritzly]

the problem is that the mobile phone market here is way behind the rest of the World and Carriers are the responsible for it.

They locked the market with these subsidized, crippled, mobile phones and people have become aquainted to this status quo.

Besides AT&T is like the kiss of death; since they bought BellSouth both the quality of the customer service and the overall quality of the products offered dramatically sinked.... only the costs keeep raising.

The other day I was inquiring about the U-Verse TV service because I was considering replace my cable provider, another plague we have here in the US, and when I asked to the representative what would have been the total cost, meaning tax included, for the service he replied that it was not possible to calculate it and I would find out the amount of taxes with my first bill.........

Needless to say I did not switch.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Yay my favourite rant! I'll repeat it here again:

They locked the market with these subsidized, crippled, mobile phones and people have become acquainted to this status quo.


Nobody wants to pay the higher price of carrier freedom either. Witness the right moans here when the price of an unsubsidised and unlocked phone is published. Everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too!

It's not totally down to the carriers; enough people in the US have shown to be most willing to put up with it, even in tech communities like this. What hope do you have for carrier reform?

[ctmagnus]

Your neighbours to the north, too!

Sha' right, like that'll happen in my lifetime. :rolleyes:

[Fritzly]

. What hope do you have for carrier reform?

None!

What could disrupt Carriers dominance though could be the new "Google Phone"; its existence seems to be be confirmed and if and when it will become available it would be a further black eye in MS face.

They should have come out with a MS phone when they found themselves with a consistent edge in the mobile market and, even more important, seen by the public as an innovative company in that specific segment.

Another important, and possibly devastating, issue could hit MS if the Google Phone will become a reality: MS would face a serious identity crisys because they would be the only big player without its own hardware.

Time will tell but if in January a Google phone running Android on a Snapdragon chip etc. as described by Techcrunch here:

The Google Phone, Unlocked (Confirmed And More Details) (http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/12/google-phone-unlocked-confirmed/)

I will seriously considering jumping wagon, at least for the time being.

[frankenbike]

At least with GSM and their 3G variants, you get sim cards. Us poor CDMA schmucks don't even have the choice of something we can remove and switch to other devices at all.

[CeluGeek]

Taking the SIM card out of one phone and putting it in another one shouldn't be rocket science.

Seriously, I can't pretend I care the least bit about two SIM cards with the same phone number, when carriers are now going out of their way to ensure you can't even swap your SIM with different types of phones. Forced device-specific data plans are taking care that soon enough, you can't take your SIM card out of your Windows phone and put it into an Android, iPhone or dumb phone. To me, this practice is the one that has to stop! I should be able to put my SIM card into any frequency-compatible GSM/UMTS phone, and not have services crippled based on what type of phone (smart or dumb) I'm using.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

CeluGeek makes a good point. Multi-sim is not very useful until you get true GSM interoperability in the US. Meaning, no locked devices, locked sims, or what have you.

Currently I'm running on a multi-sim setup. One goes into my Nokia E71, as my main phone, and the other goes into the HD2 as the Internet tablet/streaming media player. Since it's using the same line I can utilise the same data plan on both phones without having to pay extra. It also lets me use the HD2's telephony capabilities without my contacts wondering who is calling. That I believe is something that'd not be possible in the very constrained telco environment of North America.

[Sven Johannsen]

I kind of agree with CeluGeek, but I do get some of the issues. Until I got an iPhone, I never had an issue swapping SIMS around my WM phones, and even had one with a data plan and one without on occasion. I would guess you wouldn't have much issue still doing this with relatively similar phones. I don't expect I would have any problems sticking the SIM that is in my Pure, into my Epix or Tilt. When I swapped arounfd my Pure and iPhone though, to get the number where I wanted it, I had some problems. Visual Voicemail on the iPhone stopped working, and my Pure got an illegible txt message everytime someone left me a voicemail on it. Seems that there is a process by which visual voice mail is initiated, which my Pure didn't understand (naturally), and wasn't being sent to my iPhone, since AT&T thought there was a pure at that number. A relatively short call to customer service straightened that out, no hassle. They are different provisioning plans, but the same price. Yea it is a bit of a hassle, but it is due to the different capabilities of the devices in this case.

I would love to have a second SIM with the Pure #. That could go in the Tilt or Epix, when I want something that lends itself to data/text entry more so than the Pure. Process could then just be turn the Pure off, or even just stick it in flight mode (no carrier contact) and fire the other device up. Much better than the shut down, pull back, remove battery, swap SIM, kabuki dance I go through now.

I guess what I don't get is the carrier insistance on my having a dataplan on a phone just because it is capable of it. If I owned an HD2, bought outright, why shouldn't I be able to throw a Pay-As-You-Go SIM in there. There is no data provisioned for that number, so it shouldn't even connect, and I can turn just the data off if need be. I'd use the thing as a phone normally, and find a WiFi hotspot to do data work. Maybe you can, I might check that out.

[tdcao]

Um... Why is every body getting on the carriers' case when the real problem here is the difficulty of removing a SIM card from a phone/pda? Shouldn't it be the manufacturers' problem? The manufacturers need to make it easy to remove the SIM card from a phone/pda just like the way they finally made it easy to remove the memory card from a BlackBerry device (BlackBerry Bold.) Lift up the side door. Push on the memory card and off it goes.

Let's pretend the carriers agree and now you have 2 SIM cards for 2 devices for one number. And then both of the devices are turned on at the same time? Let's hear your ideas of how to handle this minefield of a situation. Believe me. It will happen!

To me the need for a dual SIM card phone/pda (a phone/pda that contains 2 SIM cards from 2 different carriers) is much more real than the need for 2 SIM cards for 2 devices for one number.

Imagine a small time business owner who needs to travel abroad frequently. Since international data/voice roaming charge is off the roof, a dual SIM card device will save that person a huge amount of money. When that person is at home, that person would switch to the home SIM. When abroad, switch to the foreign SIM.


Imagine a person who surfs the web more than talks on the phone/pda. Instead of buying a voice plan + data plan bundle (around $100/month total), that person can now buy a data only plan on one SIM ($50/month) and a pay-as-you-go voice plan on another SIM (can be as low as $10/whole year). It can even be from a different carrier! Imagine the competition between carries for customer loyalty!

Besides, I still don't get why people needs 2 personal phones/pdas. I know people needs a business phone/pda and a personal phone/pda, as in my case. However, my company pays for the business phone number and I pay for my own personal phone number. My personal phone/pda goes with me at all time. Not that because now I'm on a weekend trip with my kids, I suddenly find it much more cool to finally be able to use that magnifying glass to read info off of a tiny screen. Also, over-consumption has already done enough damage to this planet. Let's not trash it some more with that really-not-needed-second-personal-phone/pda of ours.

[Rod3]

I cannot see why it would be more difficult to turn off one phone than it would be to switch sim cards. I'd love a second sim. I have multiple phones, and am always wishing I had that second sim so I don't have to go through the swap thing every time I want to change. Which is maybe a couple times a week. I also tried to use my regular sim card in my iPhone. The battery drained before my very eyes! And the whole thing was messy and useless. I was recently in the hospital, where the iPhone performed very well on the hospital WiFi, but my regular phone was hopeless. I would have loved to have my regular number on that iPhone at that time. But not enough to switch completely. Too many things it doesn't have that I want.

[Sven Johannsen]

Let's pretend the carriers agree and now you have 2 SIM cards for 2 devices for one number. And then both of the devices are turned on at the same time? Let's hear your ideas of how to handle this minefield of a situation. Believe me. It will happen.


Pretty simple really. The second one doesn't connect. That is how it works in all the technologically advanced countries in which you can get two SIMs for a number now.

As to why folks want or have two personal phones, have you found the perfect phone yet? You found a small phone that is unobtrusive for an evening out, but with a big touch screen. You found one that has a great keyboard so you can text and enter info, but fits in you shirt pocket. You found one with a blazing processor to play those great games and high def videos, and also lasts three days on a charge. In any case, I have a couple of phones that have different feature sets, that come in handy for varying tasks. Would be nice if I didn't have to spend several awkward minutes moving SIMs. (in reallity, I don't, they just have different numbers, but it sure would be cheaper if they didn't). Decadent? Maybe, but that is my hobby/vice. Some people gamble, some buy lottery tickets, some lattes, some have the premium cable plan...I have gadgets.

[tdcao]

Pretty simple really. The second one doesn't connect.


Yeah. It's all good and simple. Until one realizes the one at home is the one turned on first and connected to the network and not the one he's holding in his hand, which has no reception. Of course, one can always smoke signal back home to tell the wife to turn off the one at home. But believe me, smoke signaling is much harder than it sounds.

Or device manufacturers can just make it easy to pop/insert the SIM card out/in the way they finally did it for the memory card on the BB Bold.



As to why folks want or have two personal phones, have you found the perfect phone yet? You found a small phone that is unobtrusive for an evening out, but with a big touch screen. You found one that has a great keyboard so you can text and enter info, but fits in you shirt pocket. You found one with a blazing processor to play those great games and high def videos, and also lasts three days on a charge. In any case, I have a couple of phones that have different feature sets, that come in handy for varying tasks. Would be nice if I didn't have to spend several awkward minutes moving SIMs. (in reallity, I don't, they just have different numbers, but it sure would be cheaper if they didn't). Decadent? Maybe, but that is my hobby/vice. Some people gamble, some buy lottery tickets, some lattes, some have the premium cable plan...I have gadgets.

One used to have many wives, too... It takes humanity thousands of years to realize what's best so I don't expect you to stop raping this planet any time soon.

[tdcao]

I cannot see why it would be more difficult to turn off one phone

Turning off the phone isn't difficult. Making ABSOLUTELY sure it's turned off while you're using the second one is not as easy as you think


than it would be to switch sim cards. I'd love a second sim. I have multiple phones, and am always wishing I had that second sim so I don't have to go through the swap thing every time I want to change. Which is maybe a couple times a week.

If it takes less than a second to pop/insert the SIM card the way it does to pop/insert the memory card on the BB Bold, you'll find it is a much more SURE way to transfer service from one phone to another.


I also tried to use my regular sim card in my iPhone. The battery drained before my very eyes! And the whole thing was messy and useless. I was recently in the hospital, where the iPhone performed very well on the hospital WiFi, but my regular phone was hopeless. I would have loved to have my regular number on that iPhone at that time. But not enough to switch completely. Too many things it doesn't have that I want.

I absolutely understand that balancing what is convenient for an individual and what is good for the whole community is very difficult. However it is not that difficult to realize that making it easy to pop/insert the SIM card is so much more better than littering the earth with millions more SIM cards we don't truly need.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Hmm, it works a little differently for me.

When a multi-SIM plan is in use, only one will be designated as the primary SIM card; the phone with the primary SIM will receive calls and SMSes. The other phones can still make outgoing calls, send SMSes, emails, surf the internet, etc.

Now, if you decide to leave the phone with the primary SIM card at home, you simply switch to the phone of your choice by entering a network code. In my case it's *141# followed by pressing the dial key. There's no need to switch off phones, etc.

[Sven Johannsen]

Now, if you decide to leave the phone with the primary SIM card at home, you simply switch to the phone of your choice by entering a network code. In my case it's *141# followed by pressing the dial key. There's no need to switch off phones, etc.
Neat. I'm assuming you can do that from what is currently the 'secondary' phone?

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Neat. I'm assuming you can do that from what is currently the 'secondary' phone?

Yes, that's what you do. To clarify, you use the code to make the phone's SIM card to become the Primary SIM. It's all really simple, and nothing like the funny scenarios tdcao has put up.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

As to why people want two phones, well, here's my scenario:

I currently am using a Nokia E71. Fantastic phone, and despite what people say about S60, its out of the box experience is way better than Windows Mobile. And being able to make calls properly counts pretty high. Keyboard's good too.

Not so good however, is the small screen. You know, web-browsing's better with a larger screen. As is using any kind of navigation system.

I thus bought a HD2 mainly for that. As a phone it stinks (currently there's a bug that's only been semi-resolved with SMSes), and the revamped Start Menu is pretty but way too messy (S60's menu is easier to organise).

However the large screen and fast CPU is really good at what I got it for: Web browsing and content consumption. Now, in order to save some cash, I did what most people here would do: get a second SIM instead of paying for TWO data plans. Plus I've recently found out how handy it is to have a second phone in case one of them runs out of battery power. :D

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

None!

What could disrupt Carriers dominance though could be the new "Google Phone"; its existence seems to be be confirmed and if and when it will become available it would be a further black eye in MS face.



Re-visting this thread after nearly a year. As I mentioned then, Americans are not willing to pay more for their phones in order to free them from the shackles of their carriers; the Nexus One proved that. It was available freely, unlocked, and unsubsidised, but didn't have many takers in the US for obvious reasons.

The lesson here is: "Cheap" (low upfront cost) is more important than freedom.