Cell Phone signal.

[laserblazer]

I'm not sure if anyone can help me here? After some excellent advise here I unlocked my Nokia 3310 and inserted a PAYG sim card that a friend sent me from South Africa, which is on Vodaphone SA network. The card was recognised but I get no signal. The card needs to be registered before I can use it but I expected to see a signal.

[somabc]

Are you in S Africa, cos if not it's not going to get a signal

[linkazoid]

If you are using it in the UK.. Then it could be that the phone has been blacklisted on all UK networks, this may be why the phone was sent to SA originally to circumvent the blacklist.

Michael

[plexer]

Why not just pick up a uk vodafone payg card easier than trying to use one from sa.

Ben

[RabbieBurns]

Pay as you go generally doesnt allow roaming. Using a south african sim here the south afriacan number would be roaming onto UK networks. I believe there is an international agreement between most operators not to allow PAYG to roam, so that they can keep track of who uses phones abroad by having them tied in to a contract. You may be able to register a PAYG sim so it will work abroad, but then they have your details logged anyway.

But I dont know why you would want to use a SA sim here anyway. The cost of calls would be astronomical, even to recieive calls you will get charged. If you need a SA number, why not just purchase a SkypeIn SA number or such?

[StewartKnight]

I've done it the other way. A PAYG sim from south africa in my english phone worked in South Africa.

When I returned to Blighty, the sim cards still got a signal.
It's incorrect to say PAYG doesn't allow roaming. They do, and I've used it often!

[somabc]

PAYG may allow roaming but they will not normally show a signal if they require registration or activation. If you are going to SA you can activate it there.

[plexer]

I presume no signal becuase the imsi is not registered in the uk or is blacklisted?

Ben

[RabbieBurns]

does pay as you go allow roaming on a totaly anonymous sim that hasnt been registered to an address / person or assigned to a credit card for topups or such like? It never used to anyway.

[laserblazer]

I've done it the other way. A PAYG sim from south africa in my english phone worked in South Africa.

When I returned to Blighty, the sim cards still got a signal.
It's incorrect to say PAYG doesn't allow roaming. They do, and I've used it often!

Sorry I should have been more specific. This is exactly what I am doing Stewart. I will be using the sim card in my UK phone whilst I'm in SA. As soon as we touch down at JNB I need to make some phone calls to arrange the car, accommodation etc. and it will be a lot cheaper this way. Especially as someone who works for Vodofone SA sent me the card with a top up for nowt.

I just expected to see a signal regardless of being able to access any roaming network. Maybe it has to be registered first.

[Inbir316]

depends if the phone is dual,tri or quad band to pick up their network from our mobile phone masts wouldnt it? EDIT:right i jus read his second post so ignore the rubbish ive just posted lol