How does a single-SIM MVNO on mulitiple networks work? - General Questions and Answers

So if you get straight talk, you have to select from 4 SIM cards to pop in, and that activates your phone on that particular network... I get that. Lately, however, I've seen multi-network MVNOs arise (like Defense Mobile, ROK Mobile) that only use one SIM card. How does a single sim card authenticate between several carriers? How does a single sim multi-network MVNO handle that extra step Verizon usually requires of authenticating the individual phone's IMEI with it?
Please help me understand.
Thank you.

Related

help!.. cannot receive cell broadcast

After reading a lot of messages regarding the annoying "message from network" popup's and tricks about how to disable them, I have a different question.
First of all I am a HP 6915 owner. With the SIM card provided by my local carrier I can *NOT* receive cell broadcast messages (all other phone functions are working well). It is a 64kb SIM card, but the same type of SIM card from other carriers as well as old type SIM cards with 16 Kb storage from the same carrier do receive and display broadcast messages perfectly but they are not available anymore. Technical support of the GSM carrier and HP blames each other without any solution or suggestion.
Any help appreciated..

Dual number Sim card

I am about to get a dual number Sim card for my phone, that is two phone numbers on one sim card simultaneously.
Now I know my really really old Motorola phone from 4 years ago had a simple function that translated the two numbers into "line 1" and "line 2" with ability to set different ringtones, etc for incoming calls and switching easily to make outgoing calls.
Does anyone know how this works on a Windows Mobile device? What kind of functionality does it provide?
I am running a Herald with WM6.
I would be interested too. I have a 8525 Cingy.
Phony-- Where did you get the Dual Line SIM? What carrier are you with? Will they activate more than 1 line on same SIM number?
DaddyGoFast, I am in China with China mobile but most carriers these days will provide you wih two numbers on one sim card if you just ask. Just call your service number.
There are other utilities you can buy that allow you to have multiple carriers or numbers on one sim card but those require that you switch by cycling power or using a piece of software, so in reality you can only use one number at a time.
A phone with 1 gsm module can handle only 1 sim card.
vlodeck said:
A phone with 1 gsm module can handle only 1 sim card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We are only talking about 1 sim card here...
Sorry, misread the thread.
any updates on a two number sim card in a WinMo phone?

[Q] How to use phone without a sim card.

Hello,
Apparently I can't store contacts without a sim card in my D2G... Is there another reason that I need a sim??
How can I use the phone without the sim chip? Because my old provider was a GSM but now I'm using CDMA. I figured that I didn't need the chip but then I tried to store a contact... bummer.
So... is there a "dummy" chip I can get or do I even need one? If I absolutely need a chip then how do I get another one?
Thanks!
You don't need a SIM card to store contacts. Default contact storage can be chosen, and from what I gather you're on Froyo firmware as Gingerbread doesn't offer the SIM as a contact storage option.
Make sure you have a Google account configured on the phone. If you do, consider doing a factory reset.
Yup. I'm running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
So now what??
Thanks btw!
Have you configured a Google account at all?
I have often wondered why we even have sim cards in our phones(I understand gsm needs them yadda yadda yadda). When I unboxed my phone, a long LONG time ago on froyo, I was playing with all the "features" and could never access the sim card. I thought it would be a great feature for backing up contacts etc.
I think I read somewhere though that sims, at least for the bionic, are tied to ONE device ONLY and could not be swapped between phones. Obviously this would defeat th entire purpose of the card. No?
I am on verizon in the USA only (no overseas travel, no need for gsm) with a D2G. I just kinda seemed odd...
Droid2 Global CM4D2G-GB-20120105 ***CM7 RevNumbers Kang***
That's plainly wrong.
A USIM card, or rather, an UICC (USIM is a sub-species of UICC, just like CDMA's RUIM cards) contains a small CPU that runs the USIM (for GSM) or RUIM (for CDMA) program. That program is responsible for encryption, key generation, and such.
Unlike Verizon CDMA phones, GSM phones, and CDMA devices using RUIM cards do not need to be flashed to a carrier. All identification data is stored on the UICC.
UICC can be bound to a phone, but it can only be done on the carrier's side (binding UICC's ID to the device's ID — IMEI for GSM or MEID for CDMA). A phone can be programmed to only accept UICC cards of a certain carrier (that's what carrier-locked phones are).
Verizon's CDMA/LTE devices like the Bionic have to use USIM cards because LTE is basically 4G GSM, and you need USIM for GSM codecs, encryption, security, etc. Verizon's LTE USIM cards will not work in non-VZW phones (well, maybe they can provide data connectivity for GSM/LTE phones that support VZW's band; and once VZW moves voice and text to LTE… you get the idea).
Vice versa, GSM USIM cards will (probably) not work with VZW LTE phones as they're most probably locked to VZW USIMs.
DROID2 GLOBAL (and DROID3 as well), however, has a GSM/CDMA transceiver which, once unlocked, will accept any GSM USIM card (extremely old plain SIM cards — which you probably won't find anywhere anymore — won't work well since 3G-capable phones require USIM explicitly).
As for contacts backup, it's a bad idea. USIM contacts storage is extremely limited. You can only store something like 16 characters for contact names, and one single phone number for each contact. SIM memory is also limited; usually you can fit up to 250 contacts with 150 being the average limit.
Note that SIM contact storage can be disabled on the SIM card itself. I wouldn't be surprised if VZW's Vodafone NL USIM cards come with on-SIM storage disabled.
I hope this answers most of your questions.
No it doesn't really help...
See, I accidentally threw away/misplaced my SIM chip. Now when I simply even click on contacts it just doesn't work... literally nothing happens.
I do have a Google account configured but if I choose to import contacts or save them to Google it seems that EVERY single email address I've replied to, or written to shows up in the contacts list.
How can I configure Google to simply store ONLY phone numbers and not every single email address/phone number that I've emailed or texted?
Seriously it's sick that when I sync contacts my list is filled with like thousands of addresses and numbers.
Perhaps I'm doing it wrong??
Thanks!
Well, you don't really need to import anything.
Open https://google.com/contacts in any browser you like (f.ex. on your desktop PC) and check My Contacts there. That's what Android syncs.

CDMA to GSM , sprint to tmobile problems

Trying to switch from CDMA to GSM, sprint to tmobile and tried 2 ways that haven't worked. 1st way involved selecting preferred network to global ,swapping out SIM cards ,selecting APN . The 2nd way was dialing *#*#72786#*#*, swapping SIM cards, while phone is restarting select APN, restart.
Our phone came with a free 1 yr service from FreedomPop. I'm suppose to be able to cancel service at any time.
I also took the phone to a wireless repair store and they told me the phone can't be switched to GSM. I've read that it can. HELP!!!
The main problem is that the phone can't send texts or call out. It can receive calls and texts.

My s6 is locked (UK)?

I purchased a S6 on EE a week ago. Has been working fine with an ee sim, however I have not made any calls or texts yet, just using the phone for Internet on wifi etc.
I have a regular three sim which I would like to use so I have trimmed it down with scissors and this made me cut part of the gold contact bit off (I read online this shouldnt affect the sim).
I'm guessing this phone is locked as when I insert the sim it detects a new sim has been inserted, it makes me restart too. Upon booting up however it says no sim card/ emergency calls only however I see a solid connection. I cannot make any calls as it says not registered to a network or something.
Now my question is that is the phone picking up the sim card? If yes why is it not prompting me with a sim unlock code screen? Secondly is my phone not detecting the sim card at all? Is that the reason why I am not prompted with a unlock code screen? All help is appreciated. Thank you.
Go onto settings, then onto Mobile Networks, then Network Operators, then Search Networks then click the Three carrier. It will take a few mins to search for all the networks so do not back out.

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