Any news on eSIMs in Ireland?

jeffk

I had the misfortune of my phone dying and trying to setup a new phone and in turn esim from 3 (day 1 of holidays in Galway/Athlone)

I must've sent in 5 or 6 applications, trying different variations of my name full or short, using my different emails

Twice onto chat, ah 2 too 3 hours it takes just wait

It took from around 6 in the evening until 10 the next day before I got the emails (just one esim from the 5 or 6 applications, 1 was rejected), so I couldn't use my phone as a phone, revolut or whatsapp

Then when I get it going, messages about esim application rejected, how too active etc, how'd you see these texts when you have no sim

As ever the theory is better than the practice

Ah-Watch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121429375#Comment_121429375

tbf I think 3 would be the exact same trying to switch to a physical sim and not just esim. I've seen them refuse a sim change or activation with just one letter wrong or just a different email address on the account so the quickest and easiest thing is just to go to a Three Store. Not ideal if there's no Three Store near you though

jeffk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431952#Comment_121431952

Yeah it wouldn't surprise me, the chat attitude of why did you do more of just wait two to three hours summed them up

Unfortunately I was not long back from until store in a panic buy after my phone broke on day one of holidays

I MIGHT have got the esim back with Google restore but didn't want to have that doubt if any issues down the road with my phone

First world problems as they say

lordsheepface

Vodafone esim options on their website seem to remain up and down in terms of whether its available or not.

drogon.

Signed up for e-Sim from three today very happy. Out of curiosity is the e-sim QR code a one time code ? so if I rescan it again it won't work ?

Tech_Head

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121454802#Comment_121454802

That was the case for Vodafone anyway. I took a screenshot of the original QR code and it didn’t work when I changed phones. Make sense in a way. You wouldn’t want it copied that easily.

siddhanth

I know it might be a long shot but is there any news on the student-friendly carriers eyeing on the eSIM route? I have a 48 SIM card and would really like to switch to an eSIM to accommodate another SIM card.

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121618109#Comment_121618109

Unlikely since eSims seem to be treated as a feature here so the budgets networks won't have it for a good while yet I'd say, with the exception of Lycamobile but they're more international than budget

DopeTech

Were comreg not forcing operators to have it implemented by end of 2023 no? Wish the mnvos would hurry up and stop treating it like a big deal. We’re years behind other markets in Europe.

RetroEncabulator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121454802#Comment_121454802

I got BADLY caught on this. I moved a sim between the devices more than 3 times - twice the QR code didn't work and wouldn't rescan, and they started threatening a €15.20+VAT charge!

The way they do eSIMs is manual, and it's a bit of a joke. It should be possible to move devices without all this nonsense. They treat it as a full physical SIM replacement.

rhinosaurious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121636226#Comment_121636226

shocking. You don’t get charged to transfer a physical sim from one phone to another so why is it different now? eSIMs are meant to be more convenient, I would definitely argue that with them. The QR codes are designed like that for a reason 100% so they can cash in.

Ah-Watch

Three have always had the 15.20+ VAT sim change charge but I've never actually seen them charge it. It's a bit of a pity you can't generate the QR within My3 though and have to fill out the form. I've filled the form out 3 times for my brother who doesn't top up every month and because you cannot select the true amount of his monthly top up it fails verification. Stores can do it in seconds so would recommend calling instore if you're near one at all.

PH0NER

I'm confused as to why Eir and Gomo still haven't launched eSIM. Gomo still only has that international eSIM offering, nothing for actual Irish plans. Eir hasn't announced anything.

a clanger

Set up two US iphones (no physical sim)with esim in the Three store and it was quite painless. Needed a spare phone for a holiday and tried Lyca online for an esim. took about 3 minutes and the coverage and (5G) download speeds are great. I'll be swapping the 2 iphones onto lyca as its half price (€10 unlimited for 12 mths). Lyca obviously being a multi country operator seem far more motivated towards esim but as previous poster said we are miles behind in Ireland !

Irishman25

Filled out an eSIM replacement form this morning on three.ie and within 2 hours got my qr-code. Took my old sim from my iPhone 11 Pro and it asked if I wanted to set up a “carrier”. Went through the scan qr-code eSIM setup and less than a minute I was set up and everything was fine. No hassle. I only done it to future proof and had just learned three was doing eSIM’s now.

RetroEncabulator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121642023#Comment_121642023

I'd assume that GoMo World could actually be a product from Eir's parent, Iliad SA in France for the whole group, or at least is being structured differently to eir.

It may not be running on eir's networks at all.

They launched the GoMo brand in Switzerland too https://www.go-mo.ch/ using the branding developed by Eir.

It looks like they might plan to use the GoMo brand for a broader range of products and services.

I suspect you'll see gradually more convergence between Eir, Free, Salt and their more recent acquisition, Play in Poland, on products etc as time goes by.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121653543#Comment_121653543

This probably means nothing but the developer of the iOS app is shown in the App Store as "eircom Limited".

RetroEncabulator

eSIM rollout is just provisioning and having a customer interface for it.

Only Vodafone has really managed to do this (sort of), as you can access QR codes through MyVodafone and move your sim etc.

3 has eSIMs but they're essentially manually issued.

Eir could yet steal a march on the rest by implementing the full iOS spec, and have sim conversion to eSIM. eSIM swapping between near by devices and all of that.

Without those features, eSIM is in many ways quite awkward to use beyond just initially installing it.

I think the European Commission needs to intervene tbh and ensure that eSIMs are a fully open platform with equivalence to physical SIM levels of convenience, including being able to swap the eSIMs between devices.

lordsheepface

Ive recently changed phones with my vodafone esim.

I couldnt use the website qr code until i removed the esim from the old phone first.

What if i lost my phone? Does this mean i need manual customer support help to do the esim move?

PH0NER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121653543#Comment_121653543

It is kinda weird that Iliad SA owns so many European brands, but every country is under a different brand name.

I also wonder if Iliad owns the GoMo brand, or if they're just licensing it. I have seen other GoMo branded mobile services in Asia for example.

Regardless, it seems like Iliad SA offers eSIM in Italy, France, Switzerland, and Poland. Why not Ireland?

RetroEncabulator

It seems to just be a coincidence. Eir launched GoMo as their ‘flanker brand’ in October 2019. Meanwhile, Singtel in Singapore had launched GOMO in March of the same year, for exactly the same purpose. Singtel own Optus in Australia and several other brands in other countries, so that’s why you’re seeing the GOMO brand around that part of the world.

Singtel is owned by Temasek Holdings, which is the Singaporean Government investment fund, which also coincidentally used to own a large chunk of Eir during the 2010s via ST Telemedia, before Iliad.

Iliad seems to have just repeated Eir’s GoMo rollout using the template developed here, including the ad visuals etc in Switzerland.

Iliad basically owns:

Free (France), Eir (Ireland), Salt (Switzerland), Play in Poland and they’ve recently bought a small stake in Proximus in Belgium, which is a former national telco (Belgacom) and would be fairly similar to Eir.

Gatster

Anyone have an iPhone 15 on lyca with an eSIM? Website says not supported but quite a few instance of people having it working.

DopeTech

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121795320#Comment_121795320

Had a Lyca esim very briefly a few months ago but had to switch as their porting system seemed to be down and from what I read at the time was regular occurrence. Overall a total pain in the a$$. Support were totally useless and couldn't wait for weeks each day getting told to wait until the following day. As you probably know Lyca are fine when you have no issues but god help you when you do.

PH0NER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121795320#Comment_121795320

I do and it works fine. They sent an eSIM QR Code to scan, so if you have a different phone that is compatible, I don’t see why you couldn’t input that to get the QR code, but scan with the iPhone 15. I have a US model iPhone 15 Pro Max

Skill Magill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121831066#Comment_121831066

2 different phones I think, American Models don't have a sim tray so have to be esim. Models this side of the world have both options.

Alkers

What is the benefit of an esim other than when travelling?

I'm in NZ with an esim ATM on top of my ROI domestic SIM, it's great but i am finding it's absolute hammering my battery, is this common?

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121831111#Comment_121831111

can have a work number and personal number on the same phone?

Tech_Head

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121831128#Comment_121831128

Yes you can. I moved my personal number to eSIM and have my work number on the regular SIM.

wassie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121831111#Comment_121831111

An eSIM itself doesn't use more battery than a physical SIM. However, if you're using your phone with two lines (one eSIM and one physical SIM), your phone must maintain a connection to two networks. This can use more battery because your phone is doing extra work. [SOURCE:Link]

Bummer1234

I see on the revolut app there now offering esims but compared to gomo world they seem expensive. Head to the app for the prices but one example been Ireland 29 euro and then Europe regional €50.50.