Vodafone GPRS?

Mr E

Hi all,

Any updates as to when Vodafone are rolling out GPRS? I know from reading other threads that they had a trial in April, but not alot has happened since then.

Anyone got any news ?

Thanks in advance,
Dave.

bkehoe

WAP through GPRS has been available for free now for several months, since February/March I think. I've been using it since April. 1st July is now the expected date for them to begin charging and allow you to use the internet (i.e. on a PDA/Laptop) through it, though they've been saying the start of the next month each time you ring (in April it was supposed to be 1st May...in May they told me 1st June....).

As for using it, just ring up and ask them to enable GPRS on your sim. You do need a new 32k sim card though (32k printed on the back).

Mr E

Thanks for the quick reply.

How do you go about upgrading the sim, and how much does it cost?

- Dave.

flywheel

Had GPRS access working grand on my old 16k SIM when they started it up in Feb, but they do want you to upgrade. I went to the store on Grafton Street (Trinity end), it took about 15 minutes (at a quiet time), didn't cost anything.

They can copy your phone book across for you, but not your messages (they let you keep the old SIM, it just doesn't register with the network anymore.)

List of Vodafone stores (worth buzzing first to check someone there will do it):
http://www.vodafone.ie/buyonline/vodafonestores/index.jsp

The company also announced that all Vodafone stores will have SIM readers installed which will allow customers to upgrade their SIM cards to new improved 32K versions which will enable them to avail of the multitude of mobile data services available and to become GPRS enabled. The SIM readers will ensure that customers' details saved on their phones can be easily transferred from an old SIM to a new one.

http://www.vodafone.ie/aboutus/company/press/2002/release220202.jsp

HTH,
Brian G

bkehoe

Well my phone wouldn't work with GPRS on my old 16k sim. Phone didn't even detect that GPRS was available till the 32k sim went in, which I had to pay for btw...

flywheel

they charged you!! - that's not on - how much?

B

bkehoe

I think it was €20 or something like that.

flywheel

The press release read to me like they were offering it as a courtesy service. I mentioned it in the store and they said if I was upgrading the SIM in order to use GPRS then it wouldn't cost anything

Maybe the store looked at it as a SIM replacement charge, rather than just upgrading to use GPRS services

I buzzed the Voda helpdesk to query it (that hold music is turned up a bit loud!) they said if the upgrade was for the 32k SIM for GPRS usage there should have been no charge. The guy on the main helpdesk said they had set up a team to manage the SIM upgrade process for GPRS and transferred me over. The lady there said if it was for GPRS reasons there should have been no charge She advised to give the regular helpdesk a call on 1907, mention the 32k SIM upgrade for GPRS and they would look into a refund. Hope it works out for you.

SIM manufacturers are pushing larger SIM cards more with the emergence of GPRS to allow faster and more flexible OTA (over the air) distribution of apps and services. The greater (32k) EEPROM would allow flexibility to (if they ever) deliver several applications to the SIM and storage for those apps, user authentication details, SIM Toolkit features. It is an ongoing debate whether larger SIM cards will be the order of the day or if handset makers providing extra memory to store apps will consign SIM cards to just basic user authentication. There is a good article about it here:
http://www.shopbiz.jp/contents/news_IC/53_8.phtml

On the 16k / 32k SIM cards, attaching to the GPRS network should have worked with either. Getting a GPRS attach is more to do with configuring the systems at the back end of the network, as long as GPRS is authorised and access to the particular APN(s) set up on the user's profile. It did take a few phone calls to get GPRS set-up, but was using my old 16k one until April at some stage when I went in for the upgrade, maybe in your SIM upgrade procedure they configured it right. I suppose it makes sense everyone is using the same SIM card for tech support and if they ever do offer those OTA services.

Hope you get your EUR 20 back,
Brian G