Phone use in States

Atlantic Dawn · 01-05-2018 7:03pm

cfeeneyinterior wrote: »

I have switched to eir recently, business account. Anyways it says I have 1GB of data in USA and unlimited calls and texts in the USA too? Sounds good to me? Details here - https://business.eir.ie/shop/shop-bundles/sim-mobile/?customer=new This is on the €20 per month eir Mobile Business Unlimited SIM

For a week a light user might get away with 1GB, the problem is if you go over the 1GB the price is €8.46 per MB so if you wanted an additional GB while there it would cost €8,460...a tad pricey.

https://business.eir.ie/roaming-rate/us

sioda · 09-05-2018 12:11pm

Anyone who had the 3 UK sim can you just top it up after the 12 months or is it a buy another one?

Atlantic Dawn · 09-05-2018 12:30pm

sioda wrote: »

Anyone who had the 3 UK sim can you just top it up after the 12 months or is it a buy another one?

Yes you can just topup but the new topup will only last 30 days, will suit most people to just buy a new 12GB sim and start again.

sioda · 09-05-2018 6:22pm

I've ordered a second but not sure it will get here on time

n!ghtmancometh · 09-05-2018 7:47pm

The three 12GB data only sim worked a treat for me in the states. Popped it in when landed and selected a network and it worked straight away. AT&T seemed to be the fastest network with T-Mobile the worst, in Boston anyway.

mac1961 · 10-05-2018 9:33am

What’s the life on these 3 SIM cards if you don’t activate them. Is it a year? Mine arrived to late, were on my doormat when I got back.

Atlantic Dawn · 10-05-2018 1:40pm

mac1961 wrote: »

What’s the life on these 3 SIM cards if you don’t activate them. Is it a year? Mine arrived to late, were on my doormat when I got back.

It's a year from first use in the phone.

LJ3103 · 10-05-2018 1:47pm

If you use one of these in your phone can use the likes of WhatsApp with out issue,

banchang · 10-05-2018 4:36pm

Simon201 wrote: »

Sorry about the huge non bargain alert but I was wondering were there two April the 1st's this year when I saw this!:mad:

https://www.virginmedia.ie/roaming/

1st option 5 minutes on FB
2nd option stream an advert maybe

That looks extremely expensive ? 500MB for Eur55 ? You'd be through that in no time.

n!ghtmancometh · 10-05-2018 7:26pm

LJ3103 wrote: »

If you use one of these in your phone can use the likes of WhatsApp with out issue,

Yes, I used it without any difference to how it works at home.

Lenny · 10-05-2018 7:52pm

n!ghtmancometh wrote: »

The three 12GB data only sim worked a treat for me in the states. Popped it in when landed and selected a network and it worked straight away. AT&T seemed to be the fastest network with T-Mobile the worst, in Boston anyway.

im going next week, any idea of the speeds you were getting?

Atlantic Dawn · 10-05-2018 7:54pm

n!ghtmancometh wrote: »

Yes, I used it without any difference to how it works at home.

Yes wondering about this, could you use your Irish SIM number for it or does it need to the the UK Three number?

n!ghtmancometh · 10-05-2018 8:11pm

I did nothing to it, and all my chats and groups worked as normal, so I assume it just keeps your Irish number and not the UK sim number.

n!ghtmancometh · 10-05-2018 8:14pm

Lenny wrote: »

im going next week, any idea of the speeds you were getting?

All 3G, never got on LTE in downtown Boston, Cambridge or Providence etc. Perfectly usable for Spotify, podcasts, maps etc. Select AT&T wherever you can would be my advice, I connected to T-Mobile at first and it was very sluggish. American friends told me T-Mobile is the most congested network afterwards, so connected to AT&T instead and had no bother.

wotzgoingon · 10-05-2018 8:25pm

n!ghtmancometh wrote: »

All 3G, never got on LTE in downtown Boston, Cambridge or Providence etc. Perfectly usable for Spotify, podcasts, maps etc. Select AT&T wherever you can would be my advice, I connected to T-Mobile at first and it was very sluggish. American friends told me T-Mobile is the most congested network afterwards, so connected to AT&T instead and had no bother.

I was the same when I was in New York. Couldn't get a LTE connection due to having a European phone as they use different bands over there. You can get international phones but they are rare. All the most popular phones sell to different regions.

n!ghtmancometh · 10-05-2018 9:19pm

wotzgoingon wrote: »

I was the same when I was in New York. Couldn't get a LTE connection due to having a European phone as they use different bands over there. You can get international phones but they are rare. All the most popular phones sell to different regions.

I have a Nextbit Robin, bought in the US so don't think it's a problem on that score. I'd say it's more the network providers filtering roaming customers onto 3G.

unkel · 11-05-2018 10:12am

n!ghtmancometh wrote: »

The three 12GB data only sim worked a treat for me in the states. Popped it in when landed and selected a network and it worked straight away.

Is that a three UK data only sim? Any link to ordering it?

Going to the states next month and would like to have some data without it costing a fortune. I have a dual SIM S8+, would it automatically use the second sim for roaming instead of my normal first sim?

sioda · 11-05-2018 10:45am

https://www.mymemory.co.uk/3-payg-4g-trio-data-sim-pack-with-12gb-data.html

Works perfect I my op3 dual sim. I set my eir sim to calls and messages and the 3 sim as my data sim

Atlantic Dawn · 11-05-2018 12:39pm

unkel wrote: »

I have a dual SIM S8+, would it automatically use the second sim for roaming instead of my normal first sim?

Normally the way it works is SIM1 is used for data/calls/texts and SIM2 is calls/texts only so you would put your normal SIM in SIM2.

unkel · 11-05-2018 12:48pm

I see I can't use my micro SD card when using 2 sims. That's not great.

n!ghtmancometh · 11-05-2018 5:19pm

Yevon wrote: »

If I order one of these 3 UK data sims can I just pop into my Samsung S8 when I land? Or do I need a Dual sim or something... Thanks.

I just inserted the sim, selected a network and it worked straight away. You don't need a dual sim, but you won't be able to call or text anyone as this is a data only sim. Of course you can just use WhatsApp/Messenger/Viber etc to call and text people instead.

sioda · 11-05-2018 6:01pm

Just add credit to a Skype or viber out account and call over the data connection. Has worked flawlessly for me once the coverage is good

Lenny · 11-05-2018 10:16pm

I bought mine here, slighty cheaper than my memory and it has mins and texts too
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F311750610913

unkel · 12-05-2018 12:46am

Cheers Lenny. Mins and texts valid in the USA too?

Lenny · 12-05-2018 12:59am

unkel wrote: »

Cheers Lenny. Mins and texts valid in the USA too?

i havent used mine yet, but i think the mins/texts will only be to UK numbers,
what my plan to do was divert my mobile to my virgin landline, then divert my virgin landline(i have unlimited calls to uk numbers) to the uk mobile

Toast · 12-05-2018 7:54am

wotzgoingon wrote: »

I was the same when I was in New York. Couldn't get a LTE connection due to having a European phone as they use different bands over there. You can get international phones but they are rare. All the most popular phones sell to different regions.

The bands are different but phones that can use both are not as uncommon these days.

https://willmyphonework.net/ will let you know. AFAIK iPhones 6 up are good for LTE anywhere.

The bigger issue these days is 4G roaming agreements between carriers are still lagging behind. If your phone can do 4G in the States and you're not getting it in NYC it is likely because your sim carrier and roaming network carrier haven't an agreement (or you're not on a plan that supports it.)

I've said it before in this thread but local sims are the best choice for speed in the states (though roaming 3g will do most).

sibersha · 12-05-2018 3:40pm

Heading to the NY for a few days next month then off to the Dominican Republic.

DR not listed as the 71 available countries available to roam with three.
Assuming if I get a card, it will work in US and I won't be able to connect to a network in DR?

johnnykilo · 12-05-2018 3:49pm

Lenny wrote: »

I bought mine here, slighty cheaper than my memory and it has mins and texts too
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F311750610913

Just to note the one listed above only lasts for 30 days, and I think as mentioned the free texts and calls are only to UK Numbers as far as I know. Pretty sure this one is listed on MyMemory too.

But it's probably the data only one (which I believe lasts 12 months so you might get a second trip out of it) that most people are interested in, it's the one which has been discussed for most of this thread and I used it myself last summer with no issues.

ozmo · 12-05-2018 4:05pm

OP offer offer says Domestic only- we will have some Irish mobiles with us in the group- are there other similar offers that will let you phone roaming mobiles.
For use in Florida and really need the data- even 1g- for maps and stuff.

theoneeyedman · 12-05-2018 5:46pm

Does the 3 data sim have to be activated or anything, can it be activated here or outside the UK?

Phone use in States

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