Vodafone Launching e-sim

Kevrano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120144291#Comment_120144291

I have a cellular series 4. I had a eSim plan to start with, but other than getting the watch more cheaply, I never used the cellular services. No need, as I always have my phone with me, when I’m out and about. Also the watch didn’t support roaming, so bear that in mind.

Tech_Head

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120286427#Comment_120286427

Cheers. I get that side of it. I want to be able to use my own number so I can leave the phone at home some evenings or if I’m heading out for a walk.

It’s surprising eir hasn’t launched eSIMs at this point. It’s a fairly obviously useful service and would drive a lot of sales for prepay and Gomo etc.

notahappycamper

Ireland and Luxembourg are the only countries in Europe without cellular support for the Apple Watch. They are meant to be working on it and ComReg had a paper put out last year about eSIM in wearables and I had been told by Vodafone it was on their “roadmap” for 2022 but that has since passed. Bit of a **** show at this stage. If it doesn’t launch this year I dunno. Vodafone don’t even allow WiFi Calling abroad unlike Eir. There is no visible voicemail either.

ComReg shouldn't have had to need to resort to kicking them up the rear on eSIMs.

For whatever reason the 3 networks seem to be slooooooooow on rollout of this.

notahappycamper

I know Vodafone are currently updating their entire 3G network to 4G or 5G. Not sure if this is something that needs to be done in order for the Apple Watch Cellular to work as it is LTE? Whatever the reason for it not being implemented there is obviously a huge investment to make it happen.

It’s actually not a huge investment to make it happen. Their networks are very modern and high speed.

eSIMs are just an add on service that require a server to do remote provisioning. From the networks point of view it’s just a SIM. The way it interacts with it is exactly the same as a physical SIM. In fact, someone who has a eSIM on a foreign network can roam on any of the Irish networks, including the two that currently don’t provide eSIMs.

There’s nothing magic about them. The Apple Watch just uses the same signals as are already on air. They just need to activate sim cloning, but they won’t as that requires support basically and support means overheads.

The work required is mostly development of a distribution channels to get those codes to customers - apps, QR codes etc,

https://www.gsma.com/esim/resources/remote-sim-provisioning-how-it-works/

Other specific services mentioned like Apple visual voicemail are just a plug in for most voicemail systems. There’s no reason any of the Irish networks couldn’t support it. They’ve chosen not to.

It’s the same with eSIMs. They’ve made a business decision that that it’s not worth their while supporting the facility. It’s not a technical issue or lack of technology. They just don’t want to do it.

lordlame

Argos sell the cellular versions of the watches btw

ibFoxer

Just on this, I have just returned from the States and the plan I used was this one- https://www.gomoworld.com/how-it-works/# which is Gomo in roaming sim form, so I think it's fair to say that it is obviously within remit for Eir to make it happen.

lordsheepface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120381696#Comment_120381696

How did you find the roaming. What were the speeds like. What was the coverage like. May i ask what part of the states. Thanks.

cloudhopper19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120385720#Comment_120385720

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https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120381696#Comment_120381696

eSims aren't particularly technically complicated to implement. The networks for whatever weird reason in Ireland just dragged their feet on it.

It doesn't make much sense as it actually reduces overheads - they can fulfil orders without any physical postage or printing of anything.

Eir's network's certainly not in anyway lacking in technology and all this stuff is very much 'off the shelf'.

ibFoxer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120385720#Comment_120385720

It was great, swapped between T-Mobile & AT&T when required, speeds were fine- we were in Miami, North Beach area, was getting 90+ on 4g. Worked fine up in Fort Lauderdale too.

EDIT- I should add I used a different sim from Airalo for the Caribbean which was just as good speed wise, if anyone was travelling there or anywhere really, they have good value.

Doodah7

I hope the various mobile companies in Ireland haven't been sitting on their hands...

https://www.macrumors.com/2023/03/27/iphone-15-esim-only-france-rumor/

The iPhone sold in France is the same as most of Europe including Ireland.

Creamy Goodness

They would be told of this, Ireland is a flagship country for Apple, and has been since like the iPhone 3G S*. They'll be ready and even at that I believe the setup in the States allowed Apple to clone your physical sim to the eSim as part of the setup of the new phone process

* Think it was the 3G S or the 3G but definitely was a flagship for the 4.

I don’t know what they’re dragging their feet so much for on this. It’s just going to cause a loss of revenue to the ones who don’t have eSIMs when more handsets do this.

Doodah7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120407143#Comment_120407143

Being told and being ready are two very different things.

Are they going to wait to launch eSim services on the day a new iPhone is released? Surely they should be launching now or very soon in order to ensure that their systems actually work. Of course, that's what an organised, prepared phone company would do.

Creamy Goodness

Remember when the iPhone went from normal sim to micro then to nano in a short amount of space? All the carriers that sold the iPhone had support and did so by offering all three sizes with a perforated SIM card.

Of course I want them to launch as soon as possible but the Irish cellular company's are so dysfunctional that I've come to terms with arguing any different is not going to make a jot of difference.

Am still waiting two years for the claims that were made on this thread (re: Apple Watch support) to come true, I'm still not holding my breath.

notahappycamper

Yeah, I was told that it was on Vodafone’s roadmap for 2022. More hopeful of it happening this year based on Comreg’s article from last year I think about e-SIMs. At this stage who knows. The real kicker is the companies increasing charges based on the CPI plus a margin. This will be on top of whatever “normal” billpay charges will increase anyway I assume!

Doodah7

I think it would be fair to say that if eir and/or Three launch eSIM services over the summer, it is then almost certain that the iPhone 15 will be eSIM only in Europe.

Homer

esim phones are currently not a problem for Vodafone just not sure why they don’t advertise the fact? Maybe because it will hurt sales due to much cheaper handsets in the US and elsewhere

Creamy Goodness

Probably due to the fact that they're the most expensive carrier in Ireland and the majority of customers were hoovered up by three and eir with 48/gomo respectively with their 7.99/9.99 offerings over the past few years.

Would be a waste of money to advertise something that has no real benefit for such a small subset of people (those that travel a lot, and those worried about physical sim hijacking).