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Is there a SIM that will connect to any network?

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  • 15-05-2024 5:28pm
    #1
    ando
    Registered Users Posts: 5,398 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    Does anyone know If there is a SIM card available in Ireland that will have a device connect to any network for 4G internet? For instance, if Vodafone was down, the device would connect to another network for 4G service?



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    #2
    Timfy
    Registered Users Posts: 734 ✭✭✭Timfy


    The scenario you describe would involve you having multiple concurrent contracts… Surely it's easier to have a network unlocked device and a payg sim on standby to swap over when your main service provider drops the ball.

    No trees were harmed in the posting of this message, however a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.



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    #3
    cnocbui
    Registered Users Posts: 20,047 ✭✭✭✭cnocbui


    Closest would be a dual sim phone and get 2 sims.



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    #4
    lostinsuperfunk
    Registered Users Posts: 701 ✭✭✭lostinsuperfunk


    Or get a SIM from another country that will roam onto either network



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    #5
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users Posts: 11,316 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    Typically when a device picks up the radio signals from a mast it'll try to login to the network attached to that radio

    It'll successfully login in two case, you have an account with that network provider, or your network provider has a roaming agreement with whatever network your phone connected to

    To get the service you're describing, your main provider would need a roaming agreement with other Irish networks, which they generally don't do AFAIK

    I don't know that any Irish networks provide roaming agreements to other Irish networks. It's possible some specialist providers may have this service as a high availability contract, however I suspect this is only for some commercial customers and would carry a hefty price tag

    As others mentioned, the simplest solution is to just carry a spare PAYG SIM card or have a dual SIM phone

    Be aware of what physical network is used by your mobile providers. For example if you are on GoMo and get an Eir SIM as backup then you're screwed either way because GoMo uses the Eir radio network

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



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    #6
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    To be clear, all phones will connect to any network to make a 112 call. Even without a SIM. Otherwise the above holds. Three used to roam on o2 when they started as they had no 2G infra and smallish 3G footprint. Nowadays I dont know of anyone.



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    #7
    DopeTech
    Registered Users Posts: 6,789 ✭✭✭DopeTech


    ando Check keysim.co.uk but it’ll probably only suit if internet usage is low. What is the device used for?



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    #8
    ando
    Registered Users Posts: 5,398 ✭✭✭ando


    Its for a Cisco Meraki MX SDWAN appliance that has Fibre as the primary and a backup 4G service terminated on a Meraki MG41, but both services are from the same provider so there is the potential of the backup 4G being affected by a provider outage. I want extra separation on a provider level for the backup service, so a backup to the backup if you get me. The MG41 has dual sim capabilities so I think that's the route I'm going to explore given the comments here. There doesn't seem to be a commercial service offering the kind of redundancy on 4G that I'm after.



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    #9
    KildareP
    Registered Users Posts: 1,477 ✭✭✭KildareP


    There are providers like WorldSIM, Travelsim, Airalo, that will roam across all three of the main networks. However I would not be failing a high usage site onto such SIMs as the bundles tend to be small and the pay as you use rates are eye wateringly expensive.

    Watch out, too, as a lot of mobile sites now are fed from the likes of Enet, OpenEir, SIRO and NBI infrastructure - an issue affecting the wholesale provider infrastructure may take out the nearby mobile networks as well.



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    #10
    ando
    Registered Users Posts: 5,398 ✭✭✭ando


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122145326#Comment_122145326

    Thanks, yea I'll check out those offerings, but in hindsight the hardware I have supports dual sim, I'll probably go with another provider for the second sim, but as you say its important to see who does the underlining infrastructure. Due diligence needed :)



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    #11
    lotas
    Registered Users Posts: 929 ✭✭✭lotas


    Telnyx has a multi-carrier sim ( https://telnyx.com/products/iot-sim-card ), as does Kore Wireless ( https://www.korewireless.com/super-sim-card-pricing ) but they are quite expensive… Kore is charging me $2 per month for the SIM plus 10c per MB. I use it on a tracker for the car and use around 10Mb a month, so it cost me around $3 total… But going with multiple SIMs is probably the cheapest option…



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