• Re: are+there+countries+where+tourists+cannot+buy+a+sim

    From Carlos E.R.@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Sun Apr 26 22:28:52 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    On 2026-04-26 22:11, Frank Slootweg wrote:
    Carlos E.R. <[email protected]d> wrote:
    On 2026-04-26 17:18, Frank Slootweg wrote:
    Carlos E.R. <[email protected]d> wrote:
    [...]
    These are not prices, they are penalties!

    Yes, these are high prices, but I assume you have a low tier contract >>> (or no contract at all (just PAYG)?). You probably don't spend Jörg's EU >>> 51/month, do you?

    Oh, yes, I have a full contract.

    miMovistar: Max (Fiber with Device) | Movistar Plus+

    [fiber broadband and mobile and ... and ...]

    Nowhere does it say the price, and I "updated" the contract a week
    ago, so no invoice yet. I expect around a hundred euros.

    We were implicitly talking about mobile-only single-device contracts,
    so the price of the large bundle you have can not be compared to the
    other contracts.

    Ah, that was long ago, so I don't remember. Everything together is cheaper.

    Previously I had pay satellite, landline, adsl, mobile. Maybe the adsl
    came together with the landline.


    I can buy a package, but I don't understand what they say:

    Yes, packages ('bundles') should give much lower rates per min/SMS/MB >>> and often such entitlements are/can_be bundled in the monthly charge.
    And for a flexible contract/service, such bundles can often be enabled/
    disabled on a monthly basis.

    Yes, I mean an international package, but I did not locate info on it.
    Still, very limited on USA/Canada

    Perhaps another provider has 'cheap' international packages which you could use with an/their extra SIM.

    Certainly, with an eSIM, which my current phone can not take.

    https://www.airalo.com/canada-esim

    Bell. The top tier offers 50GB 500 min 500 SMS during 30 days for 84.50€

    Lowest for 30 days is 5GB 200 mins 50 sms

    combos for 30, 15, 7, or 3 days.

    I think the physical SIM I bough from Bell some years back gave much more.


    For example one of the providers we use has a 10GB Canada and US bundle for EUR 25 and a 20GB one for EUR 35. Validity one month. Sadly this
    provider has no cheap bundles for call/SMS from in Canada.

    Bottom line is that you have to be somewhat creative and inquisitive
    to (try to) get what best suits your needs.

    For example, I as a Dutchman, used my Australian (Telstra) SIM in the
    US for data, because that SIM/provider had better/cheaper data
    bundles than my Dutch provider (Vodafone). So an Australian SIM in a
    Dutch phone for use in the US!

    I remember that one. :-)


    [...]
    --
    Cheers, Carlos.
    ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Andy Burns@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Mon Apr 27 10:47:55 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    Frank Slootweg wrote:

    Note that Joerg's plan is not only unlimited ('flat') for
    'everything' (I assume he means calls/SMS/data) but also for roaming in
    "all of Europe, Turkey, Canada and the USA including overseas
    territories", so he has quite a broad contract.

    I had assumed the "ultimate plan" included unlimited data, but it
    doesn't, it seems the £68 goes to getting "free" amazon prime or
    disney+, O2 actually offer unlimited data for £32/month (with 50%
    discount for 6 months)

    My plan includes EU roaming, but not worldwide roaming.

    O2 seem to operate a "confusion pricing policy" ...

    As to your plan, for which you didn't mention the cost, such a plan
    would cost EUR 12/month (GBP 10.40)

    My list price is £29.82, but due to historic discounts, I only pay £13. Because most UK contracts now have a fixed annual increase, it has crept
    up recently. If O2/Telefonica didn't give me that discount, it'd be straightforward to move supplier and pay the same or less. It's getting
    to the point I ought to move ... pointless churn, and I have to make
    sure I don't lose WiFi calling, or get worse signal at locations I care
    about.



    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From micky@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Mon Apr 27 23:48:11 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:08:34 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-25 22:53, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:06:44 +0200, J�rg Lorenz
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Am 24.04.26 um 11:09 schrieb Carlos E.R.:
    On 2026-04-24 03:13, J�rg Lorenz wrote:
    On 23.04.26 22:37, Carlos E.R. wrote:
    On 2026-04-23 22:01, J�rg Lorenz wrote:
    On 23.04.26 09:54, micky wrote:
    https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=are+there+countries+where+tourists+cannot+buy+a+sim

    Yes, either can't or very difficult. Mentions Peru, India, Japan (data
    only), Pakistan, sometimes Brazil or South Africa

    China, Iran, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan require mandatory, often >>>>>>>> extensive registration processes that can make obtaining a SIM as a >>>>>>>> tourist cumbersome

    CAnada 6 years ago, haven't read about now. But I think a USA resident >>>>>>>> can use his USA sim as if they were 18 more states, right? And vice >>>>>>>> versa.

    Why should I care to buy a foreign SIM? Nobody knows this number and >>>>>>> nowadays a lot of basic services (banking for instance) are tied to the >>>>>>> regular number at home.

    Not a problem. That's why phones have dual SIMs.

    The worst of all solutions. That is why Google and Apple do not sell >>>>> these cripples.

    Which is why professionals don't buy them. They need two sims: one for >>>> personal use, another for the company. :-P

    Perhaps in Spain but I doubt it strongly. Exactly this kind of use
    strictly forbids Dual-SIM. Companies want to manage their own phones
    themselves.

    I'm working in highly security sensitive areas

    Well, bully for you, but most people don't.

    and I can tell you: An
    absolute no go.

    So what has where you work got to do with what other people do?

    In the USA, many people work just as Carlos describes, with two sims,
    one for work and one for non-work.

    And your use of "lagging" to describe Spain is interesting. You love to
    give zingers even when polite speech could make your point in a better
    way. I suppose it's better that you get your aggression out here, rather
    than beating your wife.

    The Swiss love to ditch technologies that other countries keep using for >many years because they consider them obsolete. For instance, I believe
    they no longer have FM radio (use DAB instead), or over the air digital
    TV (you need to pay for Internet tv instead).

    Thus they consider other countries "lagging" when they are just "normal".

    All very interesting.

    So that accounts for some of his obnoxiousness, but not all of it.
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Carlos E.R.@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Tue Apr 28 13:39:03 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    On 2026-04-28 05:48, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:08:34 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-25 22:53, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:06:44 +0200, Jörg Lorenz >>> <[email protected]> wrote:

    Am 24.04.26 um 11:09 schrieb Carlos E.R.:
    On 2026-04-24 03:13, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
    On 23.04.26 22:37, Carlos E.R. wrote:
    On 2026-04-23 22:01, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
    On 23.04.26 09:54, micky wrote:
    https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=are+there+countries+where+tourists+cannot+buy+a+sim

    Yes, either can't or very difficult. Mentions Peru, India, Japan (data
    only), Pakistan, sometimes Brazil or South Africa

    China, Iran, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan require mandatory, often
    extensive registration processes that can make obtaining a SIM as a >>>>>>>>> tourist cumbersome

    CAnada 6 years ago, haven't read about now. But I think a USA resident
    can use his USA sim as if they were 18 more states, right? And vice >>>>>>>>> versa.

    Why should I care to buy a foreign SIM? Nobody knows this number and >>>>>>>> nowadays a lot of basic services (banking for instance) are tied to the
    regular number at home.

    Not a problem. That's why phones have dual SIMs.

    The worst of all solutions. That is why Google and Apple do not sell >>>>>> these cripples.

    Which is why professionals don't buy them. They need two sims: one for >>>>> personal use, another for the company. :-P

    Perhaps in Spain but I doubt it strongly. Exactly this kind of use
    strictly forbids Dual-SIM. Companies want to manage their own phones
    themselves.

    I'm working in highly security sensitive areas

    Well, bully for you, but most people don't.

    and I can tell you: An
    absolute no go.

    So what has where you work got to do with what other people do?

    In the USA, many people work just as Carlos describes, with two sims,
    one for work and one for non-work.

    And your use of "lagging" to describe Spain is interesting. You love to >>> give zingers even when polite speech could make your point in a better
    way. I suppose it's better that you get your aggression out here, rather >>> than beating your wife.

    The Swiss love to ditch technologies that other countries keep using for
    many years because they consider them obsolete. For instance, I believe
    they no longer have FM radio (use DAB instead), or over the air digital
    TV (you need to pay for Internet tv instead).

    I forgot to mention that they say the reason is economics. Maintaining
    TV over the air is not economical.


    Thus they consider other countries "lagging" when they are just "normal".

    All very interesting.

    So that accounts for some of his obnoxiousness, but not all of it.
    --
    Cheers, Carlos.
    ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
    --- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From micky@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Tue May 12 12:37:09 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    In comp.mobile.android, on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:39:03 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-28 05:48, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:08:34 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-25 22:53, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:06:44 +0200, J�rg Lorenz >>>>>......
    I'm working in highly security sensitive areas

    Well, bully for you, but most people don't.

    and I can tell you: An
    absolute no go.

    So what has where you work got to do with what other people do?

    In the USA, many people work just as Carlos describes, with two sims,
    one for work and one for non-work.

    And your use of "lagging" to describe Spain is interesting. You love to >>>> give zingers even when polite speech could make your point in a better >>>> way. I suppose it's better that you get your aggression out here, rather >>>> than beating your wife.

    The Swiss love to ditch technologies that other countries keep using for >>> many years because they consider them obsolete. For instance, I believe
    they no longer have FM radio (use DAB instead), or over the air digital
    TV (you need to pay for Internet tv instead).

    I forgot to mention that they say the reason is economics. Maintaining
    TV over the air is not economical.

    I remember when cable first got started in the US. I figured that since
    people were paying, there would be no advertising Whoopee. But how
    wrong I was.

    So, if you can make people pay for cable, and sell advertising too,
    that's going to bring in a lot more money than over the air.

    But maybe it's the mountains in Switzerland that get in the way. And
    they have to spend a lot of money for repeaters. Maryland has mountains
    west of where most people live. The people there may live in
    informational darkness afaik. In Baltimore, most of the TV stations
    are on Television Hill. I like sightseeing but I've been afraid to go
    there. The place is scary with its towers and fences. I might be
    imprisoned and forced to be an extra in local tv productions. I'm not
    taking any chances.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From micky@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Tue May 12 12:54:31 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    In comp.mobile.android, on Tue, 12 May 2026 12:37:09 -0400, micky <[email protected]> wrote:

    In comp.mobile.android, on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:39:03 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-28 05:48, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:08:34 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-25 22:53, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:06:44 +0200, J�rg Lorenz >>>>>>......
    I'm working in highly security sensitive areas

    Well, bully for you, but most people don't.

    and I can tell you: An
    absolute no go.

    So what has where you work got to do with what other people do?

    In the USA, many people work just as Carlos describes, with two sims, >>>>> one for work and one for non-work.

    And your use of "lagging" to describe Spain is interesting. You love to >>>>> give zingers even when polite speech could make your point in a better >>>>> way. I suppose it's better that you get your aggression out here, rather >>>>> than beating your wife.

    The Swiss love to ditch technologies that other countries keep using for >>>> many years because they consider them obsolete. For instance, I believe >>>> they no longer have FM radio (use DAB instead), or over the air digital >>>> TV (you need to pay for Internet tv instead).

    I forgot to mention that they say the reason is economics. Maintaining
    TV over the air is not economical.

    I remember when cable first got started in the US. I figured that since >people were paying, there would be no advertising Whoopee. But how
    wrong I was.

    So, if you can make people pay for cable, and sell advertising too,
    that's going to bring in a lot more money than over the air.

    But maybe it's the mountains in Switzerland that get in the way. And
    they have to spend a lot of money for repeaters. Maryland has mountains
    west of where most people live. The people there may live in
    informational darkness afaik. In Baltimore, most of the TV stations
    are on Television Hill. I like sightseeing but I've been afraid to go >there. The place is scary with its towers and fences. I might be
    imprisoned and forced to be an extra in local tv productions. I'm not
    taking any chances.

    https://explore.baltimoreheritage.org/items/show/666

    But neither WJZ nor WBAL could afford the expense of a new tower on
    their own, especially when the stations sought to go as high as the law allowed. The solution was a partnership between the neighboring stations
    to build one gigantic tower topped with two separate transmitter masts.
    When Baltimore�s oldest TV station, WMAR, heard of this plan, station
    managers decided they wanted in. WMAR worried that if viewers could get
    two stations by pointing their antennas in one direction they wouldn�t
    bother making adjustments to tune in to WMAR�especially if their
    broadcast looked worse than the competition coming from the new tower. Baltimore�s three TV stations struck a unique deal to share one gigantic
    tower, a tower topped with three separate transmitter masts, a first at
    the time.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Carlos E.R.@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Tue May 12 19:29:10 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    On 2026-05-12 18:37, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:39:03 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-28 05:48, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:08:34 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-25 22:53, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:06:44 +0200, Jörg Lorenz >>>>>> ......
    I'm working in highly security sensitive areas

    Well, bully for you, but most people don't.

    and I can tell you: An
    absolute no go.

    So what has where you work got to do with what other people do?

    In the USA, many people work just as Carlos describes, with two sims, >>>>> one for work and one for non-work.

    And your use of "lagging" to describe Spain is interesting. You love to >>>>> give zingers even when polite speech could make your point in a better >>>>> way. I suppose it's better that you get your aggression out here, rather >>>>> than beating your wife.

    The Swiss love to ditch technologies that other countries keep using for >>>> many years because they consider them obsolete. For instance, I believe >>>> they no longer have FM radio (use DAB instead), or over the air digital >>>> TV (you need to pay for Internet tv instead).

    I forgot to mention that they say the reason is economics. Maintaining
    TV over the air is not economical.

    I remember when cable first got started in the US. I figured that since people were paying, there would be no advertising Whoopee. But how
    wrong I was.

    You are right... I have fibre TV, or TV over internet (or rather
    intranet). With features such as time shift, or on-demand television.
    There were no commercials initially. Now there is one advert at the
    start of each "on demand" program.

    Amazon Prime Video has adverts in the middle.


    So, if you can make people pay for cable, and sell advertising too,
    that's going to bring in a lot more money than over the air.

    But maybe it's the mountains in Switzerland that get in the way. And
    they have to spend a lot of money for repeaters. Maryland has mountains
    west of where most people live. The people there may live in
    informational darkness afaik. In Baltimore, most of the TV stations
    are on Television Hill. I like sightseeing but I've been afraid to go there. The place is scary with its towers and fences. I might be
    imprisoned and forced to be an extra in local tv productions. I'm not
    taking any chances.

    Heh.
    --
    Cheers, Carlos.
    ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Carlos E.R.@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Tue May 12 19:33:16 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    On 2026-05-12 18:54, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Tue, 12 May 2026 12:37:09 -0400, micky <[email protected]> wrote:

    In comp.mobile.android, on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:39:03 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-28 05:48, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:08:34 +0200, "Carlos
    E.R." <[email protected]d> wrote:

    On 2026-04-25 22:53, micky wrote:
    In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:06:44 +0200, Jörg Lorenz >>>>>>> ......
    I'm working in highly security sensitive areas

    Well, bully for you, but most people don't.

    and I can tell you: An
    absolute no go.

    So what has where you work got to do with what other people do?

    In the USA, many people work just as Carlos describes, with two sims, >>>>>> one for work and one for non-work.

    And your use of "lagging" to describe Spain is interesting. You love to >>>>>> give zingers even when polite speech could make your point in a better >>>>>> way. I suppose it's better that you get your aggression out here, rather >>>>>> than beating your wife.

    The Swiss love to ditch technologies that other countries keep using for >>>>> many years because they consider them obsolete. For instance, I believe >>>>> they no longer have FM radio (use DAB instead), or over the air digital >>>>> TV (you need to pay for Internet tv instead).

    I forgot to mention that they say the reason is economics. Maintaining
    TV over the air is not economical.

    I remember when cable first got started in the US. I figured that since
    people were paying, there would be no advertising Whoopee. But how
    wrong I was.

    So, if you can make people pay for cable, and sell advertising too,
    that's going to bring in a lot more money than over the air.

    But maybe it's the mountains in Switzerland that get in the way. And
    they have to spend a lot of money for repeaters. Maryland has mountains
    west of where most people live. The people there may live in
    informational darkness afaik. In Baltimore, most of the TV stations
    are on Television Hill. I like sightseeing but I've been afraid to go
    there. The place is scary with its towers and fences. I might be
    imprisoned and forced to be an extra in local tv productions. I'm not
    taking any chances.

    https://explore.baltimoreheritage.org/items/show/666

    But neither WJZ nor WBAL could afford the expense of a new tower on
    their own, especially when the stations sought to go as high as the law allowed. The solution was a partnership between the neighboring stations
    to build one gigantic tower topped with two separate transmitter masts.
    When Baltimore’s oldest TV station, WMAR, heard of this plan, station managers decided they wanted in. WMAR worried that if viewers could get
    two stations by pointing their antennas in one direction they wouldn’t bother making adjustments to tune in to WMAR—especially if their
    broadcast looked worse than the competition coming from the new tower. Baltimore’s three TV stations struck a unique deal to share one gigantic tower, a tower topped with three separate transmitter masts, a first at
    the time.

    Here the antenas are put by the administration, and stations add
    channels to it. It is organized. Since always.

    And now we have digital TV over the air, and this organization of
    channels and aerials is even stronger.
    --
    Cheers, Carlos.
    ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From AJL@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Tue May 12 17:37:31 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    On 5/12/26 9:37 AM, micky wrote:

    In Baltimore, most of the TV stations
    are on Television Hill.

    In Phoenix they are on a 2K+ foot tall mountain. Great coverage. When my
    cable goes out I can just plug in the rabbit ears to keep my TV addiction
    going...




    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From micky@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Tue May 12 18:44:42 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    In comp.mobile.android, on Tue, 12 May 2026 17:37:31 -0000 (UTC), AJL <[email protected]> wrote:

    On 5/12/26 9:37 AM, micky wrote:

    In Baltimore, most of the TV stations
    are on Television Hill.

    In Phoenix they are on a 2K+ foot tall mountain. Great coverage. When my
    cable goes out I can just plug in the rabbit ears to keep my TV addiction going...

    YOu don't want to go cold turkey. Very bad.

    Here, OTA has some good stations that are not on cable affaik MeTV,
    AntennaTV (duh), and Story TV. I haven't had cable for decades.

    I have a big antenna in the attic and an antenna amplifier and when
    things are good, I can get all the Baltimore stations and all but some
    minor DC stationns. Before that I had 2 amplified antennas in a row,
    and each failed. This amp might have failed too, but I don't feel like
    going into the attic to find out. So no DC stations now.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From AJL@[email protected] to comp.mobile.android on Wed May 13 01:22:51 2026
    From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

    On 5/12/26 3:44 PM, micky wrote:

    I have a big antenna in the attic and an antenna amplifier and when
    things are good, I can get all the Baltimore stations and all but some
    minor DC stationns. Before that I had 2 amplified antennas in a row,
    and each failed. This amp might have failed too, but I don't feel like >going into the attic to find out. So no DC stations now.

    My cable plugs directly into my WiFi. So I can watch any of my around 200
    channels on any of my video devices including this (on topic) Android
    powered Amazon Fire Tablet I'm posting with. Unfortunately there isn't a
    rabbit ear antenna plug on it so I am stuck with the big TV when the cable
    goes out. Fortunately that doesn't happen very often...


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2