Comments on: Buying a SIM card in India http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india Boldly bucking convention and common sense so you don't have to. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:00:09 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: abdulla http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-442 abdulla Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:52:22 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-442 <p>internet sim card for voice chat</p> internet sim card for voice chat

]]> By: Tucker Bradford http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-138 Tucker Bradford Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:19:23 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-138 <p>Hey Bridgett, If you have more time than money the WiFi option might be better for you. I would highly recommend one of the smaller shops. I went to a franchise in Bangalore and was appalled at the bureaucracy. They took copies of my passport and required address and other information all for a 15 minute connection. Then I was charged for a 5hr minimum.</p> <p>On the other hand, while I was in Varkala I went to several smaller shops where I just sat down and got started right away, paying for everything when I left. I also found wifi in coffee shops and some restaurants ($5/hr at ABBA in Varkala). My dad got a good deal at a Pizza place in Mysore.</p> <p>I wouldn't trade the SIM card for WiFi, but I'm a junkie for connectivity. Good luck!</p> Hey Bridgett, If you have more time than money the WiFi option might be better for you. I would highly recommend one of the smaller shops. I went to a franchise in Bangalore and was appalled at the bureaucracy. They took copies of my passport and required address and other information all for a 15 minute connection. Then I was charged for a 5hr minimum.

On the other hand, while I was in Varkala I went to several smaller shops where I just sat down and got started right away, paying for everything when I left. I also found wifi in coffee shops and some restaurants ($5/hr at ABBA in Varkala). My dad got a good deal at a Pizza place in Mysore.

I wouldn’t trade the SIM card for WiFi, but I’m a junkie for connectivity. Good luck!

]]> By: bridgett http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-137 bridgett Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:42:20 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-137 <p>so, how bout i bring my little notebook and try to do wi fi. will i have problems if they have internet access. thanx. i thought of getting a sim card but looks too confusing. i'd rather just send a couple emails and use their phone system which was really cheap last time i went (last year) but there may be so many people at the Kumnha.</p> so, how bout i bring my little notebook and try to do wi fi. will i have problems if they have internet access. thanx. i thought of getting a sim card but looks too confusing. i’d rather just send a couple emails and use their phone system which was really cheap last time i went (last year) but there may be so many people at the Kumnha.

]]> By: Tucker Bradford http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-134 Tucker Bradford Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:01:52 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-134 <p>Dave, You must have an India issued credit/debit card, or else your last recharge was before the Mumbai attacks. Since then the government has really cracked down on security. I could find no way of remotely charging with my American credit/debit cards.</p> Dave, You must have an India issued credit/debit card, or else your last recharge was before the Mumbai attacks. Since then the government has really cracked down on security. I could find no way of remotely charging with my American credit/debit cards.

]]> By: Dave http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-133 Dave Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:57:06 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-133 <p>I guess had you done a little more research, you would have discovered that there are many easier & quicker ways to recharge your SIM card in India. I hav an Indian SIM card and i am based out of dubai. I have been using this Airtel SIM for the last 2 years and i recharge it through internet - bank account or credit card account. Can't believe that no one told you about this and you faced all these issues of recharging it at the place where you bought it. You can recharge any SIM card (Airtel/Vodafone) of India online so why so much of hassle.</p> I guess had you done a little more research, you would have discovered that there are many easier & quicker ways to recharge your SIM card in India. I hav an Indian SIM card and i am based out of dubai. I have been using this Airtel SIM for the last 2 years and i recharge it through internet – bank account or credit card account. Can’t believe that no one told you about this and you faced all these issues of recharging it at the place where you bought it. You can recharge any SIM card (Airtel/Vodafone) of India online so why so much of hassle.

]]> By: Tejas http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-115 Tejas Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:40:17 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-115 <p>Awesome... Lets see if my luck runs as good as yours! I'll post my "findings"!</p> <p>-TJ</p> Awesome… Lets see if my luck runs as good as yours! I’ll post my “findings”!

-TJ

]]> By: Tucker Bradford http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-114 Tucker Bradford Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:30:58 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-114 <p>Yup in my case it was a simple as SMSing MO to 56122. Then I got a message back that I had unlimited internet for 24 hours.</p> Yup in my case it was a simple as SMSing MO to 56122. Then I got a message back that I had unlimited internet for 24 hours.

]]> By: Tejas http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-113 Tejas Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:08:31 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-113 <p>Hello Tucker!</p> <p>Indeed, the biggest reason I would like to have internet service is so that my cell phone's GS tracker can download maps (otherwise I wont really have any useful information ;) ).</p> <p>So, in respect to the internet daily plan, what is the process for getting one's phone to do that? Is it something really simple or is there more to it?</p> <p>Thanks, TJ</p> Hello Tucker!

Indeed, the biggest reason I would like to have internet service is so that my cell phone’s GS tracker can download maps (otherwise I wont really have any useful information ;) ).

So, in respect to the internet daily plan, what is the process for getting one’s phone to do that? Is it something really simple or is there more to it?

Thanks, TJ

]]> By: Tucker Bradford http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-112 Tucker Bradford Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:56:27 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-112 <p>Thanks for the comment. GPS isn't bound to your service provider, so that will work as long as you have map data. Sadly on my device (iPhone) the map data is downloaded JIT (Just in Time). This means that without internet, I just get a lonely blue throbbing dot on a blank-ish screen. The good news is that if you get an Airtel card (or probably any other India based SIM) you'll be able to purchase an internet plan. Mine was ~Rs25/day, which is just dirt cheap. The Edge service it provided in most places was more than enough to load maps. With GPRS (available even in the most backwater places I went) I would just have to wait a bit. Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip.</p> <p>BTW, any kind of upgrade (internet included) can be purchased by SMSing a code to a specific number For Airtel you get 1 day of unlimited internet by texting the code MO to 56123. I just noticed that there is a weekly unlimited as well if you SMS MO to 56123. These codes may be specific to Karnataka Airtel cards. Make sure to ask your vendor for region specific details.</p> Thanks for the comment. GPS isn’t bound to your service provider, so that will work as long as you have map data. Sadly on my device (iPhone) the map data is downloaded JIT (Just in Time). This means that without internet, I just get a lonely blue throbbing dot on a blank-ish screen. The good news is that if you get an Airtel card (or probably any other India based SIM) you’ll be able to purchase an internet plan. Mine was ~Rs25/day, which is just dirt cheap. The Edge service it provided in most places was more than enough to load maps. With GPRS (available even in the most backwater places I went) I would just have to wait a bit. Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip.

BTW, any kind of upgrade (internet included) can be purchased by SMSing a code to a specific number For Airtel you get 1 day of unlimited internet by texting the code MO to 56123. I just noticed that there is a weekly unlimited as well if you SMS MO to 56123. These codes may be specific to Karnataka Airtel cards. Make sure to ask your vendor for region specific details.

]]> By: Tejas http://forgeover.com/articles/2009/11/27/buying-a-sim-card-in-india/comment-page-1#comment-111 Tejas Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:29:09 +0000 http://www.forgeover.com/?p=630#comment-111 <p>Hello,</p> <p>Great article, it worked thru a lot of the questions I had.</p> <p>Early next year I will be traveling to India and it appears that my Blackberry 8900 will work in India (it has both 1800/600 GSM) once I get it unlocked.</p> <p>I do have one last one regarding cellular internet. What other options do you know of that are available? I would very much like to be able to access email and have the GPS option on my phone be able to download maps while I am undoubtedly getting lost.</p> <p>Thanks much, TJ</p> Hello,

Great article, it worked thru a lot of the questions I had.

Early next year I will be traveling to India and it appears that my Blackberry 8900 will work in India (it has both 1800/600 GSM) once I get it unlocked.

I do have one last one regarding cellular internet. What other options do you know of that are available? I would very much like to be able to access email and have the GPS option on my phone be able to download maps while I am undoubtedly getting lost.

Thanks much, TJ

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