Mobile phone SIM cards

[ianess]

Is it legal to buy and use these readily available cheap SIM cards? How do they connect to a network and why is it necessary to unlock your phone? Finally, how exactly do you do it?

[rojash]

Yes its legal
They connect to a network in the same way as any oth
Mobile phones are massively subsidised by the networks on the assumption that they will recoup their money from you network usage. For example, a top of the range mobile at retail could easily cost 600 quid or more, but you get it for say 19.99.
If you want to use it on someone else's network, then the original supplier will expect you to pay them back some of the subsidy. To encourage you to do this they "Lock" the phone to their network. The easiest way (but probably not the cheapest) to unlock your phone is to ring your service provider and ask to have it unlocked.

[NiceCupOfTea]

I had to have my phone unlocked when I wanted to use it on O2 as opposed to whatever network it was in Ireland when I bought it.

I took it to a shop called the 'Phone Doctor' in Liverpool (about three years ago now). I'm sure if you ask around, someone will know somewhere similar. I can't remember exactly what they charged but it was really cheap.

[bubblegum-31]

hi i can unlock your phone for free i just need the make of phone and the imei number which is printed where the sim card will go. also the network it is locked to
hope this helps

[markja]

why 'buy' a sim card when t-mobile do one for free. other companies must do them free as well.

[simsfreq]

It's a good point. You can buy them as they seem temptingly cheap but in the end it probably works out cheaper to buy a phone direct from a shop with a sim card already in it.

It's usually more expensive to buy the handset on its own anyway!

Can I ask why you would want a sim card separately anyway?

[markja]

1) you allready have a phone.
2) my daughter has a contract and gets upgrades. i found a better pay as you go deal and so got a free card and an early xmas prezzie off my daughter.

[ianess]

markja beat me to a reply.
I changed to a newer upgraded contract and wanted to pass my old phone onto my daughter., only to find that it was locked into my current network.
It's now been unlocked locally and her new sim card is working just fine.
Thanks for all the replies.