mobile phone sim card

[backwoodsman]

anyone know if you can get a sim card which will work on any uk network?
i.e. your out in the sticks you need to make a call but you cant get a signal chances are one of the networks may work? but its never the one you are with.
any ideas guys?

 

[durulz]

All mobile phones have a special 'emergency' backup.
When your phone tells you your battery is flat it's actually lying to you. All phones save some of the power so that when you dial 999 it activates the power so that it can boost the signal and gives you enough battery time to make that emergency call.
Of course, it won't let you do that if you are in the middle of the arctic - if there are no receivers then there are no receivers (regardless of network). What you need in that circumstance is a satellite phone. But you should be able to do an emergency call in just about all of the mainland UK (some of the more extreme parts of the highlands may be an exception).
So, what I am saying is, that in an emergency (a 'dial 999' emergency) then all phones, regardless of network, keep a reservoir of power to boost your call and give you time to report the emergency.

 

[backwoodsman]

what about if you just want to find out what time tea is ready, lol

and you dont want to carry 4 phones about?

 

[calibanzwei]

Yeah, as long as you have available coverage regardless of network you can make an emergency call.

 

[tobes01]

I guess the simplest solution - and it's still not simple - would be to have a foreign SIM, so that it can be set to roam between UK networks. Not exactly a cost-effective or practical idea.

Or you could plop for a dual-SIM phone with a SIM for the two most useful networks, such as this http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=164807 - but of course that means paying for two SIMs.

 

[rik_uk3]

You can buy sim cards for about a quid but you would need to put money on them all, or you could buy a dual sim phone from somewhere like this.

http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.511

 

[bashabuddy]

Yeah, as long as you have available coverage regardless of network you can make an emergency call.

Hi sorry to be the start of a potential arguement here but this is not correct. I currently work for the 999 communications centre covering the best part of Yorkshire (South and West Yorkshire). Currently in the UK, GSM signals dialling 999/112 will only use the contracted carrier (02,voda etc). Since 9/11 all 999 services have access to 'special' mobile phone that do indeed use the 3 top networks, however the cost literally thousands.

This being said, these providers are currently working to solve this issue!

:sulkoff:

 

[calibanzwei]

The networks throw PAYG SIM's around like candy, grab both an O2 and Vodafone PAYG SIM and this snazzy Samsung http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_d780-2340.php with a hard case and you're laughing.

EDIT: beaten to it by rik_uk3

 

[malente]

I thought on a contract with "any network" on it that wouldn't be an issue???

Mike

 

[Tadpole]

All mobile phones have a special 'emergency' backup.
When your phone tells you your battery is flat it's actually lying to you. All phones save some of the power so that when you dial 999 it activates the power so that it can boost the signal and gives you enough battery time to make that emergency call.

not true, a myth

But only for the moment, Apple have invented/patented new technology/software, where in case of a real emergency the phones systems are all put in an idle state (turned off or provided with limited or no power) for example the colour screen, data/wifi bluetooth gps are all turned off in order to increase the length of time that a call can be made, they are also working on a way of stopping the call from being accidently disconnected, by clumsy or nervous fingers.