Verizon will not install SIM for IPad2

bobmacc wrote:
Verizon uses CDMA and Rogers uses GSM so you cannot use a Verizon SIM card for that reason alone. Unless you purchased the iPad from Rogers, it should not be locked. You need an AT&T GSM SIM card and you will be fine. You need to buy a prepaid US VISA card and purchase a prepaid amount of data - like 6Gb/30days. Month to month plans require a US credit check, etc. and you will not qualify as a visitor.

Bob, thanks. This might be my next step.

In the meantime, I spent another 40 minutes on the phone with the customer support. They were very patient and understanding and went through the account application a few times (five, to be exact, as my visa account shows by counting approvals of the expense.) After that all, they claimed that once they eliminate a glitch in their system, I'll succeed.

They will inform me by email once that is done.

And so the saga continues..... Time spent so far (not counting my own): about half an hour with the sales rep at AT&T outlet, half an hour with customer support on the phone, another 40 minutes wit customer support on the phone. Everything for an account worth $30.

I wonder and scratch my head about an application system they've created.

greg0rn wrote:
So, as I said before, Verizon will not install Sim card in my IPad 2. They tried to push hot spot gizmo with some kind of a plan.

It's not that Verizon "will not" it's that they cannot. Verizon 3G ipads do not use a SIM card. I don't think 3G phones do either but never had one. Only the CDMA "Verizon" model of ipad2 (like the one I'm typing this on) can connect directly to Verizon's network. That's what they were offering the more generic wifi hotspot which any wifi device can connect to.

Verizon uses CDMA and Rogers uses GSM so you cannot use a Verizon SIM card for that reason alone. Unless you purchased the iPad from Rogers, it should not be locked. You need an AT&T GSM SIM card and you will be fine. You need to buy a prepaid US VISA card and purchase a prepaid amount of data - like 6Gb/30days. Month to month plans require a US credit check, etc. and you will not qualify as a visitor.

Thanks to all for replies.

So, as I said before, Verizon will not install Sim card in my IPad 2. They tried to push hot spot gizmo with some kind of a plan.

I went directly to Apple. They said that Verizon cannot help me, but AT&T will, so I went to AT&T.

AT&T rep (guru in Apple terms) installed sim card for free. Opening an account however is a struggle. AT&T wants $35 for something that is a very straight forward procedure, at least what I thought at first. After several tries, phones to Visa, changing my primary address to an USA one, getting some help from the guru, I ended in hands of AT&T customer support (by phone). She tried to be very helpful but did not succeed neither.

And so the technological saga continues.

Liltippy wrote:

paulcardoza wrote:
iPads with cellular are LOCKED to specific carriers. Other carriers' SIM cards will not work.

You might wish to check out this blog

http://www.technomadia.com/2013/11/millenicoms-ipad-mini-on-t-mobile-deal/

These people are full time RV's who constantly stream from an iPad. He is an IT consultant.
Read the entire article and you can see they claim to get a mini iPad to work on AT&T, or Verizon when the iPad came as a T-mobile.

It is just another opinion of someone who travels and uses an iPad.

The iPad 2 and the iPad mini use different cellular radios.

The iPad 2 had either a GMS radio (for AT&T) and CDMA (for Verizon). The two networks are not compatible.

The iPad mini, on the other hand has a more "universal" radio. The current model is LTE supporting 14 bands. It is unlocked.

Tom

paulcardoza wrote:
iPads with cellular are LOCKED to specific carriers. Other carriers' SIM cards will not work.

You might wish to check out this blog

http://www.technomadia.com/2013/11/millenicoms-ipad-mini-on-t-mobile-deal/

These people are full time RV's who constantly stream from an iPad. He is an IT consultant.
Read the entire article and you can see they claim to get a mini iPad to work on AT&T, or Verizon when the iPad came as a T-mobile.

It is just another opinion of someone who travels and uses an iPad.

There are no user serviceable parts in an iPad or an iPhone, even the battery is not user replaceable, so no, you cannot insert anything anywhere. What I suspect that Verizon was trying to sell you was their JetPack, a mifi device that converts cell signal into wifi for up to 10 devices. I have one and love it because I can connect my laptop, smartphones and tablet all at the same time, which means that both DW and I have internet access at the same time. I pay $50/mo for 5GB of data on a 2 year plan. Not sure if they have mo-to-mo and if so if that would be cheaper than roaming on Rogers.

You are locked in with Rogers till you pay then to unlock it. i don't know their terms, you'll have to call.... hahahaha good luck with that :)
Just went through that with Telus. I have a pay as you go, no contract and I still had to wait three months before they unlocked it for $35.
It was a firmware update so I had to be connected for it to work.

iPads and iPhones are both locked to specific carriers when they are purchased with that carrier's subsidy program along with a 2 year service plan. They can be unlocked by the carrier after the contracted service plan ends, but some carriers refuse to do that for customers wishing to switch. As @bob_nestor mentions, there is also the CDMA vs GSM issue, which cannot be overcome, however.

When you buy an iPad or iPhone direct from Apple at full price (ie, unsubsidized by the carrier), you can get one that is unlocked. For $600 or so, the full unsubsidized price. But you do have to specify which carrier you plan to use it for, so they can send you either the GSM or CDMA version.

Roger's Communication is the Canadian roaming partner of AT&T and visa versa. My AT&T cell equipment works fine when I am in Canada and Rogers service is available. Rogers does use sim chips so probably AT&T may be the OPs only choice or one the resalers of their service. Roger's also owns Fido chips which will give a person a local number in many different countries.

Talk to AT&T and see if they have a plan to fit your needs.