Matrix International SIM card.

[Charlyee]

My cousin is coming over from India for 2 weeks with a Matrix International SIM card for his N95. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this? Is there anything he should watch out for?

Thanks Much


International SIM Card

[dmapr]

I would start by emailing them and asking for the U.S. tariffs — I'm actually surprised they don't post them online. That's one obvious thing to watch out for.

Also tell your cousin to find out from Matrix what the activation process is (if any). The last thing he'll want is a SIM that can't register on the network

Their F.A.Q. for USA is quite confusing. I wonder if they really know what they're doing

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by dmapr

I would start by emailing them and asking for the U.S. tariffs — I'm actually surprised they don't post them online. That's one obvious thing to watch out for.

Also tell your cousin to find out from Matrix what the activation process is (if any). The last thing he'll want is a SIM that can't register on the network

Their F.A.Q. for USA is quite confusing. I wonder if they really know what they're doing

If its confusing how about just buying a prepaid SIM here to use for a few weeks?

-Jay

[Charlyee]

dmapr, thanks. I will E-mail your cautions to him.

Jay, the advantage of such a SIM (provided it is legit), or any foreign SIM, is that it will take any available GSM network and not just the provider & it's associate that a US pre paid SIM will be limited to. Or in others words, the converage will be much more extensive.

This is the same as using a at&t/T-mobile SIM overseas.

[indianspring]

Hi. I used the Matrix sim card as recently as 2 weeks back for my 1 month vacation in the US. They give you a Singular (AT&T) sim card. The call tariffs were pretty reasonable compared to roaming and it was certainly very convenient having a local number while travelling. I used a one month plan which cost USD 30 rental; this included some free air time (150 minutes peak, 250 minutes off peak). Calls to india cost 99c per minute and smses 33 cents.

However, they used a relatively high exchange rate of Rs.44.07 and also charged me incorrect rental. Although I had returned the set after one month to one of their agents who came and collected it from me personally, they seemed to have no record of it! They went ahead and charged me rental for the next month 'in advance'!!! On calling up, they claimed that my card had already been charged and they would refund the amount the month after!!

What bothers me is not that a mistake was made...but that there is such a careless attitude and lack of intention by Matrix to correct the mistake! Also, if I hadn't noticed the overcharge, they would have charged me extra and kept quiet about it. Hope this helps.

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by indianspring

Hi. I used the Matrix sim card as recently as 2 weeks back for my 1 month vacation in the US. They give you a Singular (AT&T) sim card. The call tariffs were pretty reasonable compared to roaming and it was certainly very convenient having a local number while travelling. I used a one month plan which cost USD 30 rental; this included some free air time (150 minutes peak, 250 minutes off peak). Calls to india cost 99c per minute and smses 33 cents.

However, they used a relatively high exchange rate of Rs.44.07 and also charged me incorrect rental. Although I had returned the set after one month to one of their agents who came and collected it from me personally, they seemed to have no record of it! They went ahead and charged me rental for the next month 'in advance'!!! On calling up, they claimed that my card had already been charged and they would refund the amount the month after!!

What bothers me is not that a mistake was made...but that there is such a careless attitude and lack of intention by Matrix to correct the mistake! Also, if I hadn't noticed the overcharge, they would have charged me extra and kept quiet about it. Hope this helps.

Hello indianspring, Welcome to WA.

Thank you very much for posting your experience in detail, it is definitely very helpful. So Matrix actually gives you an at&t SIM? Interesting I was more thinking it would a "open" GSM SIM that one would be able to use any of the available providers, this way one would be just limited to at&t.

Yes, the prices are very reasonable, sorry to hear you had some bad experience with them, I will be sure to caution my cousin based on your experience.

Again, thank you very much for your very helpful first post. please stick around.

[Barciurek]

How is that an international sim card if its ATT sim card...?

[indianspring]

Originally Posted by Charlyee

Hello indianspring, Welcome to WA.

Thank you very much for posting your experience in detail, it is definitely very helpful. So Matrix actually gives you an at&t SIM? Interesting I was more thinking it would a "open" GSM SIM that one would be able to use any of the available providers, this way one would be just limited to at&t.

Yes, the prices are very reasonable, sorry to hear you had some bad experience with them, I will be sure to caution my cousin based on your experience.

Again, thank you very much for your very helpful first post. please stick around.

Thanks for the welcome Charlyee. I am not sure I understand how an 'open' GSM SIM card would compare with a specific one, but I had no issues with the at&t..I used it in Georgia, Arizona and NYC without any hassles and was able to call other local numbers which counted as part of the free air time (the international calls and smses don't count). I also forgot to mention that Matrix gave me a nice GSM handset along with the SIM card.

[indianspring]

Originally Posted by Barciurek

How is that an international sim card if its ATT sim card...?

Hi Barciurek. It's an international sim for someone who is not American because the number is a US number, not a local number.

[mrcamp]

In my opinion, an international sim is a sim that can work in several countries. This particular sim card can ONLY work in the US on AT&T's network.

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by mrcamp

In my opinion, an international sim is a sim that can work in several countries. This particular sim card can ONLY work in the US on AT&T's network.

Yes, it is kind of a misnomer. From what I understand from indianspring's post is that you basically rent a GSM phone and that price includes a prepaid SIM for the country that you would be visiting. Technically they are "international" since they can provide SIMs useable in multiple countries just not all with one SIM.

Originally Posted by indianspring

Thanks for the welcome Charlyee. I am not sure I understand how an 'open' GSM SIM card would compare with a specific one, but I had no issues with the at&t..I used it in Georgia, Arizona and NYC without any hassles and was able to call other local numbers which counted as part of the free air time (the international calls and smses don't count). I also forgot to mention that Matrix gave me a nice GSM handset along with the SIM card.

What I meant with an "Open" SIM was that it can be used with any GSM provider in this country, eg. at&t. T-Mobile, Cellular One, Einstein PCS, IWireless, etc. This is will give an expanded area of coverage, wheras with a particular provider's prepaid SIM specially at&t, you will only have coverage where there is at&t.

If you were to come to here with your Air-Tel SIM for example, you would have access to any GSM network available and the same would be true if I went to India with my at&t SIM I would get all the GSM networks there.

I hope I didn't com[pletely confuse you.

Thanks again for your input.