Spark MF910 unit in Japan with Japanese Sim

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xena7051

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#248944 16-Apr-2019 23:00

I hope you are well

Has anyone used a MF910 as a pocket wifi when travelling Japan. I thought I could put in a Japanese sim and connect to this....i.e. for data for applications like Google Maps, Whatsapp etc

I believe the the unit is unlocked, and supports....so should work in Japan?

Connectivity / Multi Media

Standard SIM card (2FF)

Wi-Fi 802.11 Dual Band (2.4GHz & 5GHz) (a/b/g/n) up to 10 users

LTE 700, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600

3G UMTS 850, 900, 2100

LTE speeds up to 150Mbps download

Any one used one in Japan, and if it worked what SIM /data provider did you use.

Many thanks in advance.

sbiddle

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#2219670 17-Apr-2019 09:50

You'd need to research things yourself as I haven't been to Japan for 18 months BUT you'll very likely find there is zero point taking your own device.

Buying a SIM card in Japan can be difficult (and used to be near impossible for a tourist), so the market for portable WiFI hotspots is huge. You'll very likely find the cost of a SIM exceeds simply hiring a device over there.

Gurezaemon

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#2219683 17-Apr-2019 10:07

Getting hold of a fully capable sim (phone service, data, etc.) in Japan is very difficult if you are not a resident, but there are many options for data-only sims that can be usable with Skype numbers, etc. Not a perfect solution, but quite usable. I've used these several times over the last few years, and they're fine.

The portable Wi-Fi hotspot is another option, but they need to be kept charged, and I can't really see the point over a regular SIM for your phone, given that you can likely also use tethering on the phone. YMMV.

I used Sakura Mobile last time I was there, but there are plenty of other competitive options.

SpartanVXL

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#2219768 17-Apr-2019 11:28

You can buy a data only sim card and it should work on LTE bands for that device.

If you are travelling by yourself for 1-2 weeks then a data sim is the most cost effective. If you need a JP number to make calls there is one provider who loans them out (Mobal) on one of their plans.

If you are travelling with 2+ people and are going to mostly stick together its worth looking at renting a pocket wifi from somewhere like japan wireless.

They have fully unlimited data on their pocket wifi plans, just split the bill and not worry about data usage at all. Good for when your friends are social media/youtube/netflix addicts and you have downtime on the train or domestic airport.