XT Roaming SIM Toolkit

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › XT Roaming SIM Toolkit

ajobbins

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#109529 21-Sep-2012 12:51

I've been roaming for some time now with my XT SIM in Australia.

Every now and then my phone falls off the network, and calling the XT roaming helpdesk often ends up with me changing a setting within the SIM application for roaming.

In the toolkit, there are two options, TNZ and Sponsor.

Can anyone explain to me the purpose of this? My phone almost always roams on Telstra, but seems to require me to switch between these options from time to time.

Eg, a couple of weeks ago, my phone stopped roaming and the helpdesk advised me to change it to Sponsor. The roaming then started working again. This morning, I noticed the phone was showing emergency calls only, and changing back to TNZ the phone now roams again.

I've never had to do anything like this before when roaming with a VFNZ SIM.

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nzbnw

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#689379 21-Sep-2012 13:06

It controls the dual IMSI application

http://telecom.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/24215/kw/sim%20tool%20kit

Are you using an iPhone? If not the standard locked SIM profile may be better for you if you are roaming all the time and it will automatically switch between TNZ and sponsor.

nzbnw

ajobbins

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#689382 21-Sep-2012 13:11

I was using an iPhone, but now using the SIM in an Android phone

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johnr

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#689385 21-Sep-2012 13:13

Switches between 2 IMSIs on the SIM card one IMSI will be for the XT network the other I think is for 02 network in UK

ajobbins

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#689387 21-Sep-2012 13:14

From an end user perspective, this is sucky!

Why do I have to toggle between the two while in one country (Australia)

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kiwiandy

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#689438 21-Sep-2012 14:08

ajobbins: From an end user perspective, this is sucky!

Why do I have to toggle between the two while in one country (Australia)

I travel a lot an regularly roam throughout asia and the Americas.

I changed from VF to XT shortly after the XT network started as VF has miserable coverage where I live.

Prior to shifting to XT I dont ever recall having any roaming problems anywhere I travelled.

But XT seems to be very much a hit and miss affair, and the issues vary by country..
Vietnam it doesnt seem to roam at all...
Japan seems to need to reboot the phone regularly as it was forgetting ..
And I struck the problem you mention last month in China...

I just assumed the TNZ doesnt have as good relations with the oversaeas opeartors as VF do?

ajobbins

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#689501 21-Sep-2012 15:15

kiwiandy: I just assumed the TNZ doesnt have as good relations with the oversaeas opeartors as VF do?

I'm not exactly sure how it's set up, but Vodafone have their own roaming agreements (Being a big global mobile telco) whereas as I understand, Telecom uses a roaming partner (As does 2degrees).

It seems like in some places, you have to use a different 'network identity' in order to receive roaming service, and the system is a bit temperamental.

Someone please correct me if I have my facts wrong.

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freitasm

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#689502 21-Sep-2012 15:18

That's correct. And as you said before, from an end-user point-of-view, and general usability - it sucks.

I was caught by this in the USA once. It wasn't good at all.

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coldstone

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#692817 28-Sep-2012 11:06

XT does use an 02 sponser network for there roaming- 2degrees has its own roaming relationships hence why you do not have a SPONSER network to manage this-

The DUAL IMSI solution allows a customer to appear to the host network where they are roaming as an O2 customer and allow the roaming- this was a way for Telecom to get critical mass of roaming destinations for a GSM network for its launch of XT- remember in the old CDMA days to roam you (in some occasions) needed to BORROW a world mode phone from Telecom to access roaming services.

This is only done by XT in New Zealand and not (as far as i can assertain from websites and collateral) by Vodafone or 2degrees. It is a legqacy from not having GSMA roaming agreements because they were a CDMA shop.

When you switch to SPONSER it changes the IMSI (ID for a better term) of the phone to make it look to the host network as if you are from 02 (a complany the host network have an agreement with)

This is not the full technical explanation but i hope it helps for those trying to understand what this SPONSER network thing is.

kiwiandy

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#692850 28-Sep-2012 11:58

ok thanks that explains a lot!