Mar 22, 2016, 3:00 am
Last edit by: stifle
Japan - Prepaid Data SIM Wikia
1) get a SIM before the trip, activate it when you land. you can find japan-specific prepaid SIMs on ebay/amazon/... .Some countries have providers that offer good roaming rates in other countries(eg Starhub in Singapore, Ais Sim2Fly available globally)
2) preorder it, delivered to your hotel
3) preorder it to airport post office, can pick up when you land
4) preorder it, pickup at some airport counter/store
5) at airport/city, find an store/kiosk/vending machine and buy from them
6) Use an app such as Iijmio, Airalo or Ubigi to buy an e-SIM if your phone supports it
1) get a SIM before the trip, activate it when you land. you can find japan-specific prepaid SIMs on ebay/amazon/... .Some countries have providers that offer good roaming rates in other countries(eg Starhub in Singapore, Ais Sim2Fly available globally)
2) preorder it, delivered to your hotel
3) preorder it to airport post office, can pick up when you land
4) preorder it, pickup at some airport counter/store
5) at airport/city, find an store/kiosk/vending machine and buy from them
6) Use an app such as Iijmio, Airalo or Ubigi to buy an e-SIM if your phone supports it
Prepaid SIM discussion (consolidated)
Jan 12, 2014, 8:59 am
#136
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
I believe the problem is with iPhone 4, not 4S. The APN won't stick. There are ways around it, such as using online APN changer website.
Jan 17, 2014, 7:53 pm
#137
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Flying Blue Gold, Accor Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 662
I came across this. Does this mean the 5s and iOS are now supported?
http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/setting.html
http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/setting.html
Jan 26, 2014, 4:38 am
#138
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: AAdvantage, UA Mileage Plus, IHG Rewards Club
Posts: 379
Would you guys know if the Hotspot function in iPhone can be used with Bmobile? My party of 3 and I are thinking of sharing a single SIM card, since it's expensive (compared to what we're used to in other parts of Asia). 1GB is a lot to be used in 6 days.
Jan 26, 2014, 7:56 am
#139
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Gold, JGC Sapphire, OZ Diamond, AF Silver, CX GR, Marriott Lifetime SL
Posts: 3,598
Yes, you can use hotspot function for the 1GB SIM, be warned though, if you exceed 360MB in 3 days, you will be subject to speed lock which effectively made your SIM unusable (I mean terribly slow)
Feb 20, 2014, 9:22 am
#140
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: AAdvantage, UA Mileage Plus, IHG Rewards Club
Posts: 379
Gotcha, we shouldn't be using that much in 3 days anyway. Hopefully.
Also, I just saw this on their website: "The b-mobile SIM card is provided to customers on a loan basis. Please return the SIM card to JCI after service expiry.
Please address SIM Card Returns to:
Japan Communications Inc. b-mobile Helpdesk, SIM Card Returns
Zip code:105-0001, 4－1－28 Toranomon-Towers-office, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo"
Are they.... serious? This is the first time I've ever seen a telco demanding a return of a SIM card a foreign traveller purchases. Do we really have to return the SIM card? This seems like a huge hassle.
Also, I just saw this on their website: "The b-mobile SIM card is provided to customers on a loan basis. Please return the SIM card to JCI after service expiry.
Please address SIM Card Returns to:
Japan Communications Inc. b-mobile Helpdesk, SIM Card Returns
Zip code:105-0001, 4－1－28 Toranomon-Towers-office, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo"
Are they.... serious? This is the first time I've ever seen a telco demanding a return of a SIM card a foreign traveller purchases. Do we really have to return the SIM card? This seems like a huge hassle.
Feb 21, 2014, 3:20 am
#142
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Flying Blue Gold, Accor Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 662
According to item 17 of their FAQ:
Where to return SIM card and is there any penalties for not returning?
Please address SIM Card Returns to:
Japan Communications Inc. b-mobile Helpdesk, SIM Card Returns
Zip code:105-0001, 4－1－28 Toranomon-Towers-office, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
There is no penalties for not returning the sim card
Where to return SIM card and is there any penalties for not returning?
Please address SIM Card Returns to:
Japan Communications Inc. b-mobile Helpdesk, SIM Card Returns
Zip code:105-0001, 4－1－28 Toranomon-Towers-office, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
There is no penalties for not returning the sim card
Feb 21, 2014, 9:28 am
#143
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: AAdvantage, UA Mileage Plus, IHG Rewards Club
Posts: 379
According to item 17 of their FAQ:
Where to return SIM card and is there any penalties for not returning?
Please address SIM Card Returns to:
Japan Communications Inc. b-mobile Helpdesk, SIM Card Returns
Zip code:105-0001, 4－1－28 Toranomon-Towers-office, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
There is no penalties for not returning the sim card
Where to return SIM card and is there any penalties for not returning?
Please address SIM Card Returns to:
Japan Communications Inc. b-mobile Helpdesk, SIM Card Returns
Zip code:105-0001, 4－1－28 Toranomon-Towers-office, Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
There is no penalties for not returning the sim card
Thanks guys!
Nov 21, 2014, 3:57 pm
#144
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Ashburn, VA (IAD/DCA/BWI)
Posts: 2,748
Sakura Mobile
I found Sakura Mobile which offers Data SIM and MiFi rentals. Rates for data SIM start at JPY 5150 for 3GB + JPY 50 per day. MiFi rates start at JPY 5300 for 3GB + JPY 100 per day. Anyone used Sakura Mobile?
Nov 22, 2014, 8:10 pm
#145
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
You can buy SIM card valid for 3 months, 2 GB, for ~4000. Same network.
http://www.iij.ad.jp/en/news/pressre...2014/0930.html
http://www.iij.ad.jp/en/news/pressre...2014/0930.html
Dec 2, 2014, 7:57 am
#146
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
I have the b-mobile Visitor SIM (1GB) on a CDMA iPhone 6 (A1549). The phone constantly shows no signal (all the pips are hollow) but does sometimes decide to register for LTE. I've been able to pull down about 6 Mbps sporadically, when it is feeling like showing LTE, but probably 99% of the time it is 0-bar "3G" coverage all throughout Tokyo, including when standing next to a docomo store. The data times out, is extremely bursty, and is otherwise just not a quality connection.
I thought I saw one signal pip fill in, once, but that might have been a hallucination.
For the price, I am very disappointed with the quality of the service and the connectivity. (It is basically none). Docomo uses Band 1 for their LTE, and my phone supports it, so I don't get why connectivity is so terrible on this SIM.
I thought I saw one signal pip fill in, once, but that might have been a hallucination.
For the price, I am very disappointed with the quality of the service and the connectivity. (It is basically none). Docomo uses Band 1 for their LTE, and my phone supports it, so I don't get why connectivity is so terrible on this SIM.
Dec 2, 2014, 4:06 pm
#147
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
I have the b-mobile Visitor SIM (1GB) on a CDMA iPhone 6 (A1549). The phone constantly shows no signal (all the pips are hollow) but does sometimes decide to register for LTE. I've been able to pull down about 6 Mbps sporadically, when it is feeling like showing LTE, but probably 99% of the time it is 0-bar "3G" coverage all throughout Tokyo, including when standing next to a docomo store. The data times out, is extremely bursty, and is otherwise just not a quality connection.
I thought I saw one signal pip fill in, once, but that might have been a hallucination.
For the price, I am very disappointed with the quality of the service and the connectivity. (It is basically none). Docomo uses Band 1 for their LTE, and my phone supports it, so I don't get why connectivity is so terrible on this SIM.
I thought I saw one signal pip fill in, once, but that might have been a hallucination.
For the price, I am very disappointed with the quality of the service and the connectivity. (It is basically none). Docomo uses Band 1 for their LTE, and my phone supports it, so I don't get why connectivity is so terrible on this SIM.
If your iPhone supported GSM bands, you may have to put it into global mode. I used a Verizon Note 2 in both Japan and Europe with no problems - just put it in global mode and it worked fine.
Dec 2, 2014, 5:31 pm
#149
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
Japan uses WCMDA/UMTS which isn't the same as CDMA. At least the last time I was there, they were marketed as 3G only SIM cards with a throttled connection of about 7 Mbps. If you used a CDMA phone, it makes a lot of sense why it wouldn't register.
If your iPhone supported GSM bands, you may have to put it into global mode. I used a Verizon Note 2 in both Japan and Europe with no problems - just put it in global mode and it worked fine.
If your iPhone supported GSM bands, you may have to put it into global mode. I used a Verizon Note 2 in both Japan and Europe with no problems - just put it in global mode and it worked fine.
Specifically, I have the A1549 (CDMA) variant - http://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/ -- which supports all the same bands as the GSM one plus US CDMA. The phone has support, just the SIM is not working well. The SIM is now advertised as unthrottled, which 20 seconds of research would've shown you. http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/product.html - "Best effort theoretical maximum speed"
I have not used enough data to hit the throttle (how could I, the service is so crap?)
I'm mostly posting to echo what the poster above me said; this product is not good, at least not at the moment.
Last edited by NYCFlyer10001; Dec 2, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Dec 3, 2014, 2:06 pm
#150
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
It's an iPhone 6. It obviously supports WCDMA and UMTS. I know what the difference is. There's no such thing as "global mode" on iPhones.
Specifically, I have the A1549 (CDMA) variant - http://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/ -- which supports all the same bands as the GSM one plus US CDMA. The phone has support, just the SIM is not working well. The SIM is now advertised as unthrottled, which 20 seconds of research would've shown you. http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/product.html - "Best effort theoretical maximum speed"
I have not used enough data to hit the throttle (how could I, the service is so crap?)
I'm mostly posting to echo what the poster above me said; this product is not good, at least not at the moment.
Specifically, I have the A1549 (CDMA) variant - http://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/ -- which supports all the same bands as the GSM one plus US CDMA. The phone has support, just the SIM is not working well. The SIM is now advertised as unthrottled, which 20 seconds of research would've shown you. http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/product.html - "Best effort theoretical maximum speed"
I have not used enough data to hit the throttle (how could I, the service is so crap?)
I'm mostly posting to echo what the poster above me said; this product is not good, at least not at the moment.
