Not sure why that wouldn't work - I tested it again, and it instantly starts downloading the app.

I'll pop it in Dropbox and will PM you the link.

Thank you. It worked.

Glad to hear that

I'm always annoyed by companies that send anything customer related to the operator that sold the modem. In this case, Novatel doesn't provide any drivers, support or software and you are forced to look for stuff elsewhere.

Anyway, glad you were able to get it working.

I had an opportunity to use this for the first time on this trip to India in an area that's a bit of a distance from Delhi,. Getting a SIM was an ordeal and when I did get a SIM, it was nearly impossible to find the APN, let alone other configuration settings. There are SIM vendors at almost every corner, but they no little beyond taking your money and activating/recharging your SIM/ They would even activate 3G service on your SIM, but they cannot answer simple questions such as APN of the provider.

3G is being advertised and pushed on the TV in India. but every vendor I spoke to said, that coverage is very spotty. Many said I would be lucky if I could get 2G service. I found a mobile repair shop where the owner knew quite a bit more than anyone else I had spoken to, who gave me the APN of a couple of wireless providers. They are usually simple words such as internet, web, www. I am now using the FIDO widget on 2G service. It's dirt cheap at under $2 for 3GB. I'll try 3G too when I get to an area where I can count on 3G.

All inclusive widgets, priced at about $50 pre-configured for and sold by a provider are more common here. Even people who are on the go and consider themselves technically knowledgable werre unable to answer my questions about using this widget. A call to customer service, toll free until you get to tech support, was useless too.

Thanks a lot Scott. I am now connected to the world. For the first week, I had cell phones, my net book. the FIDO widget. but no way to use any of them.

I assume your in india, having delhi listed as a stop?

I have to say, my experience earlier this year in india was quite different. I had no problem picking up a 3G SIM and it was very cheap, I think 15$ for the card and 30 days of 2GB worth of data. (I think the prepay data charge was like 5$ for the month) Took about 10 minutes, came in a little packet that had the apn infor on it/in it. When put in an unlocked cell phone, the APN info came up as it acquired network, when I put it into the dongle I had brought, i had to put the APN in but then it worked fine.

I had 3G in most cities of course and then some random places like Ranthambor (sp) but mostly 2G along motorways and some smaller out of city locations, but skype till worked from the cell phone fine. In delhi, mumbai, jodhpur, jaipur and agra I used it to stream netflix, from slingbox and do skype calls and also had about four devices connected to my mobile router so the bandwidth seemed to work fine for that.

Which carrier did you use? I used TATA

I wasn't complaining about the cost. The biggest problem was not having a local ID. Local vendors would not accept anything but an Indian ID such as Voter's Registration card. This was in a small town between Gurgaon and Alwar, right off NH-8. The people I was with did not have their ID with them. I was told that Driver's License is not an acceptable proof of address.

Putting in the APN is not problem if you know what it is. No one seemed to know what the APN was, although they were willing to sell data service on Airtel, iDEA, Reliance and Vodaphone. Novatel modem did not respond to a reliance SIM at all. I bought an iDEA SIM. I did ask for TATA. The vendor did not have a TATA SIM.

As far as 3G accessibility is concerned, I was told that 3G coverage is spotty. A friend of mine, who had a dedicated reliance data card, told me that his 3G signal was in and out. I have no doubt that you would get adequate 3G service in major cities. Your experience also seems to indicate that one would have to be content with 2G service if one is not in major cities.

Where did you get your SIM, and how? Since I was not in Delhi, I was dependent on little corner shops.

I had a local guide pick it up for me in Mumbai. the first morning we were there, I gave him a copy of my passport and he came back 10 minutes later with the card. It was active about 1 hour later. He said it was 20$, I gave him 30$ all in. That was that. I think there was a TATA store about 1 block from our first hotel.

That's the difference. Places that are used to catering to foreign visitors know the rules. The rest don't. What you need to get a SIM card is a copy of your passport, visa and proof of address. Your hotel/Guest house can provide your proof of address. The documents are sent to someplace for verification. If the person looking at the documents is not satisfied with the documents, has had a bad day, or is drunk, your service can be turned off. I have read about such incidents on IndiaMIke forum. Vendors even in big cities, away from touristy areas, do not know that a SIM can be given against a foreign passport. That was the problem I faced.
While I do not doubt your experience, but it's not universal. I can wager that more than 99% of vendors in the country would not give a SIM against a foreign passport. A simple solution, that's often suggested, is to have someone you know by a SIM against their ID. I am, in principle, averse to such a solution. I do not like to break any law.

But, the indiamike forums actually seem to have a SIMILAR success rate of their users as I experienced. passport, visa, card from hotel and you're set. Yes, this is in a CITY, and sometimes a SIM will get de-activated several days later if the telco calls it into question, but it would seem that most people there (that is actually where I got my initial info - and all corresponding APN info prior to travel/arrival late last year) have expected success.

Yea - I had a nightmare time trying to get a SIM card in Bangalore last year. Gave up after about a week of back and forth, including a salesman coming to my office and the hotel talking to them on my behalf. Just silly.

Again, why do you think your situation is typical? For all I know, the guy might have got a SIM against someone ele;s ID. That's a serious offense. I want to be no part of it. What if you do not stay in a hotel?
What you have statewd does not sound like smooth sailing to me.
Getting a SIM card should not be as difficult as it is. Their is rampant fraud, despite the law, which is quite typical of the way things are done in India.

look, I still have the paperwork for my SIM so I know there was nothing nefarious going on with the acquisition of it. This wasn't my first rodeo in the east.

But from reading the indiamike forums from over a year ago and talking to others who have travelled there and travel there more frequently than either of us it isn't like getting a phone in the soviet union in the 90's. And the service isn't as poor as one might expect. I HAD coverage everywhere, but only 3g in cities and some highways. Some people are just better prepared. I had all the apn info I needed prior to arrival (there were only four companies that were possibilities for 3g mobile and data) I knew the requirements for copy of passport/visa/local address, possible roaming restrictions.

I've had more than a dozen people I know go to india in the last year and none of them had issues getting a SIM (especially in Delhi), getting it to work, having connectivity in most areas. (one couple did complain of poor service up in the Himalayas) and actually NONE of them had cards cancelled which seems to have BEEN a problem in the past.

There is a whole lot of India beyond Delhi. Even in Delhi, vast majority of vendors WILL NOT give a SIM card against a foreign passport. Other than hotels and guest houses that cater to tourists of any class, do not know what the rules are. Just because you got a SIM from one location does not mean every one can get it every where.
I don't want to argue with you on this issue.
Oh Dozen people? That's the extent of your data? I have spoken to dozens of vendors.
What's your point? I did not say anything about 2G service. But there are places in Gurgaon where even 2G signal is impossible to get. I said 3G service is spotty, with which you agree. I know several people who have told me that 3G service goes in an out even in areas around Delhi. Every vendor I spoke to confirmed this. You can choose to live with your beliefs. I am not going to try to convince you or educate you.

If one person, who has proper documents, is denied a SIM your claim is proved wrong. If a place like Nirvana Country has vast patches with not even 2G service, which I know to be true, your claim is proved WRONG.

The difficulty in getting a SIM has nothing to do with being prepared. It's got everything to do with vendors not knowing the rules, which themselves are archaic and silly, as bureaucratic as they come. Every foreigner, who has entered India legally, has a passport and a visa or some other document, such as PIO or OCI card. Stop flattering yourself with claims of being prepared.

I am not interested in continuing this discussion with someone whose is not prepared to admit anything beyond their unfounded belief.
Good day to you.

I'm not living with beliefs, I'm living with actual facts and experience. I never said it worked every time, only and idiot or weak debater would jump to such a conclusion to try and make their point.

And the people whom I referred to did not all sucessfully procure their SIM in Delhi, as I mentioned I got mine in Mumbai, others in Bangalore and yet others in Kolkata. Granted, CITIES.

I'm sorry you had such trouble with your experience trying to obtain and successfully use a SIM in India - it CAN be confussing and technically challenging.

My objective in delivering another perspective (and indeed SEVERAL other experiences) was so the readers of this thread would have a more realistic understanding of

A) how it CAN work
B) how it CAN be simple
C) what THEY should do to be prepared and increase the chances of successful procurement and functional operation.
D) provide the experiences and online resources for others to increase probability of a successful "C"


you have done a good job in indicating that things CAN go wrong and anecdotally what they might NOT wish to do in order for them to have better success with procurement and possibly usage.

I'll agree with you here on one thing, I'm out.

I had the same experience in Bangalore. They were very strict on the proof of address (hotel in my case) and passport, but it was pretty straightforward once I had the correct documentation.