GadgetFreak

I had an iPad 2 with ATT 3G and could roam internationally by subscribing to an international data plan on a monthly basis when traveling. I got a new iPad with Verizon prepaid and was going to Italy in May and while waiting to depart got the iPad out to sign up for the international data plan and it said I had to preactivate it. I was annoyed but decided to activate it when I got back before my next trip.

Off to Spain next week and called Verizon to activate it for international roaming with the intention of signing up for an international data plan for a month. After a some time on hold and some double checking by a helpful agent I got the message, can't activate international roaming on a prepaid account. Is this accurate? Is it still true that you can activate international roaming on a prepaid ATT iPad account? Thanks for any information.

Dubai Stu

Why not just get a Spanish prepaid SIM? The device is unlocked.

Doc Savage

Google is my friend.

GadgetFreak

Well, I am there for 3 days or so. I would typically use about 100 mb in that period. A Spanish SIM would look to cost at least 10 Euro. Plus I have to find one, and figure out the instructions for changing the APN on the device. The Verizon plan is $25 for 100 mb (if I can get it). Im not seeing much reason to spend a lot of time doing the change to likely save something on the order of $10.

On the other hand, my assistant and I combined probably spent 2 hours on the phone with Verizon. They finally told her to just send me to the store, they cant do it on the phone. I went to a store and they told me the device wouldnt work in Spain anyways. I told them I found that hard to believe. So we were both standing in the store using Google to find out. I found an Apple page that said it would work, the VZW employee found one that said it would not work he said. He finally gave me the phone number for Global product support and said maybe they could help.

I did confirm that buried at the bottom of a page it does say you cant roam internationally on a prepaid account. I may (or may not) be able to convert it to a postpaid account, the cost would be the same but I would have to make a 1 or 2 year commitment it would seem. Again, that is if they will let me do it. And I would need to do it in the store according to one of the phone calls this afternoon. Then I would have to call or go to a store to activate the international plan each time I needed it. If they could actually manage to do that.

So standing in the store I told them it looked like my options were 1) to put my old ATT SIM in it and use that instead of the VZW account or 2) shut down the VZW account on that iPad, give it to one of my employees with just the WiFi active and buy an ATT version to use. I didnt tell them number 3, smash the VZW one on the counter top and then buy an ATT version. They suggested I put the ATT SIM in it if that would work (I told them I had read on the internet that it would). I could also just shut down the 4G on this one and activate my ATT iPad 2 again and travel with that. I dont want to pay for both concurrently. Although that would be a lot cheaper than buying a new iPad.

In thinking about it, trying to figure out how to change an APN from instructions written in a language I dont speak is maybe not such a bad plan.

Dubai Stu

Remember with ATT, you can use a Verizon iPad 3 at HSPA+ speeds. I know prepaid wasn't the way you wanted to go, but here is an interesting EBay offer:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPANISH-PAYG...item336eba6859

GadgetFreak

Thanks. I Have decided for this trip at least that I will either put the ATT SIM in the Veizon IPad 3 or just take my ATT iPad 2 on the trip. Are AT&T iPad 2s unlocked also? That would let me have the option of trying a Spanish SIM. I used to always use prepaid SIMs but roaming prices have gone down a lot so since my typical travel is short trips and not the same country within the same month it hasn't seemed worth it to use prepaids.

dtsm

Slightly OT but I am here in singapore with iPad2 AT&T 3G model and prepaid local data sim card won't work properly for some reason. Strange as same provider (singtel) with prepaid voice/ data sim card works perfect on my Verizon unlocked iPhone 4S....

Dubai Stu

Odd. Is your APN correct? If not, look at

http://www.unlockit.co.nz/unlockit/?p=252

To answer the original poster, iPads are unlocked. My wife's ATT iPad I happily has a Telus Mobility SIM in it.

GadgetFreak

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Thanks. I tried that APN generator but couldn't get my AT&T SIM card to work in my Verizon iPad. Is it the AT&T configuration or AT&T + HSPA for the SIM from an iPad 2? I got an error message that said it wasn't the proper device.

Dubai Stu

When are you going. My brother has an iPad 3 with ATT. I will be seeing him over the weekend and can try out his SIM in my Verizon IPad.

GadgetFreak

Thanks. Im curious about it although for this trip I will be back by then. I'm just going to take the AT&T iPad 2. I've decided not to do a monthly on the iPad 3 from Verizon. I'm not pleased with the committment nor the way you have to turn on international data plans. I may try a Spanish SIM when I get there to see if that works.

Dubai Stu

Try this:

https://www.att.com/esupport/article...id=jiSs-Xqe7Vv

My iPad is on Verizon's LTE (contract). I wish they did their international roaming different. I don't like having to flip it on and off like a light switch. I would much prefer a small variation in their plan where I could leave roaming on, pay zero dollars a month when there was zero roaming, a step like the first 10 megs were $10, 11 megs to 100 megs were $25 (their current rate), and then follow their plan.

I live close to the Canadian border and I transit through Amsterdam.

GadgetFreak

Thanks. I don't even see that option under cellular data though.

Dubai Stu

You need to have a SIM in there other than your Verizon one.

GadgetFreak

I am back. Both my hotel and the conference center had free WiFi so the 120 MB of data was plenty. I will try the ATT SIM a bit more now that I am home. I think if that doesnt work I will just use my iPad 2 for international trips, I have a few in the fall, and when I get my next iPad switch back to ATT from Verizon. It's a bit of a shame since the Verizon one is nice domestically, but I just don't like having to deal with the international issues.