Sunday, Dec 16, 2018 at 01:06
Frank, the SIM-changing problems in a mobile handset can be many and varied.
1.
Check the frequencies your phone can receive on, and the frequencies each provider is using.
Optus and Telstra are starting to diverge more and more on the frequencies they use.
GSM Arena will give you the precise frequencies your phone model can receive on, if you know the exact model.
I have a Galaxy Note 4, model 910G. This is the phone compatible with Australian, Singaporean and Indian networks.
The link below shows the Galaxy Note 4 specs (you can find your phone model specs with the search function).
In the first line of the Note 4 specs, you will see "GSM / HSPA / LTE". These are the network types supported by the Note 4.
On the right is a menu button "expand". Clicking on "expand" shows the full list of Note 4 frequency capabilities, followed by the exact model number.
GSM Arena
Phone manufacturers produce up to 20 or more models of each phone, that are designed specifically for individual countries or regions, according to the frequencies and the networks available there.
If you've bought a phone off eBay, or when overseas, that phone may not be compatible with the Australian phone network, due to being set up for a different network system, or different frequencies - or both.
If you've bought a phone off a local Network provider, that phone is usually tailored in its construction and programming, to only support that particular network provider - even if you have unlocked it.
The local network providers install software on their new phones, tying the subscriber ID number on the SIM card, to the phone's serial number.
If these numbers don't match, the phone won't work.
The Whirlpool page below gives Australian carrier frequencies. Note that there have been a lot of changes since the analogue TV network was closed down in 2014.
Whirlpool - Australian network provider frequencies
The Govt auctioned off the old analogue TV frequencies, divvied up into many smaller chunks of bandwidths, to the Telcos - and both Telstra and Vodaphone spent billions (yes, billions!) on purchasing these frequencies for future mobile phone use.
The Telco engineers have discovered that the lower frequencies penetrate large concrete buildings more easily, so the lower frequencies such as 700MHz are now being used more often.
Some phones have the ability to use, say 900 or 1800MHz in the open areas and can then switch to 700MHz inside buildings if the 900 or 1800MHz reception starts to drop out.
2. If you change your SIM card, you may need to manually change settings such as APN, user name, password, authentication type, etc, to accommodate the new carriers connection requirements.
3. OzTowers provides details of every mobile repeater tower in Australia.
The Optus Small Cell network repeater at
Kalumburu is now provisioned with a 3G service (900MHz, Band 8), and this had been planned for installation since August 2017, but has only come into service in recent weeks.
The 3G, 900MHz frequency can be received by many mobile phones, even older ones.
OzTowers - Kalumburu
Here's the link to the ABC article that is not working in Robert1660's original post.
ABC - Kalumburu gets mobile network
I fear the new mobile Optus service may have a few unseen social problem downsides, for the relatively isolated, and still quite tribal group, that inhabit
Kalumburu.
Cheers, Ron.
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