Expert: DebiN - 11/11/2009

Question
Hello DebiN,

I'm come from canada and my carrier is a cdma one. I speak french so there is probably weird syntax errors in the following message. I'm sorry...

I read a lot on google and others forums but I can't find an important info clearly about the ruim card and maybe you have this info.

  As I understand, ESN and MID are used to make my phone works on cdma and the sim card is used on gsm/hspa networks. My carrier just introduce hspa network and now (finally!!) we can use sim-compliant phone to switch from one phone to another, as long as this phone can physically works on frequencies of the carrier.

  My issue is, I want to change my old phone, but newest phone is NOT compatible (...customer service says...) with my very good bundle that I have, and it's also a family plan so we are 5 on it... Sure they want to sell me five new phones (ouch! $$$) and something more expensive, with less features and/or by isolated me from the family, but technically I'm pretty sure that it could works...

The Question: On a sim/ruim card, is the "authentication" way is still by pushing some sim's infos as an equivalent of ESN? My goal is to make a sim with the ESN of my old phone (and the attached plan features) on my future new one who has a sim card. I know it's kind of cloning, I know I must NOT power up the old cell phone to avoid 2 "same" phones on the telco's switch, and I know I will have to unlock the phone, buy extra sim writer equipement and all the rest. I just want to know if it's a completely different access way, or if between me and the tower it's only a question of what is the content of the authentication?

Thanks a lot!


Answer
I do understand your question and unfortunately, the answer is that you will not be able to accomplish what you are wanting to do. Don't waste your time and money - unlocking the device won't help nor will anything else. What the carrier is telling you is that in order to move to their new phones, you have to have the proper plans that support GSM/HSPA and that you can't have a family plan with one line on GSM/HSPA and the others on CDMA. This is very common with the carriers and even in the US, this is very common. When Cingular bought AT&T Wireless, if one of the family members wanted to buy a new phone, they could, but they could not put their new phone onto the old plan because it wasn't compatible in the systems (both billing and network) and so in order for one member to move, the whole family had to or the one member had to be by themselves on the new plan. If I were you, and you really want the new phone, then consider just you moving and leaving your family where they are until they are ready for new phones and then move them over to a family plan with you. You will not be able to beat the system because you need the RUIM card from your carrier and they won't just give it to you, it comes with the plan and phone. There's no way for you to authenticate without their assistance. Though with SIM/RUIM technology, you don't need to put in a code to authenticate a phone like you do with CDMA, you won't be able to get the card or the phone or service without your carrier's involvement. Once you have the card, plan and phone, if you needed a new phone, then you could buy an unlocked phone and put your SIM into it, but at the stage you are now, you still need your carrier to move you to the new SIM and plan (and phone). I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN