Just bought a 3590 with no SIM card

Without doing research first, I just bought
a Nokia 3590 on EBay for cheap, and now
discover that I need a SIM card.

What the heck is a SIM card? [Sorry for
being so clueless.] And, what is the
best way to get one.

I was hoping to get AT&T to activate the
phone, using my existing AT&T number in
the (650) area code. Replacing my worn
out old Mitsubishi T250.

Are SIM cards only for prepaid plans?

I was hoping to get...say... 600 minutes
a month for about $40.

Helpful advice from those who know more
would be very much appreciated.

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› See More: Just bought a 3590 with no SIM card

On 9 Apr 2004 17:43:23 -0700, [email protected] (Bruce Hallman)
wrote:

>Without doing research first, I just bought
>a Nokia 3590 on EBay for cheap, and now
>discover that I need a SIM card.

I hope for your sake that it was either unlocked or used on the AT&T
Wireless service. You're in trouble if it doesn't meet either of
these requirements.

>What the heck is a SIM card?

A SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) is what gives your phone its
identity to the network. It holds your subscriber information as well
as contain phone book data, SMS data and other data.

> And, what is the
>best way to get one.

Walk into an AT&T Wireless store and get a SIM. If you previously had
AT&T Wireless TDMA service you'll have to have your account converted
to GSM.

>I was hoping to get AT&T to activate the
>phone, using my existing AT&T number in
>the (650) area code.

There shouldn't be any problem assigning your old number to your new
service. Keep in mind that if you had the old service where they
programmed your phone's ESN into the network your account will have to
be converted from TDMA to GSM.

>Are SIM cards only for prepaid plans?

SIM cards are for regular plans and also Go Phone plans.

>I was hoping to get...say... 600 minutes
>a month for about $40.

You'll have to see what's available to you. If you go to the AT&T Web
site <http://www.attws.com> and look at rate plans you should see
what's available to you on "next generation" plans.


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remove NONO from .NONOcom to reply

Bruce, sim cards are used by GSM networks here in the US like
Cingular, Pac Bell, Verison etc. ATT/Suncom in the southeast area
here does not use GSM phones so it would not work here at least.

[email protected] (Bruce Hallman) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Without doing research first, I just bought
> a Nokia 3590 on EBay for cheap, and now
> discover that I need a SIM card.
>
> What the heck is a SIM card? [Sorry for
> being so clueless.] And, what is the
> best way to get one.
>
> I was hoping to get AT&T to activate the
> phone, using my existing AT&T number in
> the (650) area code. Replacing my worn
> out old Mitsubishi T250.
>
> Are SIM cards only for prepaid plans?
>
> I was hoping to get...say... 600 minutes
> a month for about $40.
>
> Helpful advice from those who know more
> would be very much appreciated.

Well, I read that AT&T uses GSM in the
San Francisco Bay Area, where I live.

Studying this in the last two days, I
figure I need a sim card "AT&T" type,
to get ATTWS to be able to activate me.

AT&T sells them for $25. I bought one
for $8.50 on EBay with free shipping
yesterday. That cost, plus the $30 I
paid for phone, [I hope] will get me
talking wireless without getting
sucked into that 'here is a free phone'
*if* you sign a 12 or 24 month contract.

It is maddening to find a resource on
the web that explains to me just
what a sim card is...to bad there isn't
a FAQ that answers that question in
depth.

[email protected] (David Huston) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Bruce, sim cards are used by GSM networks here in the US like
> Cingular, Pac Bell, Verison etc. ATT/Suncom in the southeast area
> here does not use GSM phones so it would not work here at least.
>
> [email protected] (Bruce Hallman) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > Without doing research first, I just bought
> > a Nokia 3590 on EBay for cheap, and now
> > discover that I need a SIM card.
> >
> > What the heck is a SIM card? [Sorry for
> > being so clueless.] And, what is the
> > best way to get one.
> >
> > I was hoping to get AT&T to activate the
> > phone, using my existing AT&T number in
> > the (650) area code. Replacing my worn
> > out old Mitsubishi T250.
> >
> > Are SIM cards only for prepaid plans?
> >
> > I was hoping to get...say... 600 minutes
> > a month for about $40.
> >
> > Helpful advice from those who know more
> > would be very much appreciated.