elchebib
MTC have just announced that they'll be selling micro SIM cards compatible with the Apple iPhone 4 and iPad for both the prepaid and postpaid subscribers.
Here is the official statement:
http://www.mtctouch.com.lb/autoforms/portal/home/Corporate%20Menu/Media%20Center/Press%20Releases/Latest/new%20micro%20SIM
Now you don't have to manually cut your card and run the risk of ruining it.
samer
I wonder how long it will take for Alfa to follow.
It really seems that MTC is being the trendsetter here.
Perhaps it's time for me to switch?
EddieEC
MTC is awesome. I love MTC, and their customer support. I cut mine and it wasn't damaged and is working fine. And yes Samer, I would recommend MTC over Alfa any day!
Raficoo
well that's good news for the Mac users, guess people won't have to worry about getting it themselves anymore :P
despite the news, I'm still Alfa lol
I don't think I'll transfer to MTC anytime soon, because simply MTC and Alfa are both extremely similar if you ask me, similar services, though one might provide Coverage in areas where the other can't(and vice versa). Also, same prices(there is no competition since there are a Duopoly, which is bad;Ogero is Monopoly whose Sub-isps are Cyberia, Terra. and so on...)
I simply think MTC exaggerates it's services in a "wow they got that" scale(showing services which Alfa has but are not shown due to it not being commonly used/required for normal users)
just look what happened over the 2 years, when the blackberry services arrived in Lebanon, MTC advertised it extremely, and due to the ignorance some Lebanese have on Technology(for instance more VGA RAM = better quality), it made HUUGEE success and look at how many people use Blackberry services today..
I hope by the time we(hopefully) will finally have 3G in the country and increased broadband capabilities, there will be some competition between them, but judging by the recent report by Reuters(where Nahhas stated that the "privatization of the two state-owned mobile firms, MTC Touch and Alfa, would not take place before improvements in the infrastructure were complete in 2012.") I would not hold by breath anytime soon.
Sorry for the off-topic, but I just had to get that out of my system. :/
elchebib
Yes, MTC are really better than Alfa and have been introducing services at a much quicker pace than Alfa.
Besides, Alfa have really hit their Blackberry postpaid customers when they first announced that their plan includes 500 MB per month and then backed up to 100 MB. I mean, this is one of the most absurd things I've ever heard or read. For that only, Alfa customers should just make the jump as a punishment for their stupid decision.
mezin
the only thing alfa has better than mtc is coverage ... other than that i'd chose mtc any day ... btw cutting a sim card you have to use it on the iphone apparently stops your 3G from working ... i don't know how the two are related but i had a friend who spent 2+ hours on the phone with a customer support agent here because his iphone 3G wasnt woking, made him reset and format his phone a couple of times and in the end the rep realized that he had a cut sim card and sent him a new one .. which apparently got it to work
Bassem
I too recommend MTC, especially for fixed (postpaid) lines and Internet use. A quick comparison with Alfa's offers shows a clear advantage on MTC's side.
EddieEC
unforgiven wrotethe only thing alfa has better than mtc is coverage ... other than that i'd chose mtc any day ... btw cutting a sim card you have to use it on the iphone apparently stops your 3G from working ... i don't know how the two are related but i had a friend who spent 2+ hours on the phone with a customer support agent here because his iphone 3G wasnt woking, made him reset and format his phone a couple of times and in the end the rep realized that he had a cut sim card and sent him a new one .. which apparently got it to work
Very weird, because my friends in Australia, US and France didn't have the problem.
WizaRd
unforgiven wrotethe only thing alfa has better than mtc is coverage ...
QFT.
eliefares
^ Actually, of the two places I frequent: Beirut and my hometown in Batroun, alfa has the same coverage as MTC in Beirut and their coverage in my hometown is very bad. But the whole family has alfa :p so that's why I went with it.
Anyway, I contacted them regarding microsims when I saw MTC's press release last week and they said that they had microsims and they were taking orders for them. I registered both my name and my brother's for two microsims.
Not sure if I should get them though. I mean, I have cut down both of our sims successfully (and a few other people's sim cards also). What's the point of the microsim other than aesthetics?
I actually was interested to know if the microsim would be 3G enabled (since according to the minister, the service will be available early 2011) and they had no idea.
eliefares
Alfa just texted me that microsims are now available.
vegetaleb
Why wouldn't they integrate once and for all WAP for iphone and Android instead of barking under the wrong tree??
They just have to add the damned iphone and Androi User Agent string in their WAP server and that's all
Alucardz
I got an iPhone 4 from Canada, ordered the unlocked one.
My current SIM card is from MTC but it's actually from the old Premiere Plus days. I cut it so that if fit into the iPhone 4's slot, but it's still stuck on Emergency Calls only, and I can't activate it through iTunes (says same thing, no SIM card inserted etc...)
The question is, did I cut it wrong? Or do the old Premiere Plus lines simply not work as micro SIMs?
Anyway, I'm getting a micro SIM from MTC - hopefully it'll work fine. In any case, I was just curious if any had some sort of explanation.
Thanks.
samer
Or do the old Premiere Plus lines simply not work as micro SIMs?
A micro SIM is a regular SIM minus the plastic. You probably cut it wrong!
Alucardz
Yeah it seems like it... although I don't understand how you can cut a SIM card incorrectly; as long as you don't touch the copper and make it fit correctly, shouldn't it work?
In other words, should whatever remaining plastic cover up all the slot's empty space or is it OK if some of it is empty? For example if it's only copper and no plastic left?
ranibalaa
i have an iphone 4 and cut the sim wrong it didnt work. The slightest mistake can ruin the sim :P
