topic Re: Having 2 SIM cards for the same phone number, sharing the same data allowance in SIM cards & Porting

Having 2 SIM cards for the same phone number, sharing the same data allowance

Normanc0720 — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 10:36:36 GMT

I have a 150GB data plan with EE now. I am wondering if I could order an extra SIM card for the same number, sharing the same 150GB allowance, so that I can use it in my portable wifi router for my laptop and other devices?

Re: Having 2 SIM cards for the same phone number, sharing the same data allowance

Chris_B — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 11:34:40 GMT

@Normanc0720 You can not have 2 sims with the same number. You’ll have to take out a contract in order to gift data to that other sim

Re: Having 2 SIM cards for the same phone number, sharing the same data allowance

Mickyboy2023 — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 17:56:09 GMT

Why not

Re: Having 2 SIM cards for the same phone number, sharing the same data allowance

Chris_B — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:03:21 GMT

@Mickyboy2023 You can only have one number on one SIM card. To have the same number put on a different SIM card would then deactivate your first SIM card.

Re: Having 2 SIM cards for the same phone number, sharing the same data allowance

bristolian — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:18:16 GMT

@Mickyboy2023 wrote:

Why not

The 3GPP standards only allow for one MSISDN per IMSI. In simple terms, if someone calls that one number - where is the call sent? You can't have a call sent to two destinations at once.

Vodafone & Orange both used to offer "multi-SIM" services, but they were using an additional number that then used technical workarounds. Neither of those services have been available since many years.

Re: Having 2 SIM cards for the same phone number, sharing the same data allowance

OdinTheWise — Sun, 12 May 2024 21:34:47 GMT

Well, several providers abroad offer multiple SIMs for a number, including Orange Poland – https://flex.orange.pl/en/services/extra-sim (up to 4 SIM cards) and MyCall Norway – https://mycall.no/customer-service/extra-sim-card (up to 3 SIM cards). Technical limitations can obviously be overvcome.

Re: Having 2 SIM cards for the same phone number, sharing the same data allowance

bristolian — Sun, 12 May 2024 21:42:57 GMT

@OdinTheWise wrote:

Technical limitations can obviously be overvcome.

Yes and no. Fundamentally a mobile number can only have one SIM mapped to it.

There will always be a workaround applied - presentation number & incoming diverts being the immediate two. Others may involve core-network alterations, which come with cost/benefit calculations.

An examination of the network architecture for those services would be interesting.