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

[Normanc0720]

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?

[Chris_B]

@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 

[Mickyboy2023]

Why not

[Chris_B]

@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.   

[bristolian]

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@Mickyboy2023 wrote:

Why not

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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.

[OdinTheWise]

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.

[bristolian]

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@OdinTheWise wrote:

Technical limitations can obviously be overvcome.

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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.