The Solution

Disclaimer: This posting is based on widely available information about GSM mobile phones. It is in no way intended to interfere with the ERP sign-up process at Cingular, but provides added details about avoiding the expense of purchasing a new phone. Different handsets behave differently. Some older GSM phones many not support all network features on a new SIM. But most GSM phones sold by AT&T Wireless in 2003 through 2005 are widely known to work properly with the Cingular 64K "Orange" SIM. All information in this posting was obtained from non-Cingular sources on the web or from pages accessible through the Cingular public site, http://www.cingular.com. No information included came from internal Cingular "intra-net" sources to which the author of the posting may or may not have had access at some previous time.

What You Need To Do
To solve the problem of switching ERPs without buying a phone, follow these steps.

1. Get your current "AWS" phone unlocked so that it will work with an Orange SIM.
2. Get an Orange SIM
3. Link that SIM to an Employee Account

The rest of this posting walks you through these steps. This is an open blog and people are invited to add comments or information.

1. First you need to UNLOCK your phone.

Each handset vendor (Ericsson, Samsusng, NEC, Moto) has a method available for unlocking the mobile phone. In most cases this requires connecting the phone to a PC through a cable. Nokia is the notable exception. To unlock a Nokia phone you need a key number, and you need to know the magic key presses on your phone that will make it unlock.

There are folks operating on the internet who offer this unlock service, usually for about $10 bucks. Google or search Ebay for these services. A couple of people who offer this service have been invited to contribute postings to this Blog. Watch for notes about low cost services in the Redmond-Bothell area.

Obviously if the unlock procedure requires a cable, you have to send the phone to someone with the right cable. Again, look on Ebay... http://cgi.ebay.com/Unlock-Unlocking-Sim-Code-Cingular-Samsung-Cell-Phone_W0QQitemZ5850565837QQcategoryZ43312QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem for example.

2. Now you need a SIM.

To get an Orange SIM you have a couple of options. Even though the SIM by itself is not available in an obvious place, it is available through Cingular to Cingular employees. It would be a violation of Cingular rules to provide specific information on this public web site about how to do that, so unfortunately we can't provide details. But we hear that it has something to do with a cow and that management approval is required. We also hear that it is cheap to do.

The Orange SIM is also available on Ebay. (Isn't everything?) When we checked Ebay a couple of hours ago, there were SEVEN PAGES of Orange SIM cards listed. An example Ebay listing is for item 5832049772, which lists an Orange SIM for $3.85. Any Ebay purchase is buyer beware, but there are LOTS of Cingular SIM cards for sale. If you buy there, shop carefully, look for sellers with 99% plus feedback, and watch out for shipping costs. A 99¢ SIM card is no good if the vendor wants to charge you $7 to send it to you.

But there is an alternative method that isn't terribly expensive. You get an Orange SIM when you order a "Pick Your Plan" GOPHONE. You can sign up for GOPHONE with or without a phone. The cost of getting a SIM this way is $30 plus tax. This gives you a choice between buying some minutes vs buying a cheap phone. http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/get-started/shopping_options.jsp?returnURL=/cell-phone-service/wireless-phone-plans/gophone-pick-your-plan.jsp&_requestid=121137

To get a SIM with 200 minutes, go to this URL, enter your zip code, and on the next page select the first plan for $29.99. Go through the shopping cart check out, and you are DONE! Sometimes area retailers offer the GOPHONE as a sale item, but we don't know of any such sales in the area right now.

3. Now you need an ACCOUNT.

With your phone unlocked and your SIM in hand, you can complete your Cingular account sign up. We can't give instructions here because that information comes from the Cingular internal site. But we hear that there is a place for you to enter your IMSI (phone ID printed inside the phone), and your SIM number (printed on the SIM) as part of account sign up. It's a good idea to save the credit card that holds the new SIM when you get it. This larger card has the SIM ID on it, and it's easier to read.

At this point you should be 100% back in the ERP sign-up process the company has described in their communications (or so we are told).

One more time: The purpose here isn't to "get around" Cingular, but to provide details about reuse of AWS phones. This information is so specific that there is no reason to expect that it would have been included in general Cingular information to employees. We sincerely hope that this information is useful to Cingular employees and their families.