Unlocking your mobile broadband USB modem has to be the most confusing part of the mobile broadband service. Through the PrepaidPlans chat service, I have been asked countless times “can I use my existing Optus USB to start a prepaid mobile broadband plan with another provider”. I actually wrote a blog post about this a few months ago, after visiting a local shopping centre and asking staff at the 3 Mobile and Vodafone stores about what was required if I wanted to unlock the usb drive I had purchased from them.
The answers were pretty much No, there is no unlocking and if you wanted to use another provider’s sim card, you would need to purchase a USB modem from them. That was certainly the statements I received from both 3 Mobile and Vodafone staff.
Following these interactions, I checked on their website and saw some conflicting information, particularly in relation to using an existing USB on the 3 Mobile network.
So, where to from here. A task I have given myself for next week is to visit Optus, Vodafone, Virgin and 3 Mobile and Telstra and once again get some feedback on what type of USB can I BYO.
Virgin provide some details about unlocking your E5832 broadband USB here. These are the Virgin BYO modem requirements:
Before you choose to BYO modem, check the list below.
- Type of Modem: It can be a USB modem, wireless data card or inbuilt modem.
- Frequency: Ideally both 900MHz and 2100MHz, to take advantage of the Optus Dual Band network, although most metro areas are covered by 2100MHz.
- Network Unlocked: If you’re locked to another network, you’ll need to contact your previous service provider to unlock it.
- SIM card slot: So you can plug in our Virgin Mobile Broadband SIM card.
BYO Modem Requirements from Optus are as follows:
Optus has approved the following modems as being suitable for use with the Optus Pre-Paid Wireless Broadband Service. Huawei E160E USB Modem, Huawei E220 USB Modem, Huawei E960 Wireless Gateway Modem, Huawei E870 PC, Express Data Card, Option GT Max Data Card, Option PC Express Data Card. If you choose to connect to the service using your own modem, Optus may not be able to provide you technical support for that particular modem and reserves the right to refer you to the modem manufacturer for technical assistance at your own expense.
So, before you consider moving to another provider, check with the provider of your existing USB modem what you need to do to unlock it first. Then depending on how much and what effort is involved to unlock it, you can either proceed or decide it isn’t worth the effort and simply buy another USB stick. Given the giveaway prices these days, the later is looking a lot easier.
