Hacker News Reader

Comment by mtgx | Hacker News Reader

That's pretty much how it works in all of the EU zone, too.

You still have to show some ID in EU, I think (at least that's how it works in CZ and SK).

I didn't need ID to buy two prepaid SIMs when I was in Portugal. Dead simple.

You need to show ID in France, and a lot of stores will not have iPhone 4 sims. And they are a pain in the ass, because or the awful bureaucracy in France, it can take a while to get served.

In Australia you also need to show ID, but it is very quick. Although expensive.

UK was the best, and for £15 all you can eat data.

We have to show ID an Spain and register prepaid SIM cards, but I'm sure that's mainly due to terrorism and security related reasons.

You can go into a store, pay 5€ and walk out with a new line in less than 5 minutes though.

> …but I'm sure that's mainly due to terrorism and security related reasons.

It's mainly due to terrorism and security excuses, not real reasons.

No need for it in Sweden. It probably varies from country to country.

Depends on what you are planning to do with it. You need to have identified if you want to use the mobile to pay for buses etc.

It used to be like that in Greece, they now changed it because of some (EU-wide?) piece of legislation.

You don't need to show ID to buy a prepaid SIM in Ireland.

I wonder how it works in the good ol' USA. Somebody cares to explain?

It works badly. If you want any kind of post-paid plan you typically are forced to purchase a phone with a carrier lock. Some pre-paid plans will let you purchase SIMs and "bring your own phone" (Wal-Mart's "Straight Talk" being the largest that I'm aware of-- they're an AT&T MVNO).

The average US cell phone user has no idea that phones and service aren't one-in-the-same.

Last weekend I went to an AT&T store and got a 'post-paid plan'. I just asked for a SIM and they gave it to me. No one forced me to purchase a carrier locked phone.

I studied one semester as an exchange student in the US, and it seems like everyone there is attached to a plan, prepaid contracts are not popular, actually they aren't a good deal. I got a prepaid simcard and it was really expensive they even charged me .25 dlls per every received text, I'm not sure if every company is that expensive, but I guess they are.

yes, they are. oh, and sending would cost you .25 as well, unless, of course, you purchase 'unlimited' texts for $20/month, then, you see, they're 'free'. texting is insane and I have to remind people not to text me on a regular basis.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com