FYI: Brazil TiM carrier 3g/Edge - iPad 3G, wifi, 32GB

[Cham_001]

Hi all,

Great news!

Yes, these iPads DO work in Brazil very very well, speeds are superb!

Facts:
I am based between the two North East Cities named Recife and Joao Pessoa.
Where I live is relatively rural and is served by a local cellular transmitter provided by the TiM carrier about 2km away.
The SIM chip that I bought was a standard sized SIM that was cut-down to fit.
The Dealer, was an independent supplier non-official/registered TiM businessman. He sells SIM chips on the basis that you pay 1 year up front for Data only connections. You are prevented from making Outbound calls. If you do, he simply disconnects your SIM.
Being a non-Resident of Brazil, prevents me from taking out an official contract with any authorised Dealer, hence this workaround!

All-in-all I am immensely impressed and relieved that I have contact with the outside world considering that I live in a relatively rural area in the sticks of Brazil!

 

[yycgal]

So - I'm heading down south of Sao Paulo in September and want to swap out my microsim from my Canadian plan.
I've heard of Tim (and Oi and Vivo), and am not surprised you found a local 3rd-party dealer. But am wondering how the heck you 'cut' the SIM card down to fit? Bizarre.

And what should I expect for coverage in the Parana area? Who might be best to go to?

 

[Cham_001]

Brazil - MicroSIM - iPad / iPhone

So - I'm heading down south of Sao Paulo in September and want to swap out my microsim from my Canadian plan.
I've heard of Tim (and Oi and Vivo), and am not surprised you found a local 3rd-party dealer. But am wondering how the heck you 'cut' the SIM card down to fit? Bizarre.

And what should I expect for coverage in the Parana area? Who might be best to go to?

Hi there yycgal,

Wow - SP is an incredible place so you'll have a spectacular time...

When I was last there in Brazil in July2010 -Jan2011, I was unable to buy a Post-Paid plan -> Not a resident and no Brazilian Bank Account.

The way around this was to get a 'trusted-friend' to buy the plan for me and then to use that SIM card in the device of my choosing.
(I have both the iPad & iPhone 4). Being based in the NE of Brazil between Recife & Joao Pessoa - I could not locate a an Operator that supported the microSIM format for my Apple devices.
TiM
Oi
Claro
Vivo
...etc

So, yes I hacked-down my SIM card to fit into my iPad. I did this very carefully using a 'Stanley-knife'. Thus a MicroSIM was 'born'.

I requested that my friend purchase the TiM plan as this provided me with unlimited data with reasonable call rates.

By now, especially in the South of Brazil - Curitiba/Sao Paulo being more modern and advanced - microSIM plans should be readily available.
( I am in India right now - so can't help you there... )

good luck - worst-case scenario, buy ANY suitable data plan and if need be - just get the SIM chopped..

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

If you look on Amazon you can buy professional SIM cutters that 'guillotine' off the excess plastic from a standard-sized SIM to make a microSIM. The advantage of buying one of these commercial SIM cutters (they are only a couple of dollars) is that, apart from more-or-less guaranteeing a successful cut, they also supply an adaptor so that you can put your cut down microSIM back into a standard SIM socket, should you need to.

Tim