Hey, just to chip in with what others have said, avoid Airtel!!
After purchase in January, and making irregular calls and texts - no data used at all - service dropped a couple of weeks ago. I was told in an Airtel store that the number had been deleted, no mention of inactivity as per #8 but I'd been getting a series of text messages with different details of the same issue of needing to visit a store to register.
Took this as nonsense as registered when I bought it, messages sometimes stated my visa was expiring on a date in January - this was the date of purchase - and others mentioned 31/03/18 as a deadline - this was the date for Indians to register their Aadhaar numbers to their mobile numbers (for Airtel at any rate).
I've taken this to mean that one or more things were done incorrectly by the store when registering in January.
Incidentally, I never heard a single mention of needing to have a third party reference/fingerprinting....?
Jake, I replied to your other post as well. 90 days is the maximum time you can use a SIM card registered to a foreigner. This is a government mandate and there is no legal way around this. If you plan to be in India longer then set a reminder on your smart phone to apply for a new SIM card before your 90 days are up, bearing in mind that it may be more difficult depending on which city you are in.
jake / iamgorman - thanks for your replies!
I have 3 months in India so the time frame should be OK.
I'm more concerned about how decent the coverage will be in the North.....?
Incidentally, I never heard a single mention of needing to have a third party reference/fingerprinting....?
^^OK, so just walking in to the store with the required documentation is all that is required??
Thanks again for the replies - much appreciated.
Cheers.
Coverage in the North is great, especially along major highways. I get 4G coverage in almost every city with a railway station or highway junction.
You don't need a third party or a fingerprint to get a SIM card. You just need your passport, and depending on the vendor, you may need 2 passport photos.
In Jammu/Kashmir and Ladakh you presently cannot obtain a prepaid SIM without an Indian ID (aadhaar). You may find shops that will sell you a loose SIM at a premium or you could get a local to get a SIM for you, but both of these options are technically illegal. On the road from Srinigar to Leh, you will only get sporadic phone coverage, in Kargil and Dras.
Hi, it is dead easy to get a local SIM, just do a little research online to find out which phone company is most popular and then go off to the nearest shop in town and get a top up SIM card. They surely also have prepaid internet and calls, I've done it in three countries already. Just pay cash so there is no way you will be charged a recurring fee on your card.
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