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What is ShuttleSIM Service?
It is a Prepaid SIM Card service that is specially designed for use by the
international traveler. It offers the advantage of low-cost per minute rates
for calling any fixed line or mobile number anywhere without the exorbitant
roaming charges that are ordinarily imposed on calls made from a roaming
handset. It is a service supported by best-of-class tier-1 GSM operators
offering high-quality reliable services. With ShuttleSIM you have all the standard
GSM services including Voice Mail and SMS. There is no significant delay or
inconvenience in the use of ShuttleSIM to make a call. Receiving a call by the
ShuttleSIM is exactly the same as with a regular GSM SIM card; the important
difference is that with ShuttleSIM you achieve great savings.
ShuttleSIM is designed specially for use by people who frequently travel (shuttle) between EU countries and USA. ShuttleSIM is a Dual IMSI SIM (which is a SIM that has 2 profiles - one profile for use with a USA GSM operator and another profile for use with a UK GSM operator) that comes with a USA No. and a UK No.
The applicable per minute End User Rate for calling from USA to EU or from EU to USA is US$0.55/minute.
There is an additional charge of US$0.37/minute if an inbound call is dialed (called) to the USA No. of the ShuttleSIM (instead of its UK No.) in any country where the ShuttleSIM is roaming.
Click here for Quick Start Guide for ShuttleSIM
How does the ShuttleSIM service work?
When you dial a telephone number from a roaming GSM handset equipped with
ShuttleSIM and press SEND, the ShuttleSIM signals its home GSM operator (i.e. the
operator that issues the ShuttleSIM) to do the following:
(a) to call back the roaming GSM handset to the telephone number that is
assigned to the roaming GSM handset by the foreign (local) GSM operator of the
GSM network servicing the GSM handset
(b) to call the destination number that you have dialed
and then bridge (or connect) the 2 calls (a) and (b) to enable you to have
conversation with the party at the destination number.
The operation described in (a) and (b) above are transparent to the you, the
user, and you do not experience any significant delay in making the call. As
the call is dialed by your home GSM operator through its normal high-quality
carrier network, you would experience the normal high-quality service.
Can I do SMS text messaging with the ShuttleSIM?
Yes. ShuttleSIM incorporates current advanced SIM technology and supports all
standard features of a GSM service.
Is Voice Mail service available with ShuttleSIM?
Yes. All calls that are not answered after a certain number of rings
(programmable to suit) are automatically routed to a Voice Mail Server where
the caller can leave a voice message for the called party.
To retrieve the voice mail message, you simply dial 121.
There is a small per minute charge for accessing the Voice Mail Server plus the
air time at the per minute rate for calling a UK number from the country where the ShuttleSIM is located.
Is there a charge for receiving an incoming call to the handset equipped with
ShuttleSIM?
There is no charge for receiving incoming calls when roaming in countries where
the local GSM operators do not impose a per minute surcharge on calls made by
foreign GSM handsets roaming in their GSM network.
As such, there is no charge on receiving incoming calls when roaming in the
following countries:
Algeria, Angola, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Chad, Costa Rica, Croatia Republic, Cyprus, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Mongolia, Monsterrat, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Trinidad/Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, USA - Puerto Rico, USA - Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen Arab Republic, Zambia..
The GSM operators of some countries impose a per-minute charge on all visiting
(roaming) GSM handsets making a call through the local/country GSM network; the
applicable charge is imposed by the local/country GSM operator. There is a per minute charge for receiving incoming calls when roaming in the
following countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua/Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Congo Dem Rep, Cuba, Czech Republic, DenmarkMobile, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecudaor, Ehtiopia, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Faeroe Islands, Fiji Islands, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadaloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Isle of Man, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jersey, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgystan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali Republic, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte Island, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Senegal Republic, Serbia, Seychelles Islands, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia Republic, Somalia, Sri Lanka, St.Kitts & Nevis, St.Lucia, St.Vincent/Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo Republic of, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe. The per minute is still some 50% less than what you would pay if you were roaming in these countries using your regular SIM issued by the GSM operator of your country of residence.
There is an additional charge of US$0.37/minute if an inbound call is dialed (called) to the USA No. of the ShuttleSIM (instead of its UK No.).
Where can I use the ShuttleSIM service?
ShuttleSIM service is designed primarily for use by the business traveler. You can
use the ShuttleSIM service when you are in any of the following countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua/Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo Dem Rep, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia Republic, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, DenmarkMobile, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecudaor, Egypt, Ehtiopia, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Faeroe Islands, Fiji Islands, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadaloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgystan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali Republic, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte Island, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Monsterrat, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal Republic, Serbia, Seychelles Islands, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia-Mobile-Orange, Slovenia Republic, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St.Kitts & Nevis, St.Lucia, St.Vincent/Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo Republic of, Trinidad/Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA - Puerto Rico, USA - Virgin Islands, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen Arab Republic, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
What are the service features of ShuttleSIM service and the benefits it offers to
the user?
ShuttleSIM is based on 3G technology supported by GSM operators that deploy
best-of-breed technology to provide best-of-class services. The outstanding
service features are:
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Calls are made in the format +<telephone number>
where <telephone number> consists of country code, area code and local
number.
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Roaming in more than 190 countries without the regular
roaming charges.
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The low per-minute rates for making calls in any of the
190 countries to telephone numbers anywhere in the rest of the world offer a
saving of up to 85% when compared to the cost of making the same call while
roaming in the country.
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USA phone number and UK phone number
for people to call you.
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You get at your GSM handset equipped with
ShuttleSIM the Call Details Record and Call Cost after each call.
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You can make Account Balance enquiry.
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You can send and receive SMS messages.
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You can access ShuttleSIM's web services to view complete
history of calls made and received.
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You can purchase ShuttleSIM credit on-line at
www.shuttlesim.net with Paypal or Moneybookers.
How do I use ShuttleSIM and ShuttleSIM service?
ShuttleSIM service is very easy to use. It takes 3 steps:
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Insert your ShuttleSIM into your mobile handset.
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Switch on your handset and enter the PIN code provided
with the ShuttleSIM if necessary.
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Your handset will automatically connect to an available
GSM network in the country.
Can ShuttleSIM work with any GSM handset?
No. ShuttleSIM works with most GSM phones as long as the phone is SIM unlocked. When you purchased the phone from your mobile telecom operator, the operator may have "locked" your phone to prevent its use with other mobile operators' SIM cards. Consult the vendor of the mobile phone to get it unlocked.
What happens when you make a call?
When you key in the number you wish to call in the dialing format
+<country-code><area-code><local telephone number> (or *<Country Code><Area Code><Telephone Number># if the GSM handset is not a compatiple model)
ShuttleSIM performs its special call routing operation. This operation may cause
your handset to display messages such as "number not allowed", "blocked call",
"invalid number" perhaps followed by "sending message". These messages are the
GSM handset's response to ShuttleSIM's call routing requests and are normal, and
you should disregard these displayed messages.
If you are using an approved GSM handset, you will get a callback call from the
home GSM operator, and your GSM handset will ring. You should then press the
"Send/Yes" key to answer the incoming call and hear a voice message that tells
you to wait for the call to be connected to the party at the destination
number.
What would cause my approved GSM handset equipped with ShuttleSIM
not be able to
automatically connect to an available GSM network?
An approved GSM handset equipped with a ShuttleSIM will automatically connect to
an available GSM network. In some countries where there are more than one
available GSM operator that can support the ShuttleSIM, you may manually select a
supporting GSM operator if automatic connection to the default GSM operator is
not successful. This can happen if you are in a country where there is more
than one roaming agreement with various GSM operators. When you are unable to
receive or do not receive a callback call after you have initiated the calling
operation, you may manually select another available GSM operator to initiate
the calling operation again.
What do I have to do to get to use ShuttleSIM service?
You have to do the following:
Note that ShuttleSIM is a prepaid service.
When there is no credit remaining in your ShuttleSIM account, you will not be able
to make calls using the ShuttleSIM service. The maximum duration to be allowed for
a call, that you want to dial, is calculated, based on the per-minute rate
according to the dialed destination number dialed and the available credit in
your ShuttleSIM account, by the ShuttleSIM system before the call begins.
How can I test out your service quality?
An authorized reseller of ShuttleSIM service in your local area can give you a
demo to show you how the service work and let you experience the high voice
quality of the service.
How can I become a reseller of ShuttleSIM service, and what qualification do I need
to have?
To apply to become a reseller of ShuttleSIM service, write to
resellerservices@shuttlesim.net and
one of our representatives will contact you within the next business day to
speak to you about the ShuttleSIM Reseller Program.
The basic essential qualifications are that
(a) you have to be able to articulate the concept and the benefits of the
ShuttleSIM service and be able to demonstrate the use of the service and
(b) you have a good business networking in your market
Do you offer private-labelling of the ShuttleSIM service?
The software that supports the user interface for the ShuttleSIM
service is
designed to support private-labelling if required. The decision to offer
private-label production of ShuttleSIM service will depend on the business
proposition of the proposing party. ShuttleSIM supports a 4-level hierarchy or
food chain arrangement including 2 levels of resellers. For further details
please enquire with a ShuttleSIM service sales manager.
How does mobile roaming work?
Roaming is defined as the ability for a cellular customer to automatically make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, or access other services when travelling outside the geographical coverage area of the home network, by means of using a network in the area visited.
Roaming is technically supported by mobility management, authentication and billing procedures. Establishing roaming between network operators is based on - and the commercial terms are contained in - Roaming Agreements. If the network visited is outside the home country, this is known as International Roaming.
GSM Roaming, which involves roaming between GSM networks, offers the convenience of a single number, a single bill and a single phone with worldwide access to over 210 countries. The convenience of GSM Roaming has been a key driver behind the global success of the GSM Platform.
When abroad and "Calling Home"
What actually happens when you "Call Home", and what are you paying for?
1. When abroad and "Calling Home" to a friend, your call is managed by the host operator.
2. The host operator passes the call via 'international transit' to your home operator.
3. Your home operator connects you to your friend's operator and establishes your call.
Who pays for what?
Steps 1 and 2. The host operator charges your home operator a wholesale rate which includes the interconnection costs ("International Transit" and costs for terminating the call) and its own network costs.
What you pay
Your next bill will include the above charges, plus other costs sustained by your operator (i.e. commercial costs, overhead costs, IT costs), plus a "profit margin" applied by your operator.
When abroad and being called from home
When a friend calls you from your home country, you are charged an international roaming price.
1. A friend calls you on your mobile phone while you're roaming
2. His operator routes the call initially to your home operator (which may or may not be the same)
3. Your home operator forwards the call to the host operator you are currently roaming on in the destination country, via 'international transit'
4. The host operator receives the forwarded call, connects you using its network and establishes your friend's originated call
Who pays for what?
Step 1. Your friend will be charged a normal call by his home operator for calling you.
Steps 2 and 3. Your home operator will charge you a tariff which includes inter alia the international transit fees to forward the call to you in the destination country and the cost for terminating the call on the host network.
Your friend pays the standard national rate (step 1).
You as a roamer pay the above charges (steps 2/3), plus other costs (i.e. commercial costs, overhead costs, IT costs), plus any additional charge to provide a reasonable return on investment by your home operator.
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