General Information

What is a SIM?

A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is a removable smart card for mobile phones that use the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) mobile network. The SIM card allows users to change phones by simply removing the SIM card from one mobile phone and inserting it into another mobile phone.

The SIM card is what we sell you as part of the MAXroam service.

[More information on this subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subscriber_Identity_Module]

What is an unlocked mobile phone?

An unlocked mobile phone is not tied to any particular network. You can put any SIM in it and it will register the SIM and connect to the appropriate mobile network operator.

It is fairly common in the European market. However, in the North American market it is not as common to see unlocked mobile phones.

Your phone may be locked if you purchased it on contract or pay as you go account.

To check if your phone is locked call your mobile service provider.

You can unlock your mobile phone by clicking on the image below:

[More information on this subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock]

What kind of mobile phone do I need?

Our service only works with Java enabled mobile phones that are capable of installing a SIM, and that use GSM networks.

To truely roam the globe, your phone must be at least tri-band, though quad-band phones are recomended for full global coverage.

I have seen other travel SIM services. Why is MAXroam better?

The common method for all “alternative roaming” SIM’s is to originate their service in somewhere like Latvia, Estonia or Liechtenstein, or via a UK-based toll-free phone number. This approach doesn’t work very well. We know because our first product “Roam4Free” used this method.

The problem is that people have to call a strange country code just to call you. It just isn’t intuitive and it isn’t user-friendly. With MAXroam we have made the service work as you would expect plus we’ve added a lot of new features that you will have never seen before.

Will MAXroam work with an older phone?

The MAXroam service works in almost all phones manufactured over the last 4 or 5 years. However, for some older phones there are a few exceptions. For these phones we have specially developed a ‘Menu based’ calling system that allows you to still enjoy ALL of the benefits of low cost calling but with a slightly different experience.

This feature can be found under 'Main Menu' -> 'Roaming' -> 'Call To'

Can I dial 800/900 (Freephone/Premium) numbers?

No. MAXRoam does not support dialling to 800/900 (Freephone/Premium) numbers.

Can I keep my existing phone number?

No. We do not own the rights to your existing phone number. When you purchase a MAXRoam SIM, you can choose a new land line number to be associated with your SIM.

Land line numbers are used to keep the costs for those calling you to a minimum.

What do I do if I lose my SIM card?

If you lose your SIM, please contact Customer Support immediately.

Your lost SIM will then be de-activated, preventing unauthorised use. If you need a replacement SIM, please order it online. Once you receive your SIM, contact Customer Support who will transfer the credit from your lost SIM, to your new SIM.

How long will it take to receive my SIM?

MAXRoam currently offer 2 delivery options:

• Standard @ EUR3.00: 7-10 Working days
• Courier @ EUR30.00: 4-5 Working days
• Overnight @ EUR60.00

Getting Started

How do I install my MAXroam SIM?

1. Make sure your GSM phone operates on the frequency (If your mobile phone is “tri-band” or quad-band” it should work just fine of your destination AND is SIM lock free (unlocked),
2. Switch OFF your phone and remove the battery cover and battery (usually necessary to access the SIM socket).
3. Carefully snap out the MAXroam SIM card chip from the larger card.
4. Insert the SIM into the SIM socket in your phone in the correct position (usually it only fits in one way).
5. Replace battery and battery cover.
6. Turn on the phone.
7. Within approximately 90 seconds the phone will auto activate the service and register on a local available GSM network. If this does not occur, repeat steps 4-6 and be sure the SIM is properly in place or contact the MAXroam support center.

What is my number?

When you receive your SIM from us you will need to go to our website to register your SIM (this is a security measure). When you register you will be able to choose a number from one of the following countries USA, UK, France or Ireland, for your SIM. When you have chosen your number, make a note of it or just come back to the website to your account page.

You can also find your number by going to the phone menu and navigating to the SIM. One of the features of the MAXroam SIM is the ability to find out your number.

Do I need to contact all my friends and business colleagues and tell them I have a new number when I travel?

No, you will have a new number in your country on your MAXroam SIM so you just need to forward your home phone or mobile phone to your new number and this is seamless

How do I setup my voicemail

Dial *151 and follow the instructions.

All my contacts are on my current SIM. How do I transfer them to my MAXroam SIM?

The easiest way to do this is to go to the address book on your phone and find the function that allows you to copy all numbers from your SIM onto your phone. Do this. Now, switch SIMs and do the reverse. Copy all your numbers from your phone address book onto the MAXroam SIM. Each phone is different so you should check the manual that came with your mobile phone or go to the website of your handset manufacturer to find out more details.

Do I need to activate my MAXroam SIM?

If you bought the MAXroam SIM from the maxroam website then no you do not need to ativate it. We will send you an activated SIM and it's ready to go as soon as you receive it.

If you bought the SIM from one of our reseller partners then you do need to activate the SIM on the MAXroam website.

Does the MAXroam SIM have a PIN lock?

No

Using Your MAXRoam SIM

How do I make and receive calls?

For all incoming calls just answer you phone as you normally would. For all outgoing calls do the following:

1. Always dial the FULL international phone number, even if dialling a local number. Only country code, area code, local number. Using the “+”or other international access codes (such as “00”) is NOT necessary.
2. After pressing the SEND key, wait 10 seconds. Your phone will ring.
3. Answer it. You’ll hear the ringing of the party you called.
4. When they answer, you’re connected!

Can I have more than one number on my SIM?

Yes you can, another amazing new feature from MAXroam. You can have up to 50 numbers associated with your MAXroam service. You can have numbers from 28 different countries and if someone rings any of them your mobile will ring wherever you are.

You can also have 50 numbers from the same country. Just think you can give one number to your close friends, another number to your business colleagues and another number to cute guys you meet ;-)

My SMS number is different to my phone number. Why?

All MAXRoam numbers are land line based numbers. This keeps the costs for those calling you to a minimum. These land line numbers canot receive SMS messages, this is why your SMS number is different.

We provide you with an SMS number (+972), which you can view by logging in to MyAccount. To receive SMS messages to your MAXRoam SIM, make sure that those sending you an SMS send it to your +972 SMS number.

How do I check my voice mail?

Dial *151 and press send and your mobile will ring the voice mail system

How much does it cost to check my voice mail?

To find out how much it costs to check your voice mail, go to our rates calculator. Select the country you are roaming in, and any other country as the country you are calling to. The rate for accessing voice mail is the last item in the list.

How do I send a text message?

The same way you always have. Write a message, choose the number to whom you wish to send it and send it.

What’s more with MAXroam you will soon be able to send unlimited texts to anywhere in the world for €20/month. Yes you read that right!

Unlimited text messaging to anywhere in the world for €20/month. Use the Contact Us form to enquire about this offer.

How much does it cost to receive text messages?

Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Receiving text messages to your MAXRoam number is free!

How do I check my account balance?

You can do this via your account page on the MAXroam website by logging in using the username and password we sent you when you registered your MAXroam SIM.

You can also check your balance directly from the MAXroam menu on your mobile phone. Go to the menu and choose “Check Balance”. Once you click it we will send back details of your account balance to your mobile phone. Be patient... it might take 15-20 seconds.

How do I add credit to my account?

You can do this via your account page on the MAXroam website.

Does the MAXroam service expire if I don’t use it?

Yes it does. What we do is charge you a minimal monthly amount EUR 1, whether you use your account, or not, during that month.

This might sound unfair but it is common industry practice for pre-paid type services. Specifically the reason for doing this is because of accounting. When we have prepaid credits for our customers on our books they show up as a liability. If these credits are never consumed, or never expired, we would have a very difficult accounting problem.

Cubic Telecom is a different kind of communications provider. We want to explain why we do everything we do. We will never rip you off or mislead you.

If you would like to know anymore about this please feel free to contact us and we will provide all the gory details from our accountants.

Can I make emergency calls?

Yes. Wherever you are. 999, 911 and 112 all work.

Can I make a data connection?

MAXRoam does not support data connections or data transmission at this time, however we plan to support data transmission in the near future.

I see you are based in Ireland. I don’t live there. Can I use MAXroam?

Most definitely. We originally developed this service for ourselves. Like you, we were sick of being ripped off when we travelled when all we wanted to do was to make calls from our mobiles at reasonable prices.

When we looked into the service a little more we found lots of other cool features we could add such as multiple numbers on a SIM. The result is something we are very proud of -- MAXroam.

The next thing we did was to make it available to anyone, anywhere in the world. That’s what we have done. It doesn’t matter where you live, you can use MAXroam.

By the way... we are based in Cork in the far south of Ireland. Our office is here.

Cork is a great place to visit anytime of the year with lots to see and do. Check out some facts about Cork, from the City’s official website and check out Tourism Ireland’s website about the Cork and Kerry region.

Find out more about Cork on Wikipedia.

Managing myMAXRoam account

How much does it cost to use MAXroam?

It depends where you are and who you are calling. Check out our rate sheet here.

Can I track and manage my account online?

Yes you can. Just go to your account page on the MAXroam website. You can now:

• Purchase Additional numbers
• Remove and Renew additional numbers
• Add credit to your account
• Set up Free Call Forwarding
• View real time call billing
• SMS Anywhere for 5c

How much does it cost to top-up my MAXroam SIM?

It doesn’t cost anything. You can add credit to your account in 25 or 50 values

Do I have to have a credit card to top-up my MAXroam SIM?

You can top up at our site using any credit or debit card or you can also buy top up cards from our retail partners and top up your account that way.

You can even transfer money to us via a bank transfer and top-up your account that way.

We’re in business to make money so we’ll try and accept payment in anyway we can. If you would like to see us offer any other payment methods please feel free to let us know.

Travelling with MAXRoam

Where exactly can I use my MAXroam SIM?

Anywhere in the 160 countries we offer coverage, as per http://www.maxroam.com/where-can-i-use-it.asp, provided you are within network coverage.

Can I call and text anywhere in the world?

Yes.

How do I make international calls when I am travelling?

Always dial the FULL international phone number, even if dialling a local number. Only country code, area code, local number. Using the “+”or other international access codes (such as “00”) is NOT necessary.

My current mobile service provider charges me very high rates when I travel abroad with my phone. You are a small company, how can you offer me such low rates?

The question should really be “how can they justify such high rates?”

We can do it because we are small, nimble and aggressive. We scour the planet for the best routes and interconnects and we incorporate them into our service and offer them to you.

This is an ongoing process. We are constantly analyzing our rates and negotiating new ones. When we get lower prices we pass them on to you immediately. You don’t need to ask us. We just do it.

If you find a lower rate from a comparable service please let us know immediately.

What local numbers can I add to my MAXroam SIM?

You can add the following countries to your MAXroam SIM. Your first choice of one number from Ireland, USA, UK, France, Sweden, Poland or Italy is free of charge. Adding extra local numbers begins at 2.00 Euro per month. All numbers and prices are subject to availability. Some numbers may require additional documentation, details of this are available upon request.

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
El Salvador
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Guatemala
Hong Kong
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Japan
Latvia
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Peru
Poland
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
United Kingdom
USA
Venezuela

If you don't see a country here that you would like don't worry. We are adding new countries all the time.

How can I divert my existing mobile number to my MAXroam number before I travel?

To divert all calls to your MAXroam number on your mobile phone enter the following codes in your handset before removing your own SIM card:

**21* Your MAXroam number # [SEND]

For example: **21*353123456789# then press SEND

Any calls to your phone will now ring on your MAXroam phone.

Can I use MAXRoam in Japan?

Yes, MAXRoam works in Japan. However, to use MAXRoam in Japan requires a 3GSM (or 3G) mobile phone that supports WCDMA 2100.

This is still a GSM phone, however it is using 3rd generation technology which is deployed in Japan. There are 2 different 3G standards presently in use.

To ensure that you have the correct phone for roaming in South Korea, it is advisable that you check with either your current network operator, or preferably refer to their mobile’s handbook to determine whether or not it is WCDMA 2100 compatible.

Can I use MAXRoam in South Korea?

Yes, MAXRoam works in South Korea. However, to use MAXRoam in South korea requires a 3GSM (or 3G) mobile phone that supports WCDMA 2100.

This is still a GSM phone, however it is using 3rd generation technology which is deployed in South Korea. There are 2 different 3G standards presently in use.

To ensure that you have the correct phone for roaming in South Korea, it is advisable that you check with either your current network operator, or preferably refer to their mobile’s handbook to determine whether or not it is WCDMA 2100 compatible.

How can I be sure my phone will work where I am roaming?

Not sure if your phone will work where you roam?

Check your phone manual, and find out what operating frequency your phone will run at. For standard phones, they can run at 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, and this will be stated in your phone's manual. There are also 3G phones that operate at different frequencies, so if you have a 3G phone, find out what frequency it runs at.

Once you have all this information, email us with this, where you are travelling to, and we will let you know if your phonee will work there.