A few weeks before, we reported how to activate BSNL 4G on your number and the steps involved in activating 4G BSNL SIM. As we all know, the BSNL 4G rollout is not yet completed, and only a few circles and regions have the 4G service available. On a trial basis, They initially started the service in Kerala one year back, but still, it is limited to very few areas.
BSNL 4G SIM is now available in the Customer Care Centers and the BSNL Franchises. Also, it is being issued free of cost. So if you wish to upgrade your 2G or 3G SIM to 4G SIM for your BSNL mobile number, you can do it by grabbing a 4G SIM and activating it. If you don’t know, how to do it, then you can check our previous article.
You can activate the 4G SIM at any time if you really need it. But as of now, the service is available in very few areas, and you will get the 4G signal in that particular region only. So if you are using a 4G sim and your area doesn’t have 4G service available, in that case, you will get only 2G or 3G signal.
It is also to be noted that, if the 4G service is available in your region, you will get only 2G and 4G networks in that area if you are using 4G sim. Those who are still using the 3G or 2G sim card in that particular area will get only a 2G signal.
The real reason behind this is that BSNL is using the existing 3G bandwidth for 4G. So, if 4G is available in your region, then there will be no 3G. And if 3G is available there, you can assume that there will be no 4G at all. We also like to remind you that if you are facing any issue in activating your 4G SIM card, you can check our article to find the solution for that.
Read: BSNL 4G SIM Upgrade Not Working ? Here is the Possible Solutions
Why Not to Upgrade BSNL SIM To 4G ?
BSNL is always making some mistakes, and we don’t know why the state-run telecoms are making the same mistake. However, other operators are always doing things looking forward to the future, and thus they will adapt to the new technology and changes very quickly.
But this is not the case with BSNL, and they will do the only thing for the current situation. And when there is a change, then both BSNL and its users have to change everything. This is the case with the SIM card also. All the other operators started issuing 3G and 4G sim cards to all the users once the technology started rolling out.
But BSNL still issued the old 2G and later the 3G sim card to its users, and now all those users have to convert their existing SIM card to 4G again. Now in the new 4G SIM card, BSNL made the same mistake on the 2G and 3G SIM cards.
You cannot use your new BSNL 4G SIM card for international Roaming (IR). To use your BSNL prepaid number in an International location, you should grab an International Roaming capable SIM card from the nearest Customer care, but that sim card is still 3G.
You can check here, how to activate international roaming on your BSNL Number. That is the repeated mistake that BSNL doing. They launched both 2G and 3G prepaid SIM cards without International Roaming capability. Even after rolling out the Roaming service in most international locations, the company launched the new 4G SIM card without the Dual IMSI feature.
Read: Things to Know Before Using BSNL Prepaid SIM For International Roaming
BSNL has a dual IMSI (require for International Roaming) SIM card for postpaid connection only. And if you are going to the customer care for IR enabled SIM card for your prepaid number, they will give an unpaired postpaid sim card for your prepaid number (connection will be the same prepaid, but for IR, an unpaired postpaid sim is used).
But for the 4G SIM card, which was a mistake. They should launch the dual IMSI sim card for 4G also.
I tested the same with my BSNL SIM card. Initially, I was using a 3G prepaid sim card, and IR was not working for me when I was in Dubai, UAE. So, I visited the Customer Service Center (CSC) and grabbed an unpaired 3G postpaid sim card for my prepaid connection. When I returned to the UAE, the sim was working in UAE seamlessly.
Again once I was in India, I managed to get a 4G SIM card and activated it for my number. And, once reached UAE, there is no signal. The same old single IMSI technology is being used in the latest 4G SIM also.
So, if you are looking forward to using the SIM card for IR, then better not activate the new 4G SIM and only do once BSNL issues a dual IMSI SIM card for the 4G SIM card.
Hi, Iam in Oman, sim card showing no net work. How can resolve this issue from Oman?
Pls help me.
You need to contact customer care if you already activated IR
I have been using Dual IMSI 4G sim more than 2year in Japan, During the 2 years once I visit to India one month and go back to Japan international roaming was working properly but I was visit again to India last January and come back Japan end of July sim is not working it showing no service, I did network resetting,cell phone on and off, manual setting to Japan network (NTT Docomo), and I call customer care!,they told me,”international roaming is Active “. what is the trouble in my case if anyone knows please reply!
That might be some network issue. Just do a recharge with an IR pack cost of Rs. 58 and see whether it is working or not.
I tried in the month of april 2022, still dual imsi 4g sim not working in UAE. Hence, because of no way ported out from bsnl
Are you sure that the IR package is active on your number?
Hello Vipin
What if i convert the thr existing bsnl sim to IR enabled ?
It says it costs 2000 rs for activation
700+ for 1year validity
And recharge 167 stv every 90 days ?
There won’t be any activation fee like that. There is one recharge needed for 30 days, which is around 67rs. Or 167 for 90 days.