network locked sim card inserted

[mm84010]

hi,

I travelled to north africa. I bought a sim card to used with my phone, Samsung Galexy S3 mini which I bought from Public Mobile. but i receive this message "Invalid SIM card.  Network locked SIM card inserted" and asked to enter "SIM network unlock PIN"!

How I can get this pin code?

yours,

mohamed

[imm1304]

"How come i have to pay PM to unlock a phone i pucharse from PM#"

This is the norm, all carriers offer unlocking service for a fee.  

The phone you purchase from PM came locked to PM.  Same way phones purchased from Rogers/Bell/Telus/Virgin/Koodo/Fido come locked to their respective carriers.  As long as you use this phone with PM, it works fine.  If you want to use it with other networks, you have to get it unlocked.  Choice is yours if you want to pay PM or someone else to do this.  

[Pier]

 @imm1304

How come i have to pay PM to unlock a phone i pucharse from PM#

[imm1304]

Just a clarification, @Pier,

PM does unlock phones for $50.

http://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Knowledge-Base/Unlocking-Your-Phone/ta-p/5237

In this case, a Samsung S3 mini would be much cheaper to unlock via a 3rd party such as an ebay seller or unlockit, cellunlocker, etc.

[TroyDaBes]

I think it meant that the phone is locked. So you need to unlock it to use other sim.

[Pier · Accepted solution]

All the PM phones are locked to PM. I' m not sure, even after unlocking a PM phone, you can use it with another carrier. To facilitate the things for you there, just buy a local phone to use. PM never gives unlocked code. 

Good luck! 

[bryanbreguet]

I didn't know PM used to sell phones. In your case it seems the phone is locked. You need an unlock code. You can find some on eBay or unlockmenow.ca

[mm84010]

no, I'm trying to use my phone, bought from public mobile, in north africa with local-carrier sim card.

when I inserted the sim card, the phone requested a pin code to unlock it!

[bryanbreguet]

Not sure I understand. Are you trying to use your Public Mobile sim card in north Africa? That won't work, PM doesn't offer roaming.