Your carrier's data on an AT&T SIM

[petemag]

Hi guys,
I can't find the old thread concerning writing your carrier's SIM data on an AT&T, so I made a new one.

I just spoke to one of my tech buddies at Kall Telecom. He said that you CAN write your carrier's data onto an AT&T SIM - and it will work in an iPhone.

However you do need to break the encryption on the card (which shouldn't be a biggie) and it is ILLEGAL - so I'm forgetting that one.

Another thing, when you insert your AT&T SIM with your carrier's IMSI and whatever data is on it - it will only work with YOUR carrier (offcourse). But it's not like it locks your phone or anything.

[mysticusa]

why dont you ask your tech buddies at Kall Telecom to do the copying and post us the result? Would be better to have some more proof about sim cloning (with alterations of course) so that all iphone owners would have a temp hope until real unlocking solution comes out?

[petemag]

Since we're taking over a SIM, which we don't own - illegal - I don't think they want to...

[Scotes]

I don't know what your locality is and IANAL but my understanding of the DMCA exception for unlocking cell phones here in the US makes this 100% legal. I have never seen any representation that a sim card is the property of the provider - my understanding is it is the users property. The AT&T sim that comes with the iPhone is similarly also your property with which you can do as your wish. The DMCA exception states that you can legally break any encryption or DRM to get a cell phone you own to work with any network - this would include any encryption on the sim card.

Thank you to everyone working on hacking the iPhone here! I wish I had all your skills!

[CanMac]

I don't know why it would be illegal to alter AT&Ts sim card. I assume that you've not activated service with AT&T and therefor have not agreed to any legal terms with them. As far as I can tell, you've simply bought a phone from Apple and it happened to come with an AT&T sim inside. I don't beleive that the Faroe Islands legal code would care much about that at all.

Then again, I'm not a lawyer so you might not want to take my advice very seriously.

Cheers,

Barry

[997TT]

To my knowledge, the SIM card is ALWAYS the property of the cell service provider.
This is a tool cell service providers provide to customers for using their services.

[CrUmp]

just want to point it out that a sim card costs you about 15-20 bucks when you're opening new line or change a sim card or move your old number to a new sim card. at this point a sim card just like a disk.

[petemag]

And what is your point, CrUmp?

[davidbistolas]

DCMA does not apply in Canada, and in Canada I'm sure it could be argued loosely that this would fall into the "fair use" provision in the Copyright Act.

However, IANAL.

David

[Scotes]

DCMA does not apply in Canada, and in Canada I'm sure it could be argued loosely that this would fall into the "fair use" provision in the Copyright Act.

However, IANAL.

David

And when it comes unlocking a cell phone in the US the DMCA doesn't apply here. Of course the assumption is that you are paying for the cell service of the network you are connecting to - ie this is not like hacking a DirecTV card to get free tv where in that case you are stealing the service. Also, I believe the accomodation in the DMCA supercedes anything that would be put in an EULA saying don't unlock it.

[lunchboxfett]

I have some blank 3G sims if that would help.

[petemag]

I guess you people that have access to a SIM reader/writer could try to copy your carrier's SIM data onto an AT&T SIM - if you are willing to take that risk.

[MaLer]

I'm affraid, that SIM card mods are no go. Why?

AFAIK only way how to make it working is preserving all AT&T data from SIM except Ki, that your operator will know Ki that he can log your card in network. With cooperation with operator or with older card with V1 you can get Ki, so far no problem. Problem is, that you need to obfuscate HLR, so it will think that AT&T's IMSI is operator's own IMSI. I discsued it with friend from big local GSM operator, that's not possible with their configuration. Becasue there is routing of IMSI before HLR, and if it's not own IMSI, it's directed to original operator's HLR. So it requires some hacking of this routing, which is possible to do, but not so easily.

And beside this it's breaking of some roaming agreements, but this is just on side note :).

So i'm afraid, that's no go.