How To Use An Unlimited Data Plan With The iPad

Recently AT&T in the US replaced its unlimited data plan for iPad users with a $25 per month plan that is capped at 2 GB. When I went to purchase my iPad yesterday, the guy in the Apple store told me that there was no unlimited data plan that I could use with the iPad. That was simply not acceptable to me. This is besides the point that I am from India and would like to use the 3G service from my service provider back home, and for that matter, anywhere else in the world. I told the Apple guy that the iPad was not locked to AT&T, unlike the iPhone. So I could buy a SIM card from T-Mobile which has an unlimited data plan and use it in the iPad. He replied that the iPad uses something called a MicroSIM which was smaller than a regular SIM card. Not quite happy with the answer, I decided to investigate.

I walked into a nearby T-Mobile store and began asking questions. I found that a MicroSIM is just a regular SIM card, just that is is smaller in size. Basically the extra plastic around the chip does not exist. Also there is a tool that cuts a regular SIM card to the size of a MicroSIM. So I signed up for an unlimited data plan from T-Mobile and got their normal SIM card cut to the size of a MicroSIM. I then went back to the Apple store, bought an iPad with 3G, chucked out the AT&T SIM card that came with it and stuck in the T-Mobile SIM. It worked. In fact, the WiFi in the hotel I’m staying just gave way and I am posting this using the unlimited data plan from T-Mobile.

So now all I need to do is get myself a SIM cutter and I can use my iPad in any country in the world. Check out the T-Mobile provider name on my iPad.