Free mobile network

[Puggit]

We have shocking phone reception at our French house. American friends have just turned up and can connect to the Free network and stream TV.

When we try and connect using our UK sim phones (Voda and Giffgaff), our phones don't connect to it even though they can see it.

Any ideas?

[smifffymoto]

Have your friends got French sims?

I am in the UK and was struggling with my French Orange sim,got my self an EE sim and the problem has disappeared.

[Puggit]

They have US sims

[WyrleyD]

We have UK 'phones, my one is with EE and connects to Orange Network here near Limoges and the wife's is on GiffGaff and connects to Bouyges and both work fine.

[JonChalk]

Some manufacturers geo-lock their phones to prevent grey imports (or more accurately, to allow them to manage the price they charge by country).

From memory, Samsung are one of the worst.......which manufacturers are we talking about for you and your friends?

edit: Now I think about it, that would be binary; work / not work - doubt it would be downgraded performance, so not likely.

Edited by JonChalk on Sunday 18th August 15:40

[Puggit]

In our experience Samsung has vastly superior reception to iPhone. But we are talking about both.

I suspect we are somehow blocked from connecting to Free.