Forbidden Network status in Australia

[Alanh]

Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone has come across this problem before.

For the second year running I've come to Australia to find that my phone won't work here. I get full bars and when I scan for providers, they're are all listed but have the comment "forbidden network" against them.

Last year I called support but after several sessions they weren't able to resolve it.

On the way home, the phone worked in Singapore and has since worked in Europe and Japan, so obviously is ok for overseas but not Australia.

Before I call support again, anybody got any ideas?

TIA

[Cleoriff]

@Alanh

I'm not sure why that would happen. I would have suggested a roaming bar, however, if the phone works in Singapore et al. it's obviously not that.

My only suggestion would be to contact customer services and ask to speak to a Guru and see if they have an answer. https://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

Personally I have never come across a 'forbidden network' anywhere abroad?

You may need to try a new sim?

Edited to add, I have just found this answer on the EE forum. A similar question about Forbidden networks.

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Android/EE-forbidden-network/td-p/451173

[jonsie]

Have you changed sim cards at all since your last trip to Australia?

Forbidden network usually happens when you have selected 'preferred network'  either in the UK or another country which then locks the network to the sim card. I think you may have to change the sim card which will then release the lock and allow other networks. Have a look in the settings to see if you have a 'preferred network' option which you can untick/switch off.

[Alanh]

@Cleoriff Hi, thanks for that.

I had a read through but not sure what they mean by replacing the rom. I don't think they meant the sim.

In my case it's a contract phone from an o2 shop.

@jonsie Thanks for your comment. No, it's the same sim which was put in when I got the phone just over a year ago. There doesn't appear to be an option to set a preferred network that I can see.

Googling around there are suggestions to reset the network settings etc, but nothing has worked so far.

There have been a couple of phone s/w updates over the last year and many suggestions on the web don't exactly correspond to the current version.

I'll try contacting support again later, when the U.K. wakes up.