Is there a global or UK based Wireless internet service for phone device?

[jealousy91]

OK, here's the story...

I live in the US and T-Mobile is my phone provider. My phone was damaged 5 days before I was set to travel to the UK for a month and had to wait 2 days for a new one to be shipped to the store. Then when it got there the employee said because of an issue with the IMEI number from my damaged phone I was unable to get the new one or upgrade and that they'll have to reorder it again within 2-3 business days. I explained that I don't have that much time because I'm travelling so they gave me a prepaid phone and was told it'll have all the features from my T-Mobile One plan (including international calling). What they didn't tell me is that it would only work within the US and now my phone has no service in the UK unless connected to WiFi.

Long story short, is there a global or UK based Wireless internet service that I can pay monthly to connect my phone to? and if so, which one?

 

[mikeymikec]

OK, here's the story...

I live in the US and T-Mobile is my phone provider. My phone was damaged 5 days before I was set to travel to the UK for a month and had to wait 2 days for a new one to be shipped to the store. Then when it got there the employee said because of an issue with the IMEI number from my damaged phone I was unable to get the new one or upgrade and that they'll have to reorder it again within 2-3 business days. I explained that I don't have that much time because I'm travelling so they gave me a prepaid phone and was told it'll have all the features from my T-Mobile One plan (including international calling). What they didn't tell me is that it would only work within the US and now my phone has no service in the UK unless connected to WiFi.

Long story short, is there a global or UK based Wireless internet service that I can pay monthly to connect my phone to? and if so, which one?

I'm not very knowledgeable on this topic, but BT does a hotspot service. I've never tried it, I have no idea what its coverage is like.

Wouldn't you be better off pointing out the problem to T-Mobile and asking them to give you a phone that's fit for purpose?

I've never tried this before (doing this with a phone from abroad, particularly the US), but I wonder whether you could simply take your SIM card out of your current phone, get one in the UK and use it in there and fix your problem that way?