iPad 3 is not connecting to 3G service internationally

Does your carrier support 3G for your iPad?

iPad Wi-Fi + 4G is compatible with all carriers that support iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, with additional support for fast 3G networks, including HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA.

copied from iPad Wi-Fi + 4G: About 4G LTE connectivity

There is no 3G switch like on your iPhone4. It is always on 3G, unless the reception is too bad, then it switches to Edge (E).

When I got my new iPad, I had to order a SIM card that supported the data features of my iPad and allowed me to use 3G, tethering, hotspot etc.

After the SIM got activated, the device switched automatically to 3G, which it did not do when I inserted the SIM from my iPhone 4, supporting the same features. The iPhone SIM was not recognized.

I just started a separate discussion on this same topic (sorry, hadn't seen this one):

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3822207

Doesn't work in the Cayman Islands either. EDGE only.

I am having the same problem!

I have the iPad 3 and the original iPad here in Japan. The original iPad has no problem connecting to NTT's 3G network. I take the sim out of the original iPad, insert into the iPad 3 and.... nothing. It goes from "Searching" to "No Service".

Then, I return to same sim to the original iPad and I am back on NTT 3G in a jiff. I have verified all my APN setting (although, it shouldn't affect the iPad's ability to at least recognize the network). I also cannot find any setting/switch/button that would affect it's ability to recognize a 3G network.

After a sim card trouble-shooting, a full reset and much research, I have found out that the iPad 3 modem firmware (baseband) is 1.0.10. Which happens to be a very new baseband that does not have much information.

My iPad 1 baseband is 07.11.01 (running ios 5.1) which works great on the 3G here in Japan. After 3 calls to Apple, the only thing I have come to understand is why the charaters on "The Big Bang Theory" like to make fun of the Apple "geniuses."

I believe (I hope I am wrong bc the answers are not in the near future) there are only two things that can happen:

1. Apple updates the iPad 3 modem firmware to allow the iPad to utilize these other 3G carrier.

2. Each individual 3G carrier changes their network setting and/or SIM cards to allow this baseband to utilize the networks???

"It also works on GSM/UMTS worldwide network technologies including HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA — the fastest 3G networks out there." Apple might need to update the website.

Specifically, I am trying to use NTT Docomo prepaid sim for iPad operating on:

W-CDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA / 2100MHz/800MHz

Which clearly falls within the iPad 3 specs:

UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Anybody out there, please help?!?!?

It's a universal issue I have Verizon in the US and 3G service is a no go. It's an issue that Apple needs to coordinate with the carriers, and fast.

I agree. I don't know if Apple can push out a modem firmware update by itself but if not I'm sure they will address it in the 5.1.1 update. Hopefully, given the severity of the issue, the update will be released quickly.

Same problem here

Hello, just to inform and sorry for my bad English.

I am from Costa Rica and buy the new IPad last week in New York and worked well, to get to my country and see the error I thought it was my new iPad but thank God it is not so because it would have been be sent to USA for warranty, now I see I'm not the only one and I hope this is fixed with a simple software upgrade because in my country there is no 4G networks.

For Users of Costa Rica: operator Movistar prepaid SIM works but sometimes fails with Kolbi intermittently or not.

Hey I'm in Ireland. Ordered my new iPad through the online store on launch day. My 3G service (eMobile Ireland) works very sporadically. I thought at first it was the carrier - I ordered a new SIM card. After testing with the new sim the problem remains. This cannot be a network issue as my iPhone has a eMobile SIM also and it gets perfect 3G signal right beside th iPad. I tried resetting network settings on the iPad and is restored 3G functionality briefly before reverting to Edge network again.

I have a feeling that apple need to update their modem firmware! Hurry please apple! I'm getting sick of tethering my new iPad to my iPhone!

I feel your pain bro. I called Apple Customer Service and was waiting for an agent to check the issue for about 30 mins. She checked with someone senior who said "It's the first time we've had a caller with this issue". I did what she suggested (reset network settings, then tried a full restore) and still the same problem.

FAO: Apple - Your new iPad seems to prefer Edge network to 3G!!! Even though my iPhone 4S on the same network (eMobile Ireland) gets full 3G all the time. Please address this.

I'm waiting for a software update and if the problem persists the iPad is going back to apple. I don't fancy the two hour teidum of restoring my existing iPad to a replacment model only to find it still has the same problem for it to get resolved shortly with a software update.

For me instead of being the fastest iPad yet - it's the slowest.

I don't have wifi / landline internet connection at home, so I rely on 3G the whole time for my data on my iPad. It's making it pretty much unusable for what I bought it for - browsing the web, netflix, youtube, iPlayer, RTE player, internet radio and to use itself as a personal hotspot.

There are many people complaining about this issue. Myself and everyone else on this thread and other websites report it too.

Here is an update to my troubleshooting efforts. I have been in contact with apple and have attempted the following:

Working with apple, they verified that there was no IMEI error being thrown. To me, the means that it should be working fine or (as CalvinBaank stated here https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3822207?start=0&tstart=0) the ipad3 is not tring to connect to 3G at all.

So after further troubleshooting, I purchased 2 new SIM cards and did a full restore with them in the ipad during the restore. The ipad was able to reconize that I had a Japanese sim but still was not able to reconize/connect to the network. After a total of 6 restorations, the ipad was unable to reconize the network everytime.

After further consideration, I will have to add a third possible cause:

3. There is a physical problem with the hardware in the ipad preventing it from using the 3G network.

Hi,

Updated my new ipad to 5.1.1, but the problem still exists.

The changelog mentioned about this bug being solved, but the new ipad still connects to 'E' (Edge) and not 3G. The sim card is 3G enabled and there is 3G network available in the area. The same sim on an iPhone 4 connects perfectly to 3G, but the new ipad doesn't.

Apple, please rectify this!

Thanks