I am thinking of buying a SIM-free handset of the new HTC Touch HD and would like to know if I will be able to utilise the high speed internet (HSDPA) capability if I put my current phone's SIM inside. I have had the SIM for three years (since I got it with the MDA Vario) and it has WebNWalk (standard) added on my contract.

Has anybody used an old SIM in a new HSDPA capable phone and got the high speeds? I read varying reports - some saying it is down to the contract, some the phone, or the network and some information on Orange that state a certain type of SIM is necessary. I asked an assistant at a T-Mobile store if I would get HSDPA with my current SIM and they just waved my question off with a "yeah, yeah" as if they didn't even know what HSDPA was - rather unconvincing I thought! I suppose a store assistant will tell me anything I want to hear in order to sell me a phone (even though T-Mobile do not sell the HD) so I am not going to believe them just yet.

More information?

Probably not is the answer.

There is no problem with the SIM - it can handle HSDPA

There is no Problem with The Touch HD - it can handle HSDPA

The problem lies with W'n'W Standard - When you got it you might, or might not, have been able to get HSDPA activated but now W'n'W Standard does not support it and it is probably to late to get it added. When it first came out it did not support it officially but some people managed to get it added. Then for a whoile it did include it but then they stopped it.

Try it and see but I doubt it will work - you could phone and ask them to add it but I think they have all been told they can't add it any more, in which case you would need to upgrade to W'n'W Plus (£12.50/ month instead of £7.50) to get HSDPA/HSUPA

Wow! It works for me. WebNWalk standard (had it some time now) and HSDPA speeds flying on my HD. The internet is actually usable. I'm going to have to check my usage as I'm now utilising all those apps that require a connection rather than hunting for a WiFi somewhere and giving up. God Bless you T-Mobile. For now anyway

Good news. You must have got it when they were adding it to Std.

What speeds are you getting? http://www.dslreports.com/mspeed

Very varied with the signal in my particular area - I'll try it out somewhere with a full HSDPA signal and report back...

Had to use the 1Mb download as it kept saying "Too fast/unstable..." with the smaller files.
Result with Opera browser and HSDPA connection (2 signal bars):

960 kbit/sec
0,479s latency
8.811s d/l time

960 is a reasonable HSDPA speed, I get between about 800 and 1200.
It's better than a 56K modem, isn't it?