EC21 failed to connect with a SIM card from a foreign country (Spain)

I’ve a problem with a Quectel EC21 modem and a SIM card from a spanish provider connecting from germany.
The problem is that the modem never registerd on a network with this SIM card.
The SIM fails in another EC21 with the same firmware
The SIM card works fine with any other modems Ive tested without any problem.
The modem work fine with a SIM card of another provider.
It works also fine with another card from Telefonica.

Iv’e tested with the Linux Modem Manager and AT-Command interface (pppd). It shows the the same results.
Changing the provider or the mobile generation (lte, edge, gsm, …) dosn’t change the results.

Could that be a incompatibility problem?
A firmware problem? BTW: How do I update the firmware?

Test platform: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Also tested with Raspian OS 10 and older Ubuntu versions)

Here is the info from the Linux Modem Manager (mmcli, imsi and iccid are replaced with xxxxxxxx):


Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/21 info:

General | path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/21
| device id: 58e1198824cec8ef0fb6d008dd448f17d43dbcc5

Hardware | manufacturer: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
| model: QUECTEL Mobile Broadband Module
| firmware revision: EC21ECGAR06A04M1G
| carrier config: default
| h/w revision: 10000
| supported: gsm-umts, lte
| current: gsm-umts, lte
| equipment id: 864394041083561

System | device: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-2
| drivers: qmi_wwan, option
| plugin: quectel
| primary port: cdc-wdm1
| ports: cdc-wdm1 (qmi), ttyUSB3 (qcdm), ttyUSB5 (at), ttyUSB6 (at),
| wwan0 (net)

Status | lock: sim-pin2
| unlock retries: sim-pin (3), sim-puk (10), sim-pin2 (3), sim-puk2 (10)
| state: enabled
| power state: on
| signal quality: 50% (cached)

Modes | supported: allowed: 2g; preferred: none
| allowed: 3g; preferred: none
| allowed: 4g; preferred: none
| allowed: 2g, 3g; preferred: 3g
| allowed: 2g, 3g; preferred: 2g
| allowed: 2g, 4g; preferred: 4g
| allowed: 2g, 4g; preferred: 2g
| allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g
| allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 3g
| allowed: 2g, 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g
| allowed: 2g, 3g, 4g; preferred: 3g
| allowed: 2g, 3g, 4g; preferred: 2g
| current: allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g

Bands | supported: egsm, dcs, utran-1, utran-8, eutran-1, eutran-3, eutran-7,
| eutran-8, eutran-20, eutran-28
| current: egsm, dcs, utran-1, utran-8, eutran-1, eutran-3, eutran-7,
| eutran-8, eutran-20, eutran-28

IP | supported: ipv4, ipv6, ipv4v6

3GPP | imei: 864394041083561
| enabled locks: fixed-dialing
| operator id: 26201
| registration: idle

3GPP EPS | ue mode of operation: csps-2
| initial bearer ip type: ipv4

SIM | primary sim path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/18


SIM /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/18 info:

General | path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/18

Properties | active: yes
| imsi: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| iccid: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| operator id: 21407
| operator name: Movistar
| emergency numbers: 112, 54, 277656, 1610
| preferred networks: 26203 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 26201 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 26202 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 23210 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 23205 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 23207 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 23203 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 23212 (gsm, umts)
| 23211 (gsm, umts)
| 23201 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 20601 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 20620 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 20610 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 23001 (gsm, umts, lte)
| 23003 (gsm)
| 23002 (gsm, umts, lte)

Done.

The info should look like this (Same modem with another SIM card):

Modem /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/20 info:

General | path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Modem/20
| device id: 58e1198824cec8ef0fb6d008dd448f17d43dbcc5

Hardware | manufacturer: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
| model: QUECTEL Mobile Broadband Module
| firmware revision: EC21ECGAR06A04M1G
| carrier config: default
| h/w revision: 10000
| supported: gsm-umts, lte
| current: gsm-umts, lte
| equipment id: 864394041083561

System | device: /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-2
| drivers: qmi_wwan, option
| plugin: quectel
| primary port: cdc-wdm1
| ports: cdc-wdm1 (qmi), ttyUSB3 (qcdm), ttyUSB5 (at), ttyUSB6 (at),
| wwan0 (net)

Status | lock: sim-pin2
| unlock retries: sim-pin (3), sim-puk (10), sim-pin2 (3), sim-puk2 (10)
| state: e[32mconnectede[0m
| power state: on
| access tech: lte
| signal quality: 44% (recent)

Modes | supported: allowed: 2g; preferred: none
| allowed: 3g; preferred: none
| allowed: 4g; preferred: none
| allowed: 2g, 3g; preferred: 3g
| allowed: 2g, 3g; preferred: 2g
| allowed: 2g, 4g; preferred: 4g
| allowed: 2g, 4g; preferred: 2g
| allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g
| allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 3g
| allowed: 2g, 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g
| allowed: 2g, 3g, 4g; preferred: 3g
| allowed: 2g, 3g, 4g; preferred: 2g
| current: allowed: 3g, 4g; preferred: 4g

Bands | supported: egsm, dcs, utran-1, utran-8, eutran-1, eutran-3, eutran-7,
| eutran-8, eutran-20, eutran-28
| current: egsm, dcs, utran-1, utran-8, eutran-1, eutran-3, eutran-7,
| eutran-8, eutran-20, eutran-28

IP | supported: ipv4, ipv6, ipv4v6

3GPP | imei: 864394041083561
| enabled locks: fixed-dialing
| operator id: 26203
| operator name: o2 - de
| registration: home

3GPP EPS | ue mode of operation: csps-2
| initial bearer path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Bearer/5
| initial bearer ip type: ipv4

SIM | primary sim path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/17

Bearer | paths: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Bearer/6


SIM /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/17 info:

General | path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/SIM/17

Properties | active: yes
| imsi: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| iccid: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Location info:

3GPP | operator mcc: 262
| operator mnc: 03
| location area code: 0000
| tracking area code: 0088CC
| cell id: 00C6A833


Bearer info:

General | path: /org/freedesktop/ModemManager1/Bearer/6
| type: default

Status | connected: yes
| suspended: no
| multiplexed: no
| interface: wwan0
| ip timeout: 20

Properties | roaming: allowed
| ip type: ipv4v6
| allowed-auth: none, pap, chap, mschap, mschapv2, eap

IPv4 configuration | method: static
| address: 100.73.218.2
| prefix: 30
| gateway: 100.73.218.1
| dns: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
| mtu: 1500

Statistics | duration: 360
| bytes rx: 15907
| bytes tx: 15746
| attempts: 2
| total-duration: 368
| total-bytes rx: 15907
| total-bytes tx: 15746

Done.

Hi
I will email you the latest version, please check, thank you.

@FelixCheng-Q and @TVarchmin ,

I am facing exactly the same issue . Gloab SIM is not working . Same SIM is working in USA but when it sent to India then it is not working . Also other SIM local SIM works perfectly . We conatcted Vodaphone for this and got following reply
“Vodafone has stated that the SIM card needs to do a location update”

Please let me know if you already found the solution for this

Thanks