Phone blocking in South Cyprus

[The Dog Walker]

My son arrived in Alsancak 2 weeks ago, having travelled from Ireland, via Heathrow to Larnaca. He picked up his pre-booked car, as usual, phoned me, to say he was on the way, then phoned again after crossing at Metehan. A week later we visited Salamis, then crossed the border near GaziMagusa, to visit the Thalassa Municipal Museum, at Ayia Napa. My son has a 'roaming phone' which is used all over the world, but shortly after leaving the Museum, it was blocked and ceased working. This situation continued until he was back in NC. This morning he tried to phone the hire company at Larnaca, to let them know what time the car would be returned, but again was informed that his phone was blocked. His wife then phoned the Hire C. from S.Ireland!
Surely, this phone blocking, though inconvenient and stupid to us, will cause far more damage to the businesses involved, some of whom are trying to survive.

[Hedge-fund]

This sounds technical rather than political.

You say it was "blocked" in Ayia Napa and then more recently in NC. So I'm assuming it has worked intermittently both sides of the green line.

I have a roaming phone and the initial set up was very confusing. I fell foul of very restrictive rules a few times before getting it right. Basically you get very little automatic data allowance in Turkey (NC) whilst roaming - mine was going dead after £30 and I need £300 pw.

Suggest he checks his data limits as a first point of call. There will be different ones for EU and NC.

[The Dog Walker]

Thank you Message 2 for your comments, but I just want to add that when my son returned to Larnaca this afternoon, his phone worked perfectly normally just a few kms from the airport, and continues to do so, within the airport, so we are even more convinced that it was blocked soon after our visit to the Museum in Ayia Napa. Whilst in N.Cyprus it worked perfectly normally for 15 days, to Ireland, Brazil,UK, USA, Norway and other places, 4 of them just this morning, but not at all to Southern Cyprus, so regrettably, political is the one we are opting for.

[KWAKERT4]

recently returned from 6 weeks in Paphos. Wife and I had no problems with either calling or receiving.


T