How to SMS on iPad?

[inquisitor]

Yes, using a phone would solve your issue. Just make sure you carry a microSIM-Adapter so you can use the microSIM in a regular phone.

Another workaround which would also solve your SIMlock problem would be to use a smartphone that supports WiFi tethering as WiFi hotspot so you could flawlessly activate your data option by USSD or SMS on the smartphone and share its internet connection with your iPad by WiFi.
Your observations made with that T-Mobile SIM indicates that your iPad indeed has a SIM- or netlock.

[webdweeb]

Originally Posted by inquisitor

Yes, using a phone would solve your issue. Just make sure you carry a microSIM-Adapter so you can use the microSIM in a regular phone.

Another workaround which would also solve your SIMlock problem would be to use a smartphone that supports WiFi tethering as WiFi hotspot so you could flawlessly activate your data option by USSD or SMS on the smartphone and share its internet connection with your iPad by WiFi.
Your observations made with that T-Mobile SIM indicates that your iPad indeed has a SIM- or netlock.

FWIW, I used my 1st gen iPad 3G with a TIM microSIM card in Italy in 2010 without any jailbreak (I still have the TIM SIM card I used and verified that it still works), so it may be an incompatibility with T-mobile and not a carrier lock issue. I do know that unlocked iPhones don't play well with the US T-mobile data services, so that might be the cause with your iPad as well.