I flashed the Australian Vodafone FW to a country variant of Australia. from PR 249 to PR 299. The Vodafone splash screen went away and no more Vodafone icon in the application list, but the SIM card still doesn't want to work.
So thats more trickly one, basicly if it has been 003 and someone has flasher some newer non-003 firmware in it, then you will never get sim working, ie you have wifi-tablet or brick in your hands.