Oceania (Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific) - phone card vs cell phone

will be traveling in AU & NZ in Sept. After reading about different phone cards and calling Verizon @ cell phone rental I am more confused than ever. Can anyone help? Will basically be calling back to USA to children's cell phones to check in. Thanks

if you will be bring a laptop with you..just use skype?

even if you don't have a laptop, you can still use your skype account. There's a featured called "Skype to Go". It essentially works the same way as a phone card.

More info:
SKYPE TO GO (http://www.skype.com/intl/en/features/allfeatures/skype-to-go-number/)

Phone Cards need access to a phone whereas with a mobile phone you have it with you.

My recommendation if you are going to be doing most of the calling get a vodafone pre-paid mobile when you land. You can use it in both Oz and NZ and the rates are better than what you would pay for a Verizon rental. Oz and NZ use the GSM system so most of the Verizon phones are pretty much useless.

As mentioned phone card requires using a landline phone and those can be expensive (e.g. some hotels charge $$$ for calling certain numbers used by phone cards) or hard to find, while mobile phone coverage is good within urban areas (outside of the cities you do need Telstra NextG to get signal in remote areas -- costs much more). The per minute costs are typically $0.05 for phone card, $0.50 to $1 for cheap mobile such as Vodaphone, and $2 for Telstra. Receiving mobile phone calls is free to you in Australia (the caller pays for Australian plans). So pricing varies by over an order of magnitude, but so does convenience and viability. If you aren't careful it is not difficult to pay $100 per hour for phone calls. Skype or some other VOIP solution is definitely the cheapest (also there are internet cafes all over the place in Australian cities, thanks to a large Asian student population here, which includes Skype for $4/hour price range). Lots of free internet access if you have your own laptop (though Skype is often disabled in the free wifi ports).

Skype or some other VOIP solution is definitely the cheapest (also there are internet cafes all over the place in Australian cities, thanks to a large Asian student population here, which includes Skype for $4/hour price range).

Definitely the cheapest way to go. Play around with Skype before you leave home so you will be comfortable with it. Be sure to buy some Skype credit and select the auto-recharge option linked to a credit card. That way, if your balance falls below US$2 (in my case), you will not be cut off when you run out of money.

thanks so much for the info-Yes I think I am taking my notebook, therefore the skype and skype to go may just work. I appreciate it!! :D

but I have another question relating to the skype to go-our Verizon phone will not work in Australia/New Zealand. Verizon said they would give us a phone to use free-but if we do that can we use the skype to go from it without incurring their fees too?

but I have another question relating to the skype to go-our Verizon phone will not work in Australia/New Zealand. Verizon said they would give us a phone to use free-but if we do that can we use the skype to go from it without incurring their fees too?You would incur fees for using that Verizon phone in Australia/NZ on a non-Verizon network. No idea what Verizon fees are for this service, but typically it is about $1/minute "roaming". Kind of defeats the purpose of Skype. Verizon is a bit confusing as they have a special deal with Skype making for cheap services while within the Verizon network in the US, but those rates don't apply to your intended usage. Verizon is keen to give you a free phone to use (rather than have you go with an Australian provider like Telstra or Vodafone) because they know they will make lots of money on that free phone (I bet their rates are in the $100/hour range and could be much higher even for their cheap Skype to go. The only sure way to guarantee cheap Skype is using a data connection (voip), all the other "fake" skypes are just rebranding of other non-voip products, so the pricing is arbitrary and often hidden.

piggybacking on the thread...

I already own an unlocked quad band phone. Any recommendations for SIM cards?

Also, does anyone know if there's a place in Brisbane Airport (either in the domestic terminal or landside that I'll come to quickly on my way between QF international & QF domestic) where I can get a SIM card?

in same situation at least relating to AU. My BB tied to Verizon, even if i get there global BB from them frre for a mo. Roam charges are way to high. I simply have and use a "prepaid" mobile in AU from 3 or Optus. Cost is about 30 for 300 min, and they generally add another 300-500 min free, but have to use them within 30 days. Use the phone for most biz calls & to call friends fam in US. If needed just add more minutes. Not sure if AU will worl in NZ.

I do have Skype (only makes financial sense if your calling PC to PC). Keep in mind the time difference to US. have a S acct, can call pc to mobile in US but cost is not as good as PP mobiles. BTW...aware of VZ/Skype. Unless you have a new BB you'll have issues using skype.

Only other option I know w VZ is to get the BB tour, have VZ completly unlock the phone while in US. Then buy a PP Sim card in AU and NZ, put it in then youll need to call the AU or NZ co to have them unlock. You then simply place calls by accessing the PP sim card (getting around the VZ roam charges). Suggest you disable your email accts before leaving US or you'll get hit with roam charges for data. The bill will give you a h-attack if you dont.

Telstra and Vodafone have shops in all major airports (def. in SYD and MEL, think also at BNE). But sims are sold on every street corner (7-11, etc. as well as electronics stores). Telstra has the best network but also costs more; so depends on whether you need primo service. I use Vodafone and am happy with it (decent network for 98% of population, but only Telstra NextG in the really remote areas, however you cannot buy a NextG phone in US so any quad band you have won't be good enough to be NextG capable -- strange how often Australia is technologically ahead of the US).

Vodafone AU does work in NZ but you get roaming rates (not sure how expensive, but any NZ sim will be cheaper). For data you can now buy USB 3G modem for AUD 79 with 1GB data included, that would also allow Skype calls on your laptop.

Number 6-Verizon said Incoming and Outgoing calls in australi would be .99 nad in NZ-$1.99 and to send and receive texts would be .5-.50. Now if I understand you correctly their would then be roaming charges on top of that? they didn't mention that -but I certainly wouldn't want to go to all this trouble and get hit with huge bills later. thanks

Roaming charges vary by each plan and I don't know the Verizon plan (probably they have several different ones with different terms for roaming). Typically international roaming is a set fee for the whole country, and simply goes off-network if you roam outside of that area (so you would get no signal in the remote areas where you might be able to roam using an Australian sim). But some plans do have additional roaming, only Verizon can tell you if any extra roaming would ever apply to your specific plan. Interesting that Verizon usage in NZ costs double than in Australia (usually NZ is cheaper). Using an Australian sim changes your costs significantly (free incoming calls, cheap local calls, and even calls to US will be under AUD 1 per minute, though it may be close to that). Of course that requires having an unlocked GSM phone or buying one in Australia (often available for AUD 19 for an entry level phone, certainly no more than AUD 49).

I will have to call Verizon again but I think it sounded too good to be true. Right now I'm leaning towards getting a phone once we get to Australia and then getting a sim card. but I do want one that will work in both Australia & NZ. Again, thanks for all the info. the skype on laptop is looking better and better.

All sims will work in NZ but you mean getting the low local rates in NZ; I am not aware of any plan like that! For example Vodafone has a network in both Australia and NZ but using Vodafone Aust sim in NZ gets rates that are about 5x higher than using Vodafone NZ sim in NZ (about USD 0.60 per minute, so not much cheaper than your Verizon rates). And that is probably the best case. However sim can be bought for AUD 2 in Australia, presume similar price in NZ (usage is extra, the AUD 49 Flexicap is probably what you want). So having to have a new sim for NZ is not a significant expense (it does mean a different NZ phone number).

Ultimately the issue is how many hours of talk time you will use, and also local calls being much cheaper with a local sim. I've found lots of need for local calls (even simple things like calling a cab) and having an in-country phone number is sometimes essential.

Don't think we will be making too many local calls within Australia/new Zealand. Mostly for calling back to US. If I buy phone in Australia and then get sim card to use will I have to get another sim card to use while in NZ? Is there not one simm card to use in both countries?

... Is there not one simm card to use in both countries?I am not aware of any that give local rates in both NZ and Australia, even from the same company (technically they are separate companies in each country just same parent ownership). Of course all sim cards work -- just get more expensive rates. The rates vary for each plan, so there are literally hundreds of different rates to compare just for Aust/NZ. No plan is the "best" and maybe for what you want the Verizon international charges are cheap enough and it isn't worth the effort of managing phones/sims that you won't be using after the trip. If you already had an unlocked phone it might be worthwhile.

For NZ you could look at using http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/calling-overseas

44cents/minute to call USA Moblies & Landlines, SIM cars are $NZD2

thanks so much for everyone's help-after all is said and done I think I might stick with the skype and forget the phones.:p

Just go into an internet cafe in Australia & purchase a calling card there which you can use from a public phone or your hotel room. They have excellent and very competitive rates calling from Australia to the USA & Canada.

I have a calling card that I bought from a Global Gossip internet cafe in Darwin which lists the local landline numbers to call from whatever city you're in at the time (cost of a local call).

If outside a major city or if you don't have any coins for a local call there is a 1800 number on the back but note that the charges per minute are slightly higher if using this option.

Don't forget to check the cost of making a local call from your hotel room versus from the hotel foyer.

I'd forget about the global roaming business as you never really know how much it's all going to cost you. Check with your cell phone service provider in the US who pays the international charges if someone calls your cell from the US as unless I'm mistaken you are liable for those charges too.

I think the best SIM card, based on some research, is www.lebara.com.au.



piggybacking on the thread...

I already own an unlocked quad band phone. Any recommendations for SIM cards?

Also, does anyone know if there's a place in Brisbane Airport (either in the domestic terminal or landside that I'll come to quickly on my way between QF international & QF domestic) where I can get a SIM card?

I am confused by these various options. I'll be in Australia for four months (late August-late December). My Verizon phone here won't work there. So what is the most cost effective approach to get a cell phone with pay-as-you-go options since I don't expect to use it that much. I will be traveling around the country so it will be useful to have a cell.

I saw a story in today's NY Times about Telestial, but their rates by minute seem pretty high. BigFlyer's link to Lebara seems good, but what do I do for a phone? Get one here or one there and from whom?

Thanks.

The first question is do you have an unlocked GSM phone that will work on non-North American frequencies (you need 900 Mhz and/or 1800 Mhz.)

If not, buy a cheap one on ebay, or Amazon. I just looked on Amazon, and saw a Samsung E1080 for $34.95 with free shipping.

Or, if you have a locked one, figure out how to unlock it.

I did in fact use the Lebara SIM I mentioned above when I was in Australia and was satisfied with it and thought it had the best pricing.

One more thing. You said you will be traveling around the country, you might want to look at the coverage maps of the various carriers. Looks like coverage is widespread in the coastal areas, but very thin in the interior.


I am confused by these various options. I'll be in Australia for four months (late August-late December). My Verizon phone here won't work there. So what is the most cost effective approach to get a cell phone with pay-as-you-go options since I don't expect to use it that much. I will be traveling around the country so it will be useful to have a cell.

I saw a story in today's NY Times about Telestial, but their rates by minute seem pretty high. BigFlyer's link to Lebara seems good, but what do I do for a phone? Get one here or one there and from whom?

Thanks.

The first question is do you have an unlocked GSM phone that will work on non-North American frequencies (you need 900 Mhz and/or 1800 Mhz.)

If not, buy a cheap one on ebay, or Amazon. I just looked on Amazon, and saw a Samsung E1080 for $34.95 with free shipping.

Or, if you have a locked one, figure out how to unlock it.

I did in fact use the Lebara SIM I mentioned above when I was in Australia and was satisfied with it and thought it had the best pricing.

One more thing. You said you will be traveling around the country, you might want to look at the coverage maps of the various carriers. Looks like coverage is widespread in the coastal areas, but very thin in the interior.

Thanks. Got the phone. Will look for Lebara when I get to Oz.

Telstra (http://telstra.com.au/) have the widest coverage, especially in remote areas, but you pay for it.
Lebara here: http://www.lebara-mobile.com.au/en/

Other major carriers
http://vodaphone.com.au/personal/index.htm
http://www.optus.com.au/home/
plus a lot or resellers

Has anyone used virgin Australia? I saw they had this
http://www.virginmobile.com.au/Shop/ProductDetails/4067/Home-Made
Seemed like a good deal for calling back to the US.
Cheers
Howie

Assuming there is no "flagfall" on their rates, 10 cents per minute to the US with no flagfall is competitive with Lebara's 5 cents per minute with a 25 cent flagfall.


Has anyone used virgin Australia? I saw they had this
http://www.virginmobile.com.au/Shop/ProductDetails/4067/Home-Made
Seemed like a good deal for calling back to the US.
Cheers
Howie