Travel Technology - Going to OZ - Cell phone question

All,

I will traveling to OZ for 2 weeks on business. Currently my provider is Cingular. So I carry GSM devices.

For 2 weeks what option would you recommend to keep the lowest cost on cell phone usage? Rent? Use Cingular's international roaming?

Thanks,


JAB

All,

I will traveling to OZ for 2 weeks on business. Currently my provider is Cingular. So I carry GSM devices.

For 2 weeks what option would you recommend to keep the lowest cost on cell phone usage? Rent? Use Cingular's international roaming?

Thanks,


JAB

Number 1 it depends on the phone that you have? Will it support 900 and 1800 on the GSM frequencies. I doubt it unless you have a unlocked quad band phone. If the phone is unlocked you can get a in country sim and use. Cingular will charge you somewhere around $6.00 a minute for calls. Renting is crazy, you can buy a cheap phone for what you will spend in rental fees. I travel throughout the old Soviet Republic Block nations every month. A local sim card is the way to go for me. You can use a local calling card to save you money to call home if you need to. Look at www.prepaidgsm.net they have the listing of all the local sims and what they will cost. Please don't give cingular your money like that. If your phone is a quad band and locked, and cingular wont give you the unlock code for it. Look up www.iunlock.com, and see if your phone is listed they will unlock for around $20.00. I have used this service before ,and they are quite good and prompt with the service. If you are in the Boston area you can stop in the store and they will unlock it while you wait. Oh by the way I am not associated with this company in any way. I have just used their service.

d you recommend to keep the lowest cost on cell phone usage? Rent? Use Cingular's international roaming?


You could buy a pre-paid SIM from Vodafone when you arrive at Sydney Airport. I'm not sure how the prices will compare but you can check out the plans and rates here (http://store.vodafone.com.au/vfone_plans.cfm)

we had the same situation a few months ago.

we have cingular (nokia 3100b), which we bought locked, and i unlocked myself.

on arrival, we bought a prepaid optus sim (compare -- telstra was way more $$). got it at the optus store, and they were most helpful, got it going and checked it out. they even offered to unlock it if it was still locked. was very inexpensive, perhaps we spent $50 for two weeks of long daily calls to the u.s.

once when we had a problem we put the cingular sim back in and were able to call, and the charge was $1.99/minute.

I've used Optus and Vodafon in Oz and they've both been great. Only
difference is the rate plans... just dig through both of them
and decide which one to get.

Dont use your Cingular for roaming in Oz. and renting is a bad idea.

as others have said, get ur phone unlocked (if a quad band) or
buy a cheap tri/dual band phone which covers 900 and 1800.

once when we had a problem we put the cingular sim back in and were able to call, and the charge was $1.99/minute.

Plus Roaming tax (if I recall correctly)

I find that Skyping my calls from the hotel room is the biggest money saver.

The huge advantage (IMHO) to a local phone is that the taxi companies will actually call you back when they can't find you, etc.

I own SIM chips for 7+ countries. It's a minor expense compared to the $1K+ Cingular bills I used to have.

I carry my cingular phone, read the number off, and call them right back on my local phone (or skype).

Make sure you get the SIM from the provider with the good int'l rates.

I used Telstra. As with any provider, incoming calls were free. Calls to the U.S. were 33 cents a minutes plus 25 cents connection fee. Calls with Ausltralia were more expensive, 66 cents a minute or so. I bought a $25 SIM card with $25 talk time. Check rates from Vodaphone and Optus also. They might offer better rates.

All,

Thanks for the SIM reminder. I have 2 quad band unlocked GSM phones and an imate, also unlocked. I will search for the best short term SIM solution and post the results.

Thanks,

JAB

All,

Thanks for the SIM reminder. I have 2 quad band unlocked GSM phones and an imate, also unlocked. I will search for the best short term SIM solution and post the results.

Thanks,

JAB

Ive used Optus the last couple times I have been there and been very happy. Good rates and CS.

Ive used Optus the last couple times I have been there and been very happy. Good rates and CS.

I remember we went into both the Optus and Telstra stores near the Rocks and were dumbfounded by the difference in rate plans for outgoing international calls. Telstra would have cost us (as I recall), 4 times more.

We also used VOIP from the hotel room, but there's nothing like a mobile phone when you are running around town.

I used Telstra. As with any provider, incoming calls were free.

I would not assume that incoming calls are free. I use an Indian local prepaid SIM and incoming calls are not free. It all depends on the rate plan you take.

I would not assume that incoming calls are free. I use an Indian local prepaid SIM and incoming calls are not free. It all depends on the rate plan you take.

Depends on the country and in some cases the rate plan. For instance in the UK I have three SIMs that all have free incoming. In Japan, for example, it depends on the plan. I think incoming were free in Finland as well and probably Australia but it is best to check.

I would not assume that incoming calls are free. I use an Indian local prepaid SIM and incoming calls are not free. It all depends on the rate plan you take.

Which Provider would that be? I believe the incoming calls are free as long as
you are in the calling circle (within the state where your service is based out of.) But roaming charges outside of the home area is not that bad either in
India.. on a Local SIM.

I would not assume that incoming calls are free.

AFAIK incoming calls on all carriers here in Oz are free. Always have been and I can't imagine any new player who did something different would get a competitive edge.

I would not assume that incoming calls are free. I use an Indian local prepaid SIM and incoming calls are not free. It all depends on the rate plan you take.
In Australia, incoming calls are free. On all networks - Telstra, Optus, Vodafone (GSM 900/1800) and "3" (WCDMA/3G). If you're paying for incoming calls, that's a function of your international carrier.

With regard to pre-paid SIM cards, Virgin Mobile is very competitive. Virgin re-sells airtime on Optus, the 2nd best coverage network in Australia.

If you have a 3G capable 'phone, and are sticking with the capital cities, you might consider a "3" prepaid (www.three.com.au).

And to Telstra - the most expensive, but with the best national coverage in Australia. Most Telstra base stations are dual 900/1800 GSM.

I find that Skyping my calls from the hotel room is the biggest money saver.

The huge advantage (IMHO) to a local phone is that the taxi companies will actually call you back when they can't find you, etc.

I own SIM chips for 7+ countries. It's a minor expense compared to the $1K+ Cingular bills I used to have.

I carry my cingular phone, read the number off, and call them right back on my local phone (or skype).

Make sure you get the SIM from the provider with the good int'l rates.

I heartily endorse this approach; a combination of Skype and local SIMs has saved me a packet over the last 18 months.

The US is (IIRC) the only country where the called party pays for incoming wireless calls. It's also part of the reason why we use far more voice minutes and have far more incoming calls than other countries (another aspect is that in most countries even local landline calls are metered/charged). The flipside of that equation is that the calling party pays substantially higher rates when calling a mobile. There're workarounds (having SIMs for each carrier so that calls are 'on-network', etc), but by and large it's more expensive.

Which Provider would that be? I believe the incoming calls are free as long as
you are in the calling circle (within the state where your service is based out of.) But roaming charges outside of the home area is not that bad either in
India.. on a Local SIM.

Airtel Delhi and I often roam outside of Delhi. Also it is important to note that I am talking about prepaid specifically.

Airtel Delhi and I often roam outside of Delhi. Also it is important to note that I am talking about prepaid specifically.

If you are within the calling area, it shouldnt charge you for incoming calls..
even for the pre-paid.

If they are charging you for incoming within the calling area.. you might want
to email them/call them.

I wil spend a month in Sydney in Sept/Oct. Will need to make calls to the US and within Sydney. Since this thread is about a year old, I wondered if the information here is current.

I have an unlocked Cingular 8125 quad band.

Thanks

I wil spend a month in Sydney in Sept/Oct. Will need to make calls to the US and within Sydney. Since this thread is about a year old, I wondered if the information here is current.

I have an unlocked Cingular 8125 quad band.

Thanks

Pretty much, unless you have a "NextG" (800 MHz 3G) capable handset. I don't know what a Cingular 8125 is :) but I assume by "Quad Band" you mean GSM quad band with at least 900MHz or 1,800MHz capability?

In which case buy a prepaid GSM SIM card from any provider, keeping in mind coverage issues noted previously.

If you need to make international calls, don't use a mobile - buy a 'phone card from any corner store. Less than A$0.10 per minute to the LOTFAP...

do optus and vodafone SIM cards work in new zealand, too?

or will i need to get 2 cards?

do optus and vodafone SIM cards work in new zealand, too?

or will i need to get 2 cards?

Yes - but it's expensive!

http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Template_woRHS&FP=/personal/mobile/internationalmobile/roaminginternationallyprepaid&site=personal
http://www.vodafone.com.au/Personal/CoverageRoaming/InternationalRoamingwithVodafoneWorld/VodafoneWorldforPrepay/index.htm

do optus and vodafone SIM cards work in new zealand, too?

or will i need to get 2 cards?

Only get local SIM cards if you are expecting a lot of incoming calls.
If its just for convenience, you might be better off with your US phone
with international roaming enabled. In many cases you can get away with
using SMS/text messaging.. and generally its not too expensive.

Airtel Delhi and I often roam outside of Delhi. Also it is important to note that I am talking about prepaid specifically.

OP ask about cell phone in OZ, not India and I assume you don't know anything about cellphone in Oz. :rolleyes:
Incoming call for cellphone in Oz is free regardless you're on a plan or prepaid. However it will cost you more when you call cellphone in Australia. For example: International call from US to Australia Landline cost 3 cents/min, to cellphone cost 16 cents/min.
In Australia, most prepaid will charge you roaming if you're not in your local area. So, if you do travel to different cities in Australia, you should keep that in mind.
In general, Optus & Vodafone will offer better rates than Telstra.

OP ask about cell phone in OZ, not India and I assume you don't know anything about cellphone in Oz. :rolleyes: My comment about India was illustrative to warn him to double check before assuming. :rolleyes: When one assumes it can lead to some nasty surprises.
Incoming call for cellphone in Oz is free regardless you're on a plan or prepaid. However it will cost you more when you call cellphone in Australia. For example: International call from US to Australia Landline cost 3 cents/min, to cellphone cost 16 cents/min.
In Australia, most prepaid will charge you roaming if you're not in your local area. So, if you do travel to different cities in Australia, you should keep that in mind.
In general, Optus & Vodafone will offer better rates than Telstra.

Since you validated what I said, why would you assume that I know nothing about cellphones in Oz? I know plenty about my Vodafone prepaid card for Oz. :D

In Australia, most prepaid will charge you roaming if you're not in your local area. So, if you do travel to different cities in Australia, you should keep that in mind.
In general, Optus & Vodafone will offer better rates than Telstra.

I've all three major GSM providers in Oz. and IIRC Optus and Vodafone
offer free incoming nationwide.

I've mostly used em on the east coast.

In Australia, most prepaid will charge you roaming if you're not in your local area. So, if you do travel to different cities in Australia, you should keep that in mind.

No they won't as there's no concept of a "local area" with mobile phone numbers in aus, you'll only get roaming charges if you're outside of aus

Only get local SIM cards if you are expecting a lot of incoming calls.
If its just for convenience, you might be better off with your US phone
with international roaming enabled. In many cases you can get away with
using SMS/text messaging.. and generally its not too expensive.

That would be good advice for someone who is just carrying the phone in case of an emergency call to/from the US and doesn't plan to use it locally.

But we have found a local number indispensable on our last few trips to coordinate meetings with friends, finding hotels, and for other matters. I refuse to pay the absurd $1-2 per minute rates charged by most US cell companies, not to mention that I bet most people in Aus and NZ don't want to be dialing you back on an international number. So local SIM cards are almost always a better bet for price and convenience. And as noted, free incoming is huge!! :cool:

That would be good advice for someone who is just carrying the phone in case of an emergency call to/from the US and doesn't plan to use it locally.

But we have found a local number indispensable on our last few trips to coordinate meetings with friends, finding hotels, and for other matters. I refuse to pay the absurd $1-2 per minute rates charged by most US cell companies, not to mention that I bet most people in Aus and NZ don't want to be dialing you back on an international number. So local SIM cards are almost always a better bet for price and convenience. And as noted, free incoming is huge!! :cool:

In Oz, unless you have free minutes in the plan, the calls to a local
mobile phone will cost you more than a call to US number.

SMS/Text usage is much more common outside of US. And generally
a text message would cost you under 10c-25c with most US plans.
Now this is not bad.

I used to have SIMs (prepaid+postpaid) from several different countries.
but for convenience I settled with just one Post-Paid plan with reasonable
roaming costs. It actually works out about the same.. and I only have
one number to worry about. Friend's would gladly call me or SMS me.
And it keeps unnecessary usage down.

That would be good advice for someone who is just carrying the phone in case of an emergency call to/from the US and doesn't plan to use it locally.

But we have found a local number indispensable on our last few trips to coordinate meetings with friends, finding hotels, and for other matters. I refuse to pay the absurd $1-2 per minute rates charged by most US cell companies, not to mention that I bet most people in Aus and NZ don't want to be dialing you back on an international number. So local SIM cards are almost always a better bet for price and convenience. And as noted, free incoming is huge!! :cool:

This is good advice - I travel to the UK regularly and have a Virgin Pre-Paid and my friends/family/colleagues over there appreciate the fact I have a local number.

In Oz, unless you have free minutes in the plan, the calls to a local mobile phone will cost you more than a call to US number.


What is the mobile-to-mobile per minute rate (within AUS)? I thought it was something like .29 extra per minute (and free incoming).

In the US most cell plans include a bucket of minutes but do not include international dialing (extra cost). And if I bring my phone to Australia, it will be $1-2 per minute both incoming and outgoing, plus international long distance charges to call the pub around the corner. :eek:

The text message advice is good but I generally don't text business and won't be texting relatives back in the US.

What is the mobile-to-mobile per minute rate (within AUS)? I thought it was something like .29 extra per minute (and free incoming).

In the US most cell plans include a bucket of minutes but do not include international dialing (extra cost). And if I bring my phone to Australia, it will be $1-2 per minute both incoming and outgoing, plus international long distance charges to call the pub around the corner. :eek:

The text message advice is good but I generally don't text business and won't be texting relatives back in the US.

Its been a while since I've used the OZ SIMS, but with Optus, the cost
was somewhere between .20s-.50s per minute.. and they had flag fall (connection) charges as well.

Later I got Vodafon (since all my friends had it.. ) I had some free minutes
during the day and a lot at night.

other call costs were somewhere between .20s-.40s
(this was over 2 years back)


My trips were not business related.. so I got away with text a lot.

Average cost to own a pre-paid SIM in OZ is at least $30-35 AUD.
Do the math.. if you can get away with your US phone.. great..
if not.. get a local SIM.

For OP: Not a great idea to Own a pre-paid SIM from one country and use it in another.. it will cost a lot more. (Except for some SIMs in Europe - that work in several countries within europe)