Best global sim?

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GHA

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Any recommendations? Most important thing is to be able to receive texts for bank codes etc, voice & data not so important, local sims usually OK for that. GifGaff proving to be not but sometimes not up to the task, sometimes eventually provide a service but often not. It's pretty essential cruising so needs to be reliable.

TIA
 
I'm not sure if there's any SIM that's truly global but I've just signed up with 3 for another 2 years. Their SIM only unlimited everything (including tethering/personal hotspot) deal covers the UK & all of the places on this web page for £10/month for the first 6 months & £20/month for the following 18 months. There are "fair use" limits of 19GB/month in Europe & 12GB/month outside Europe on data but I think overall that's a pretty good deal. I live aboard FT so use a lot of mobile/tethering data...
 
V1701 said:
I'm not sure if there's any SIM that's truly global but I've just signed up with 3 for another 2 years. Their SIM only unlimited everything (including tethering/personal hotspot) deal covers the UK & all of the places on this web page for £10/month for the first 6 months & £20/month for the following 18 months. There are "fair use" limits of 19GB/month in Europe & 12GB/month outside Europe on data but I think overall that's a pretty good deal. I live aboard FT so use a lot of mobile/tethering data...
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Was with 3 before but ditched as a contract was too much money for something which doesn't actually get used so went payg with gifgaff, shame it won't receive texts everywhere though.(like Philippines where I am today) . So hoping for a non contract and be able to transfer the number. Might be asking bit much..
 
GHA said:
Any recommendations? Most important thing is to be able to receive texts for bank codes etc, voice & data not so important, local sims usually OK for that. GifGaff proving to be not but sometimes not up to the task, sometimes eventually provide a service but often not. It's pretty essential cruising so needs to be reliable.

TIA
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So we keep up a UK sim only number for Bank codes etc.. It costs us gbp11 per month.

We both have unlocked dual Sim phones and use local sim cards for voice, data etc. Mostly our phone use is ip based WhatsApp, video calls or Skype to landlines. Avoid phones with software SIMs they are difficult to change as you move around.

Fyi.. We were paying approximately gbp 5 for 100gb of data in Indonesia, Australia was a total rip off... We found WiFi hotpots to use. In the Caribbean various providers havery reasonable data packages but these were always changing and we regularly got new sims.

Now in Thailand where we have 250gb data for under 10 quid. We could have had unlimited data for 25 quid a month. All on pay as you go sims.

In the Pacific there is very little mobile in the islands so you use good old fashioned phone cards and occasional Internet WiFi every few months.
 
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I travel a lot ... seems all I do at times !! And I send Superintendents all over the world ....

We used to have contracts with a few Global Providers - but still ended up with roaming charges on a lot of them. In the end we gave up as many countries - S. Korea is a good example - they just don't work ... regardless of what the paperwork says ... because more and more countries are clamping down on mobile services. Basically they want the revenue.
We are also finding that odd countries ... again S.Korea springs to mind - the service provided is restricted and you are literally forced to rent a local phone ... try and get a SIM and they stare at you blank faced !
We now maintain local PAYG sims and just top up / make simple call now and again to keep them active. Otherwise you can fall foul of the ~6 month rule and or no more than ~3 sims etc. against your passport / ID.
As another guy says - local SIMs usually have cheap block rates .. so they are generally a better deal.

I must say that one country that drove me nuts on mobile - was USA. I did a lot of work over there and if I moved county or even town - I could lose all connection. I was told it was because of the tower owners ! not the providers.
Russia is another where you have choice of local region or national ... national is expensive !!

I am very interested if anyone can give link to a good Global provider - because I would look at it for my guys seriously. Trouble is that word Global !!

To be honest because of some of the areas we work - we use Sat phones at times ... rental can work out cost effective against roaming and other costs when you see bills like mine !! But I appreciate for PBO readers - that's really another world.
 
temptress said:
So we keep up a UK sim only number for Bank codes etc.. It costs us gbp11 per month.

We both have unlocked dual Sim phones and use local sim cards for voice, data etc. Mostly our phone use is ip based WhatsApp, video calls or Skype to landlines. Avoid phones with software SIMs they are difficult to change as you move around.

Fyi.. We were paying approximately gbp 5 for 100gb of data in Indonesia, Australia was a total rip off... We found WiFi hotpots to use. In the Caribbean various providers havery reasonable data packages but these were always changing and we regularly got new sims.

Now in Thailand where we have 250gb data for under 10 quid. We could have had unlimited data for 25 quid a month. All on pay as you go sims.

In the Pacific there is very little mobile in the islands so you use good old fashioned phone cards and occasional Internet WiFi every few months.
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Ta. Similar, I've a dual sim and use local data sims usually. Which provider for your sim? WOndering if Giffgaff maybe aren't better or worse than others. Seems bit random, in Philippeans this week, just managed to make a voice call yesterday with gifgaff but it didn't seem to receive a test text. South korea couple times , istr it did receive occasional TXTs there, and very random data. Qatar don't think it worked. Though apart from Philippines not really sailing destinations, works usually just a few weeks a year so can live with that.
Does yours seem reliable for texts?
Wondering now if I just stick with what I have. Thanks.
 
Our UK sim is EE. When I was working had no issue in Russia,korea m, Asia including Bhuan and India or the US with the UK sim. Local sims were ok except in Australia and USA.

Ocean sailing we use a satellite phone
 
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