BrendanChandler
Member
<font color="blue"> Any advice on how to use mobile phones on the move without spending a fortune on calls
Thanks
Brendan </font>
Thanks
Brendan </font>
using Mobile Phones with a UK number whilst sailing through different
- Thread starter BrendanChandler
- Start date
steve_cronin
N/A
- Joined
- 16 May 2001
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- 4,187
Buying a pay as you go SIM locally is the easiest if your roaming charges are excessive.
I am though, guilty of not following this advice. With an annual contract it is just too easy to press "call"
Steve Cronin
I am though, guilty of not following this advice. With an annual contract it is just too easy to press "call"
Steve Cronin
Hi Brendan,
There is no cheap way of using a UK mobile number for making/receiving calls whilst abroad. We settled on buying a pre-paid telephone card from whichever country we were in and found the cost to be quite manageable...about 85% less than using the mobile. Texts were cheap and the family used those to contact us if they wanted us to phone them.
Approximate prices from Europe to UK are £0.80 to £1.10 per minute to make a call and the same to receive!!
Phil
There is no cheap way of using a UK mobile number for making/receiving calls whilst abroad. We settled on buying a pre-paid telephone card from whichever country we were in and found the cost to be quite manageable...about 85% less than using the mobile. Texts were cheap and the family used those to contact us if they wanted us to phone them.
Approximate prices from Europe to UK are £0.80 to £1.10 per minute to make a call and the same to receive!!
Phil
Re: using Mobile Phones with a UK number whilst sailing through differ
You might also consider the range of VOIP phones now out.
These are usb computer phones that allow you to call anyone online for free and anywhere else in the world for the cost of a local call.
We have just started using the Skype software which gives superb quality. Its a great way to keep in touch as long as you have computer access.
While still no substitute for a mobile, they can reduce your phone bills for sure!
You can read more here and download the software for free.
I have no connection with Skype other than an automated immediate debit to your bank account, of a large sum of money, that takes effect upon your reading this. I thank you.
You might also consider the range of VOIP phones now out.
These are usb computer phones that allow you to call anyone online for free and anywhere else in the world for the cost of a local call.
We have just started using the Skype software which gives superb quality. Its a great way to keep in touch as long as you have computer access.
While still no substitute for a mobile, they can reduce your phone bills for sure!
You can read more here and download the software for free.
I have no connection with Skype other than an automated immediate debit to your bank account, of a large sum of money, that takes effect upon your reading this. I thank you.
altair2
New member
Re: using Mobile Phones with a UK number whilst sailing through differ
Having spent the past two seasons in France, Spain & Italy I bought local pre-paid SIM cards for as little as €10 which usually included €5 call time. I used these for receiving calls and texting. To make calls I bought local international phone cards and used public phones, getting in excess of 40 minutes call time to the UK for €5.
Having spent the past two seasons in France, Spain & Italy I bought local pre-paid SIM cards for as little as €10 which usually included €5 call time. I used these for receiving calls and texting. To make calls I bought local international phone cards and used public phones, getting in excess of 40 minutes call time to the UK for €5.
jerryat
Active member
Re: using Mobile Phones with a UK number whilst sailing through differ
Agreed!! Exactly what we did while down there for a few years.
Agreed!! Exactly what we did while down there for a few years.
Ningaloo
Well-known member
How to access internet with Orange SIM (France)?
I thought I was well prepared last year and bought a local PAYG Orange SIM card in France. Although this worked fine for voice, it would not dial the local Wanadoo ISP number for internet connections. I ended up using my UK SIM which was much more expensive.
Does anyone have any suggestions for which (local) SIM cards are most cost effective in France and Spain? I primarily need this for internet access for work :-(
I have set up internet accounts with Wanadoo in France and plan to use Gonuts in Spain.
I thought I was well prepared last year and bought a local PAYG Orange SIM card in France. Although this worked fine for voice, it would not dial the local Wanadoo ISP number for internet connections. I ended up using my UK SIM which was much more expensive.
Does anyone have any suggestions for which (local) SIM cards are most cost effective in France and Spain? I primarily need this for internet access for work :-(
I have set up internet accounts with Wanadoo in France and plan to use Gonuts in Spain.
G
Guest
Guest
Re: How to access internet with Orange SIM (France)?
I'm not sure what Wanadoo is - I assume it's a 'normal' ISP provider. But I can tell you why I haven't tried GPRS: cost. Using a mobile with local SIM to local GSM dial up number costs little, and for e-mails the speed is not bad at all.
But I am interested in what I am missing by not using the GPRS. From the answers to the previous postings, I had the overall impression that GPRS is expensive and not much faster than GSM. GSM speed has been perfectly adequate when I used it. It seems that the only way to make GPRS feasible cheaply is to search out local PAYG GPRS services in each country you visit, and it is not clear how easy it is to find these services everywhere.
Is this a wrong impression?
I'm not sure what Wanadoo is - I assume it's a 'normal' ISP provider. But I can tell you why I haven't tried GPRS: cost. Using a mobile with local SIM to local GSM dial up number costs little, and for e-mails the speed is not bad at all.
But I am interested in what I am missing by not using the GPRS. From the answers to the previous postings, I had the overall impression that GPRS is expensive and not much faster than GSM. GSM speed has been perfectly adequate when I used it. It seems that the only way to make GPRS feasible cheaply is to search out local PAYG GPRS services in each country you visit, and it is not clear how easy it is to find these services everywhere.
Is this a wrong impression?
Re: How to access internet with Orange SIM (France)?
That'll teach me. Re-reading Eastlands post, its clear he's dialling the local (French) Wanadoo number, in which case there's not going to be much in the cost. I keep meaning to do a direct cost comparison between (9600) GSM and (33k) GPRS for the same data but havent got round to it. The primary advantages with GPRS are faster (yes it is, but it depends how much you send, we regularly send 200k emails) and it dosnt cost you money when the thing is sitting blinking at you (which GSM always seemed to do a lot to me). I would have said that Web browsing was untenable over GSM and tenable (but only just) over GPRS.
That'll teach me. Re-reading Eastlands post, its clear he's dialling the local (French) Wanadoo number, in which case there's not going to be much in the cost. I keep meaning to do a direct cost comparison between (9600) GSM and (33k) GPRS for the same data but havent got round to it. The primary advantages with GPRS are faster (yes it is, but it depends how much you send, we regularly send 200k emails) and it dosnt cost you money when the thing is sitting blinking at you (which GSM always seemed to do a lot to me). I would have said that Web browsing was untenable over GSM and tenable (but only just) over GPRS.
Ningaloo
Well-known member
Re: How to access internet with Orange SIM (France)?
Yes - I am trying to dial a local (French) ISP access number with a French Orange SIM card. The problem is that it does not seem to connect to data numbers like this, although voice is ok. Is this limited to Orange or might I be better off with an alternative SIM provider?
At the moment I think that GSM is lower cost for me (approx 40p / min with a 3 min connection to send/receive typical email volume) than GPRS (which is £5 / Mb with my Virgin account). I agree that web browsing is untenable. I just want email.
My other real problem is that I get a high volume of junk mail so I usually use post-offices etc to clear out the junk, then dial up to download once I know I have something worthwhile.
I work from the boat so good comms are essential.
Yes - I am trying to dial a local (French) ISP access number with a French Orange SIM card. The problem is that it does not seem to connect to data numbers like this, although voice is ok. Is this limited to Orange or might I be better off with an alternative SIM provider?
At the moment I think that GSM is lower cost for me (approx 40p / min with a 3 min connection to send/receive typical email volume) than GPRS (which is £5 / Mb with my Virgin account). I agree that web browsing is untenable. I just want email.
My other real problem is that I get a high volume of junk mail so I usually use post-offices etc to clear out the junk, then dial up to download once I know I have something worthwhile.
I work from the boat so good comms are essential.
Re: How to access internet with Orange SIM (France)?
I dont know why your SIM wont dial the local ISP, unless its specifically not data-enabled. (Some PAYG ones used not to be)
In terms of cost, you can work out the GPRS cost from the size of emails you have. Minimum cost is usually about 50p for 100k or so. Many emails fit within this (obviously not if you're using hotmail) so I would have through it would still be better. SFR seems to come up for some folks as a preferable local Telco, and its always been OK for us.
I carefully manage multiple email addresses (and so far have managed to keep all the spam to a couple of 'spam' addresses) I also use a 'dont download over 300kb' rule in OE
I dont know why your SIM wont dial the local ISP, unless its specifically not data-enabled. (Some PAYG ones used not to be)
In terms of cost, you can work out the GPRS cost from the size of emails you have. Minimum cost is usually about 50p for 100k or so. Many emails fit within this (obviously not if you're using hotmail) so I would have through it would still be better. SFR seems to come up for some folks as a preferable local Telco, and its always been OK for us.
I carefully manage multiple email addresses (and so far have managed to keep all the spam to a couple of 'spam' addresses) I also use a 'dont download over 300kb' rule in OE
Swagman
New member
Re: How to access internet with Orange SIM (France)?
[ QUOTE ]
I thought I was well prepared last year and bought a local PAYG Orange SIM card in France. Although this worked fine for voice, it would not dial the local Wanadoo ISP number for internet connections. I ended up using my UK SIM which was much more expensive.
Does anyone have any suggestions for which (local) SIM cards are most cost effective in France and Spain? I primarily need this for internet access for work :-(
I have set up internet accounts with Wanadoo in France and plan to use Gonuts in Spain.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hi,
Suggest you search from threads of GPRS cards to plug directly into your laptop / PC.
Ours cost £150 from T Mobile - contract cost an added £40pm for virtually unlimited time. It auto connected via local companies in France, Spain, Portugal, Gib that T Mobile have agreements with. Last year whenever we were in port had people using the web sometimes up to 6 hours each day - so £10 for the week seemed good value.
Cheers
JOHN
[ QUOTE ]
I thought I was well prepared last year and bought a local PAYG Orange SIM card in France. Although this worked fine for voice, it would not dial the local Wanadoo ISP number for internet connections. I ended up using my UK SIM which was much more expensive.
Does anyone have any suggestions for which (local) SIM cards are most cost effective in France and Spain? I primarily need this for internet access for work :-(
I have set up internet accounts with Wanadoo in France and plan to use Gonuts in Spain.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hi,
Suggest you search from threads of GPRS cards to plug directly into your laptop / PC.
Ours cost £150 from T Mobile - contract cost an added £40pm for virtually unlimited time. It auto connected via local companies in France, Spain, Portugal, Gib that T Mobile have agreements with. Last year whenever we were in port had people using the web sometimes up to 6 hours each day - so £10 for the week seemed good value.
Cheers
JOHN
pragmatist
Well-known member
- Joined
- 7 May 2003
- Messages
- 1,421
Re: How to access internet with Orange SIM (France)?
Interesting, Swagman. I spent ages on the phone yesterday to Orange (hoped by upgrading existing contract could get a decent deal) but even with a monthly contract it was about £1 per Mb and if you spent, say, £40 pcm you only got 80Mb. Oh and that was on top of the existing £30 pm contract !
By the way, if you're using it a lot, what speeds are you getting ? I understand with a 3G phone you can get (theoretically at least) up to 384kbps. We too need it for work and so a decent speed would make a big difference - and a decent cost of course !
Interesting, Swagman. I spent ages on the phone yesterday to Orange (hoped by upgrading existing contract could get a decent deal) but even with a monthly contract it was about £1 per Mb and if you spent, say, £40 pcm you only got 80Mb. Oh and that was on top of the existing £30 pm contract !
By the way, if you're using it a lot, what speeds are you getting ? I understand with a 3G phone you can get (theoretically at least) up to 384kbps. We too need it for work and so a decent speed would make a big difference - and a decent cost of course !