clan_campbell

Hi all

I will be in Sydney for a week and Perth for a week and will want to make some internal calls to schools etc, but also call back to the UK.

What do think are the best options in terms of cost and simplicity for achieving this

Many thanks

Neil

helen/andy

Last year when I went to validate my visa I used U.K mobile and bought AUS sim card for $8 worked really well ,calls and texts were excellent value.Helen.

clan_campbell

Thanks Helen

was it easy to find a SIM card ? Did you choose a particular network ?

I guess i'll have to check my phone will work in Oz ?

Thanks agin

Neil

Hutch

If your phone is anything other than one of those yuppies bricks from the '80s - it'll probably work in Oz. Here's what to do:

1) Copy all your contacts from the sim card to the phone - it'll be in your settings somewhere and means that when you plug a new sim in, you'll have all your old contacts.
2) Get your existing mobile provider to turn on international roaming - most of 'em do special deals on this - for instance Voda UK will charge you 75p for each call and then your standard UK call charges. You don't have to use it, but it's always good to have a backup and, in case of disaster, you can swap back to your UK sim.
3) Make sure the phone is unlocked. The easiest way to do this is to borrow someone's phone (different network to yours) and try putting their sim in your phone. If the new logo comes up and/or you can make a call, then your phone is unlocked.
4) If your phone is not unlocked then you'll either need to get it unlocked, or buy a cheap phone in Oz - I bought a bottom of the range Nokia for $99 ('bout 40 quid) when I was out there in January. There are numerous ways to get a phone unlocked - including the blokes with mobile phone stalls at indoor markets, online or through your provider. First try your provider - phone them up and say you want the unlocking code - they should provide it within two days. If your provider doesn't do that, either try online or use the market stall man.
5) When your phone is unlocked you can go into one of the many mobile phone stores out there and buy a pay-as-you go sim card. I went into a voda shop and get a $30 sim (the sim cost nothing, you pay for $30 worth of credit) - you can top this up online, in the shop or over the phone itself. All the big networks have shops in the larger towns so shop around and see who does the best call rates.
6) If you do plan to call home from the mobile, your probably better off sticking the UK sim in it. Obviously constantly changing sims is a pain in the arse so you may want to go the cheap Nokia phone route that I mentioned earlier. Of course the cheapest way of phoning home is to use a broadband connection on a computer and skype. Alternatively, buy an international dialing card and use that from an ordinary land-line.
7) Pay-as-you sim cards become inactive if you don't top them up after six months, so tread carefully if you give out the number to people as a long-term contact number.

BKate

Virgin Mobile are one of the most reasonable mobile providers

https://www.virginmobile.com.au/self...prepaidbyo.jsp

Over here you have to register your sim card so that take details from you such as address etc. But when i got mine i was staying in a hotel and they were happy with that address.

helen/andy

My phone isnt a yuppie phone its a bog standard nokia! no camera ect.I bought a sim card from woolworths, inserted it into my phone followed instructions,you need to register it give your passport number and address where staying in Aus I gave holiday accomodation address and away I went,simple infact it lasts for 12 months so ill be able to reuse it when I go out in June.Topping up is easy or recharge i think the aussies call it, its like here in uk can do it in most shops ect. Helen.

Nicstids

My hubby's with Virgin and I'm with Vodafone - he seems to be forever getting a recharge on his phone whereas we bought a $49 Maxicap on mine 2 weeks ago and so far I've spent $150! You 'll see from the link below that I can spend up to $230 in a month. You're also allowed 20 minutes international calls.

http://www.vodafone.com.au/rep/redSi...st=promo280803

At the rate I'm going I'll get the $70 Supercap next time! I think it's a brilliant scheme and am going to stick wth Vodafone

clan_campbell

Great info Hutch - thanks very much.

Cheers

Neil

sassenach

hi clan ,i am at presnt using a orange uk nokia phone which is on contract ,i purchased the unlock code off the net and i am using a prepaid optus sim in australia ,and on the way back stopped in hong kong and purchased a prepaid sim there ,i have had no probs at all .There is now a unlock code calculator on the net free of charge and have checked it against the code i purchased and was spot on

clan_campbell

Thanks for that sassenach - can you point me to the unlock code calculator ?

thanks

Neil

sassenach

go to http//unlock nokiafree.org ,i think i only paid about 2 quid for my unlock code from a outfit called mobileliberation i cant remember the web address .you have to be carefull as i think you only get 4 chances and then the phone is locked and has to be unlocked via a cable connection ,nokia are easy to unlock ,the likes of samsung etc are not so easy .The claculator it quiet easy to follow and it may give you several numbers to try i would choose the last one it gives as the first one u try as that seems to be the way it works as ive cross checked it against numbers i have purchased