betsyboob

Hi all,
Can i take my mobile with me? i don't want to be charged for international calls though. Is there a vodafone in Brissy?

Cheers x

ianhutch1

If you are abroad you will be charged for international calls no matter what network you are on.

betsyboob

But if i'm going to live in Oz and was on pay as you go, and topped up in Oz would that not then charge me local calls if i use it to phone Oz no's?

homewardbound

Also interested in this too.

I dont think my mobile will work in oz as its not a triband... but my daughters all singing all dancing sony should do... its a PAYG, should we get a PAYG sim card in oz or will it still think it is a UK phone?

Centurion

You make sure your phone is unlocked in the UK from the network you are with.

Then you arrive and simply pick up a vodafone red sim card (or in fact any of the other prepaid sim cards from any of the companies) and insert it in your phone.

Then you have a nice shiny new Australian telephone number. Easy.

If you keep your UK SIM card in your phone of course you will get charged for roaming internationally.

curly

Yes we have Vodafone here

Wheeler-Jones

Sorry to hijack. Want to research the PAYG companies - I am aware of vodafone there and 3, can you guys please tell me of any others - and you opinions is they are good or not?

Thanks!

scrubbedexpat001

All the phone companies here do PAYG:

The main players are:

Telstra
Vodafone
3
Optus
Virgin Mobile (uses the Optus network)
Crazy Johns (uses Vodafone network)
gotalk (uses Optus network)

They all have websites which details their PAYG call costs and features as well as their contracts. Contracts here tend to be 24 months. All calls have a "flagfall" which is a connection charge so if a call costs 30c a min with a 35c flagfall a one min call will actually cost you 65c, a 2 min call 95c (35c flagfall plus 2 x 30c)

As for who's the best well that's a matter of opinion. I have a PAYG on gotalk and $10 doesn't go far but I use it to receive calls not make them, once I have a job I'll be going contract, probably on 3. My wife is on a 24 month contract with 3, she pays $49 a month for $300 worth of usage (calls, txts. mms, voicemail etc - similar model to T-Mobile in the UK). If you go over your $300 of usage you pay the difference plus your monthly fee, for example:

Monthly Fee - $49
Monthly Allowance - $300
Actual spend - $450

you have overspent on your allowance by $150 so your monthly bill would be:

$150 + $49 = $199


Companies such as Virgin have free calls to other virgin mobiles (like they do in the UK), 3 gives you a free 5 mins calls to other 3 mobiles every day or $150 worth of free calls to other 3 mobiles in addition to whatever monthly "cap" you chose.

Coverage depends on the company, Telstra have the best coverage in rural areas but then they have to do this being the "national carrier" (like BT).

Red_V_Roger

And you could still go for CDMA until April.....as expected, Next G from Telstra wasn't ready. She'll be right mate, no worries!

PaulandNic

Centurion

The best network coverage is Telstra - no question. However, the PAYG package is rubbish from them. Contract wise its as good as anyone else.

Probably the best offering comes from Vodafone who I was with PAYG before I switched to a Telstra contract.

Vodafone PAYG:-
$49 per month gives you $310 credit. Better than anyone else by far.

PaulandNic

UNLESS! ... you live in Upper Coomera on the Gold Coast!

We switched from Vodafone PAYG to Telstra PAYG and the boy had to sit out in the garden at night to get a signal! ...

All back with Vodafone and their $49 maxicap on contract. None go over and all have bundles of credit ...

goingau

don't know if this helps at all 2years ago i took my unlocked motorola v620 out put a oz prepay sim in it and it was fine in briz,syd and upper coomera.

Wheeler-Jones

Thanks for all the great advice. I was hoping to avoid Telstra as I find the government services a bit lacking at times, Vodafone is starting to look real good to me and I have seen that I can buy sim card through ebay if I fancy...

Herusix

Whats the average cost for "just" a sim-card in OZ,are they all pretty much the same price.

Just wondering as you can get sim-cards for nowt in the UK,and seen Oz simcards going for between £15 and £25 on the net.