kaungchiau

I am currently on O2 network in the UK. Iam going to Australia next month. I am taking my phone with me.

My questions below:
1. Should I unlock my phone?
2. As O2 is a GSM network, which network in Australia works with my phone?
3. The main players are Telstra, Optus, Virgin, Vodaphone. Which one has the best coverage and what are the tariff like?
4. As a new migrant, do they let you sign up on contract or do you have to stick with pay as you go?

quoll

Yes get your phone unlocked before you leave UK - it's nearly impossible once you get here. You should find a "little man in the market" who will do it for a fiver.

All networks will work with your phone.

Best coverage will be Telstra but whether they are the best company is a matter for much conjecture. They charge like wounded bulls. Check Whirlpool for all the phone goss http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/

I think you need to stick to payg for a while - you will need the 100 points thing plus permanent address for a contract.

Centurion

Best coverage is Telstra by far. However, you need to make sure your phone works on a 850 frequency. Most tri band phones work on 900/1800/2100 and will not work on the Telstra Next G network. For example, only certain models of Nokia phones will work etc.

Check the specifications on your phone on the manufacturers website.

Thats not to say that you wont get a signal, you would, but you wouldnt be able to access the Next G frequency, only the 2100 they use.

As said above though, Telstra know they have the best network easily. So they do charge for it. The cap plans they offer are pretty good though. $49 for $200 credit compares well with all other network providers when you factor in what you are actually charged for calls by comparison.

Using Telstra for data is expensive though. But then, they offer data coverage where others have none and the speeds are the best in the world at present.

I would use a PAYG initially and see what service levels you have in the areas you frequent often before committing to a contract.

Centurion

Oh and consider this initially :

http://www.exetel.com.au/mobile_plans_capped.php

Excellent plans and NO CONTRACT term. They simply send you a sim card.

discobay

Or you could try PlanetISP who I use.

silver

FYI 02 have both 3G and 2G GSM networks. Australia has both 2G and 3G networks.

I would suggest going to www.whirlpool.net.au for advice. There are many Operators and virtual network operators to choose from.


The best network for coverage is Telstra NextG but this is a 3G 850Mhz so it is more unlikely your phone will work on this (unless its a iphone 3G or a limited number of others)

felix1

i ulocked my phone works with all networks in oz

kaungchiau

So, there is no free minutes like in the UK?

What about international calls? Are they expensive?

Centurion

No, but a cap plan will get you a certain amount of credit. So you pay $49 and get say $300 of credit on your account. Its just another way of looking at it.

International calls from mobiles are always relatively expensive no matter which country you are in.

Why not look at the tariffs offered by the mobile phone companies including the links which we're posted.

quoll

Be careful though, some companies actually exclude international calls from your cap which means that you pay extra for them. I know Optus does that (one reason why I left) but Virgin doesnt. International calls are better done from landlines anyway and you can get calling cards which bring the price down to cents, mobiles are expensive for international but sometimes you do need to use them.

kaungchiau

Thank you for telling me that. So, instead of free minutes, subscribers get a certain amount worth of calls for a given tariff or line rental.

But, for a new arrival, land line is not the best option, because living in a rented accommodation means that after a period of time, I will have to move on to somewhere else. This means that mobile is the most practical option.

Coming back to international call, how do people call home? Is there phone cards or something like that?

In the UK, there is a company called Auracall, www.auracall.com

Basically, a user sets up an account with £5. The credit has no expiry date, and when credit has run out, it automatically tops up the account. Call charges vary depending on location, but no more than 5p/minute

Is a similar scheme in Australia?

silver

For cheap international calls using a mobile I would suggest checking out a few of the virtual mobile network operators that specialize in this. Ones that spring to mind are Lebara mobile http://www.lebara-mobile.com.au/en/ and Pennytel Pennysim http://www.pennytel.com/au/. Look on www.whirlpool.net.au forum for more details and options.

Daydreamer123

Another question, if you change networks can you take your number with you, or do you need a new number?

silver

You can take it with you and it is very quick and easy to port here in Oz. Your new provider needs you DOB and number and then it usually takes an hour or so.

Daydreamer123

Cool, is that also for pre-paid numbers?