Georg Schwarz

"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> writes:

    >You are wrong because the country specific prepaid SIM cards usually don't
    >work outside of that country. I.e., you can't use a prepaid SIM card on an

I think nowadays most do. The mobil carriers do not want to miss the
chance of participating in that revenue. Note that prices for prepaid
roaming are typically rather high.

    >Italian carrier in France, you'll have to get a new SIM card in France (with
    >a new phone number). Since you want people to be able to contact you, you'd
    >better have a single number for the whole trip.

if you are willing to pay (quite a lot) for incoming calls.

Georg Schwarz

[email protected] (David Horne) writes:

    >Are you sure about that? UK prepaid SIMs have worked abroad for several
    >years now- it's more expensive than roaming on contract, and some
    >providers limit the countries to ones that operate the CAMEL system
    >(most of Europe has at least one provider in a country that uses this),
    >but it can be done.

I know specifically from German and Irish mobile operators that it can be
done. Not necessarily in every network in every country, but in most
European ones. Why should they let pass away the revenue? :-)

Steven M. Scharf

"David Horne" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1ga8msw.4beo641iwwzlsN%[email protected]...
    > Steven M. Scharf <[email protected]> wrote:
    > > Since you are only going to Europe, United Mobile will be the cheapest
    > > start-up cost, but you have to have a compatible phone, only a very few
GSM
    > > phones will work on their system.
    > Looking through the prices, they aren't bad. Why are they limited to
    > certain GSM stock? I thought that any GSM SIM card would work in any GSM
    > phone, providing the phone was network unlocked and operating on the
    > same GSM band. Is it some kind of manufacturer blacklisting?

When you make a call on United Mobile, every call actually is to them, and
the phone sends the number you want to call to them. Then they call the
other party, call you, and connect you together. This takes advantage of the
fact that in many places incoming cellular calls are free. Only certain
phones have the capability to be programmed (via the SIM card) to make all
calls to a specific phone number, and then transmit the number you want to
call.

William Dieterich

You can use the phone in the different countries you cannot use the
local recharge cards.
For example I have a Votophone D2 SIM from Germany. I can purchase
german recharge cards when in germany and recharge my phone all I
want. I can go into Belgium or Italy and use my phone and call people
in Italy or germany (or even other German cell phone siting next to me
in Italy by calling the german country code first).
However I cannot go down to the local Votophone store in Belgium and
Italy purchase a D2 recharge card and use it, the number that you call
to recharge will not accept your phone.


[email protected] (David Horne) wrote in message news:<1ga8i5g.45e2dn1wom6ywN%this_address_is_for_s [email protected]>...
    > Steven M. Scharf <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    > > You are wrong because the country specific prepaid SIM cards usually don't
    > > work outside of that country.
    >
    > Are you sure about that? UK prepaid SIMs have worked abroad for several
    > years now- it's more expensive than roaming on contract, and some
    > providers limit the countries to ones that operate the CAMEL system
    > (most of Europe has at least one provider in a country that uses this),
    > but it can be done.
    >
    > David

David Horne

William Dieterich <[email protected]> wrote:

    > You can use the phone in the different countries you cannot use the
    > local recharge cards.

That depends on the company. Some allow you to top-up from abroad,
without even paying for the call. Some UK companies don't require you to
buy cards, you can use a registered credit/debit card.

David

--
David Horne- (website under reconstruction)
davidhorne (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Steven M. Scharf

"David Horne" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1gaaff8.1nzsn3a1sa2ragN%[email protected]...
    > William Dieterich <[email protected]> wrote:
    > > You can use the phone in the different countries you cannot use the
    > > local recharge cards.
    > That depends on the company. Some allow you to top-up from abroad,
    > without even paying for the call. Some UK companies don't require you to
    > buy cards, you can use a registered credit/debit card.

How much is the out of country roaming on the country specific prepaid
cards? Is it more or less than what Hop Mobile or United Mobile charges?

David Horne

Steven M. Scharf <[email protected]> wrote:

    > "David Horne" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:1gaaff8.1nzsn3a1sa2ragN%[email protected]...
    > > William Dieterich <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >
    > > > You can use the phone in the different countries you cannot use the
    > > > local recharge cards.
    > >
    > > That depends on the company. Some allow you to top-up from abroad,
    > > without even paying for the call. Some UK companies don't require you to
    > > buy cards, you can use a registered credit/debit card.
    >
    > How much is the out of country roaming on the country specific prepaid
    > cards? Is it more or less than what Hop Mobile or United Mobile charges?

Oh, quite a bit more- a least double, and then some.

David


--
David Horne- (website under reconstruction)
davidhorne (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Wolfgang Schwanke

"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > You are wrong because the country specific prepaid SIM cards usually
    > don't work outside of that country. I.e., you can't use a prepaid SIM
    > card on an Italian carrier in France, you'll have to get a new SIM
    > card in France (with a new phone number).

What you say used to be true until approx. 4 years ago, but isn't any more.
Most prepay SIM cards are now roaming enabled. Various restrictions apply
compared to SINs with a monthly plan, and the billing works differently,
often it's a bit complicated. But it's probably safe to say that the vast
majority of prepaid SIMs sold in European countries can be activated to
roam within Europe. A large portion are roaming enabled out of the box.

Regards

--
Ein Naßhorn und ein Trockenhorn spazierten durch die Wüste,
da stolperte das Trockenhorn, und's Naßhorn sagte: "Siehste!"
- Heinz Erhardt

Wolfgang Schwanke

"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > How much is the out of country roaming on the country specific prepaid
    > cards?

It is usually more expensive than with the comparable monthly-plan-cards of
the same provider (but then, so are domestic rates). Expect something like
1 .. 2 EUR per minute for European roaming.

(Exceptions exist. E.g. D2 Germany has an option to enable roaming for
prepaid customers at the exactly same conditions as monthly subscribers,
but it's only available to residents)

    > Is it more or less than what Hop Mobile or United Mobile charges?

We'd have to know their rates in order to compare.

Regards

--
Ein Naßhorn und ein Trockenhorn spazierten durch die Wüste,
da stolperte das Trockenhorn, und's Naßhorn sagte: "Siehste!"
- Heinz Erhardt

Tim Challenger

I missed the start of this thread, sorry if this is irrelevant.

Do you have a mobile in the US? Have you investigated whether your provider
there can loan you a GSM phone for the duration of your trip. I know some
do. That way you normally get to keep your US-mobile number as well.

--
Tim.

If the human brain were simple enough that we could understand it, we would
be so simple that we couldn't.

Tim

"Wolfgang Schwanke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in
    > news:[email protected]:
    > > How much is the out of country roaming on the country specific prepaid
    > > cards?
    > It is usually more expensive than with the comparable monthly-plan-cards
of
    > the same provider (but then, so are domestic rates). Expect something like
    > 1 .. 2 EUR per minute for European roaming.

If you can find someone that does roaming for as little as 1E per minute
you've done extreamly well.

And remember, you have to pay that for all incoming minutes as well.

Yes I know that you know this, but it seems that an awful lot of
people don't.

tim

    > (Exceptions exist. E.g. D2 Germany has an option to enable roaming for
    > prepaid customers at the exactly same conditions as monthly subscribers,
    > but it's only available to residents)
    > > Is it more or less than what Hop Mobile or United Mobile charges?
    > We'd have to know their rates in order to compare.
    > Regards
    > --
    > Ein Naßhorn und ein Trockenhorn spazierten durch die Wüste,
    > da stolperte das Trockenhorn, und's Naßhorn sagte: "Siehste!"
    > - Heinz Erhardt

Emeryt

Wolfgang Schwanke <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > "Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in
    > news:[email protected]:
    >
    > > You are wrong because the country specific prepaid SIM cards usually
    > > don't work outside of that country. I.e., you can't use a prepaid SIM
    > > card on an Italian carrier in France, you'll have to get a new SIM
    > > card in France (with a new phone number).
    >
    > What you say used to be true until approx. 4 years ago, but isn't any more.
    > Most prepay SIM cards are now roaming enabled. Various restrictions apply
    > compared to SINs with a monthly plan, and the billing works differently,
    > often it's a bit complicated. But it's probably safe to say that the vast
    > majority of prepaid SIMs sold in European countries can be activated to
    > roam within Europe. A large portion are roaming enabled out of the box.
    >
    > Regards

Good info...thx

Tim

"emeryt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Wolfgang Schwanke <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > > "Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in
    > > news:[email protected]:
    > >
    > > > You are wrong because the country specific prepaid SIM cards usually
    > > > don't work outside of that country. I.e., you can't use a prepaid SIM
    > > > card on an Italian carrier in France, you'll have to get a new SIM
    > > > card in France (with a new phone number).
    > >
    > > What you say used to be true until approx. 4 years ago, but isn't any
more.
    > > Most prepay SIM cards are now roaming enabled. Various restrictions
apply
    > > compared to SINs with a monthly plan, and the billing works differently,
    > > often it's a bit complicated. But it's probably safe to say that the
vast
    > > majority of prepaid SIMs sold in European countries can be activated to
    > > roam within Europe. A large portion are roaming enabled out of the box.
    > >
    > > Regards
    > Good info...thx

The reason that PAYG mobiles couldn't roam used to be technical.
Unless the two networks had a specific agreement it was next to impossible
for the foreign network to discover how much credit the phone had and
hence whether they would be paid for the call or not. This has now been
fixed with recent updates of most countries' network software.

Now the reason why PAYG mobiles can/can't roam is purely one of
marketing. And Networks like to allow users to roam because they
can charge them 2 Euro a minute to do so which, due to commercial
pressures elsewhere, is the only cash cow they have left.

You'll note that the lion's share of this 2 Euro per minute goes, not to
the network that 'owns' your phone but to the network that the phone is
currently on. Your network doesn't complain about this rip-off charge
because it is a "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" arrangement,
they let the foreign network rip you off because they can rip-off other
network uses who stray into their territory. So, as we don't have the
networks sorting this for us, we have the EU trying to do so.
Should the EU win and roaming charges are reduced to something
nearer real cost, it could be that marketing reasons dictate that PAYG
mobiles won't be allowed to roam out of the box, but that will be a
good few years away

Tim