Hello
Guest

Sponsored Links


Topic: Sim-only mobile plans  (Read 2482 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

  • *
  • Posts: 2135

  • Liked: 1
  • Joined: Jul 2008
  • Location: London
Re: Sim-only mobile plans
« Reply #15 on: September 09, 2008, 06:46:13 PM »
So you have to get a tri band phone? I think my current US phone (Nokia 64???) is tri band, but I don't remember. I was planning on getting the unlock code for when I go next year as I will be out of contract by that point with Cingular. Of course, once I can, I will be getting an iPhone!  ;D
"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it." -Eat Pray Love

beth@medivisas.com
medivisas.com


  • *
  • Banned
  • Posts: 6640

  • Big black panther stalking through the jungle!
  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Feb 2005
  • Location: Norfolk, England
Re: Sim-only mobile plans
« Reply #16 on: September 09, 2008, 07:23:35 PM »
So you have to get a tri band phone? I think my current US phone (Nokia 64???) is tri band, but I don't remember.

The question then arises of which is the third band.  A U.S. tri-band phone will have the 850 & 1900 MHz American bands (obviously), plus one of the European bands, either 900 or 1800MHz.

The O2 (originally BT CellNet) and Vodafone networks in the U.K. operate on both 900 & 1800, but the other GSM carriers here are 1800MHz only.   

So if the third band on your phone is 1800MHz it will work with any carrier but you probably won't get the full coverage on Vodafone or O2.   If your third band is 900MHz, then you will not be able to use any networks other than Vodafone or O2, and you still won't get the same coverage as a dual-band U.K. phone would on those networks.

« Last Edit: September 09, 2008, 07:26:13 PM by Paul_1966 »
From
Bar
To car
To
Gates ajar
Burma Shave

1941
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dreaming of one who truly is La plus belle pour aller danser.


  • *
  • Posts: 2135

  • Liked: 1
  • Joined: Jul 2008
  • Location: London
Re: Sim-only mobile plans
« Reply #17 on: September 09, 2008, 07:27:54 PM »
Hmmm. Thanks Paul for the info. I will figure out what it is soon, I guess. I could look it up if I knew the model number (box is at home!) I'm thinking that I will just use it initially once I get there and work on getting a regular contract phone once I'm established. I really want an iPhone so that is likely the way I'll go, even though that means I have to use O2.
"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it." -Eat Pray Love

beth@medivisas.com
medivisas.com


  • *
  • Banned
  • Posts: 6640

  • Big black panther stalking through the jungle!
  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Feb 2005
  • Location: Norfolk, England
Re: Sim-only mobile plans
« Reply #18 on: September 09, 2008, 07:40:56 PM »
You would need to check the precise model to be sure, of course, but I just did a very quick search and it appears that most tri-band Nokia phones sold in the U.S. market have 900MHz as their third band.   So if yours is like that, then you'll have to sign up with somebody who uses either Vodafone or O2 for it to work in the U.K. at all.



From
Bar
To car
To
Gates ajar
Burma Shave

1941
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dreaming of one who truly is La plus belle pour aller danser.


  • *
  • Posts: 2135

  • Liked: 1
  • Joined: Jul 2008
  • Location: London
Re: Sim-only mobile plans
« Reply #19 on: September 09, 2008, 08:33:48 PM »
Ok. Now, if I used it there this summer (and last) with my Cingular sim card, does that means it was working on the UK network? (I think I remember that it was usually accessing O2.)

Like I said, I think I will only use it initially until I can get an actual UK model.... Hopefully it will suffice for a month or two.
"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it." -Eat Pray Love

beth@medivisas.com
medivisas.com


  • *
  • Banned
  • Posts: 6640

  • Big black panther stalking through the jungle!
  • Liked: 3
  • Joined: Feb 2005
  • Location: Norfolk, England
Re: Sim-only mobile plans
« Reply #20 on: September 09, 2008, 08:47:57 PM »
Ok. Now, if I used it there this summer (and last) with my Cingular sim card, does that means it was working on the UK network?

Yes.   The four major British GSM networks (Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile U.K., Orange) all have roaming agreements with Cingular/AT&T Wireless. 

From
Bar
To car
To
Gates ajar
Burma Shave

1941
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dreaming of one who truly is La plus belle pour aller danser.


  • *
  • Posts: 22

  • Liked: 0
  • Joined: Aug 2008
  • Location: London, UK - Home Base Denver, USA
Re: Sim-only mobile plans
« Reply #21 on: September 19, 2008, 07:15:35 PM »
I just got a SIM card and phone for my daughter.  We got a SIM only plan from O2 for £20 per month.  It has 400 minutes and unlimited texts.  We started at Carphone Warehouse, and they quoted a £150 deposit for 9 months.  I balked at that, and at the O2 store they wanted £200 for one month.  (We've only been in the country for 2 months)  I went that way. 

Shop around if you don't like the deal they are quoting. 


Sponsored Links