Texting from abroad

Sha-rah

Hi,
Hoping someone can give me some advice! I'm going to be working abroad for around 4-5 months this summer (leaving in a couple of weeks, but haven't been told where yet), and I'm looking to purchase a global sim card (I think...!) to save money. I don't really make calls even when I'm in this country and I certainly don't intend to from abroad, but I won't be able to keep in touch with everyone via the internet so I want to be able to send texts as cheaply as possible. I've searched a lot on the net, but most of the global sim companies seem only to be offering cheap calls - their texts are 43p each! I did however find one on Ebay offering national and international texts at a 10p flat rate. Is this too good to be true? The company/brand name is Lebara, and the sim is locked - would it be difficult to unlock does anyone know?

Thanks very much for any help anyone can offer - starting to worry now!

breezybobs_2

Check out this link
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1649357

(hope I've done it right!!), maybe of some help. Sounds like you are off to do something similar to my daughter, she is working with Thomson, Good luck where ever you end up!

spondon30

Cant help you for the first couple of months you are abroad but I read this in the Guardian last thursday.

"Britons travelling abroad this summer should find the cost of texting home cut by nearly two-thirds after the European Parliament voted to cap charges across the EU. MEPs meeting in Strasbourg approved legistation setting a maximum charge for sending a text message from 1 July at 9p for a UK customer, cutting rates that have reached 41p. The cap amounts to an average reduction of about 60% in the cost of texting while roaming in the EU."

Sha-rah

Yeah, I think I probably am: I'm working as a kids' rep for First Choice. I'm now wondering whether it might be easier and cheapier to buy a local sim wherever I end up... Anyone know anything about this? Thanks.

Stubert

Just buy a PAYG sim when you are out there. It sounds as if you're staying in one country (as a rep), so buying a local sim is going to be far cheaper than sending texts from abroad on your british number.

redux

There are mobile Java programs which send an equivalent via the phone's data connection. Some are smsbug, Fishtext, Vyke, and the various Betamax VoIP brands. Fishtext is the cheapest at the moment, from 1p per message, then your network charges for the 1 to 1.5 kB of data, .

The cheapest UK network for roaming data cost at the moment is T-mobile, at £1.50 per MB, though apparently the EU intend to get all networks to reduce to €1 or so