Best way to keep in touch with USA?

redux

tronator wrote: »

How would that even work? If I'm abroad and dial 0794xxxxx, how does the network operator even know that I try to call this number in the UK and not in the country I'm in at the moment.

As the other poster wrote, I always store numbers with the country code in my address book to avoid such problems.

You're perfectly at liberty to carry on doing so.

However what I said is correct, and has been for several years from many but not all countries.

I'm not arguing about whether to do so. Up to you. I was merely replying to a post which implied that the ability to call home without using the country code is a privilege of iPhone users. No, it's a network function.

CAMEL has other functions besides this. For example it helps pay as you go users still make roaming calls even with a low balance. The technical issue that was solved is that PAYG billing has to be real time, whereas traditionally or originally post paid could allow some time to add roaming use to the account.

onejontwo

Right, gone for the "three" payg £20 all in one add on, daughter's in USA, now does she need "data roaming" on or off as normally when she needs access to the internet in the UK she switches "mobile data" on then switches it back of to save her 1gb allowance in the UK. Would she not be able to do the same in the USA with data roaming off as I've heard about the charges "data roaming" incurs? And if so would she still be able to make calls and texts to the UK with it off?

d123

onejontwo wrote: »

Right, gone for the "three" payg £20 all in one add on, daughter's in USA, now does she need "data roaming" on or off as normally when she needs access to the internet in the UK she switches "mobile data" on then switches it back of to save her 1gb allowance in the UK. Would she not be able to do the same in the USA with data roaming off as I've heard about the charges "data roaming" incurs? And if so would she still be able to make calls and texts to the UK with it off?

If she wants to use data she needs to turn it on, it's exactly the same as using it in the UK, except she has the allowances the add-on offers.

You don't need data for calls and texts, just like in the UK.

onejontwo

d123 wrote: »

If she wants to use data she needs to turn it on, it's exactly the same as using it in the UK, except she has the allowances the add-on offers.

You don't need data for calls and texts, just like in the UK.

Thanks for that so I take it she turns "data roaming" on and off when she needs internet access, but what about "mobile data", is that on or off?

redux

Turning data roaming on and off won't have any effect in one's home country, unless EE or Orange or T-mobile users roaming on the partner network, or Three users roaming in those now rare areas where it still has 2g roaming. But you would need data roaming on to use it abroad.

Maybe just turn mobile data on or off when you want to use it.

Also note that when the phone is only on a 2g network, it doesn't support simultaneous use of data and phone calls, so you'd turn mobile data off to make and receive calls.

And you don't need to be worrying about the cost of data over there. With the like home arrangement it's the same as using it at home. Just don't exceed the bundle, same as here. Switch off automatic application updates and messaging systems to save data ...