Mobile Roaming: Cheapest Calls When You're Abroad

grumbler

rapido wrote: »

..."From July, we're changing the way you use your mobile in Europe. You'll pay a 50p connection charge to make or receive a call, then use your UK ca"

And that's where it cuts off!

Discuss.

"...then use your UK calls allowance" - I guess.


O2 Travel – use your mobile worry free when abroad

rapido

grumbler wrote: »

O2 Travel – use your mobile worry free when abroad

Many thanks for the link.

The article seems to be mostly talking about internet usage, and just briefly mentioning the 50p connection charge.

Whenever I use roaming, my calls tend to be very short - maximum one minute.

So I have a fancy that they've calculated that all these 50ps will generate more revenue than charging standard rates, especially on calls received abroad.*

I found more details here, including how to opt out:

http://www.o2.co.uk/international/o2-travel/pay-monthly

"If you don't want O2 Travel, you can choose to pay our standard rates in Europe by simply sending us a text:

• Just text NOTRAVEL to 23336
• If you want to move back to O2 Travel at a later date, please call Customer Services on 202 from your mobile."

Note that their definition of "Europe" doesn't include all European countries, anyway.


*With standard roaming rates making calls have a 1 minute minimum, then 15 second increments, but receiving calls is by the second.

buglawton

Just wondering, if you have a payg O2 sim, say for that data roaming, is there a minimum monthly spend or bundle you need to buy?

jnm21

I think it will be 1 call/text every 6 months (probably a chargeable one).

jnm21

If you want true mobile broadband in UK, Ireland, Italy (all tested personally, in both a dongle & SG Note, i.e. should work in any smart phone), Austria or Denmark, I highly recommend a three.ie sim. You can buy them in Ireland (any fellow NI members heading down to Dublin, perhaps to fly to Italy as we did, PM or post if you want info on the three shop a 10-20 minute dander from Connelly rail station).

For anyone else, there is a great ebay seller, sim-king-ire who can help - he is the best ebay seller I have ever dealt with - I had an issue with the sim, panicked & bought one in the three store (Dublin) - although the issue was no fault of his, he was the perfect gentlemen & refunded me - I would recommend him to my own mother! (Please note that aside from the excellent service I received, I have no other links with him - just trying to point fellow MSErs to a helpful seller - hope this is OK.)

Info on the free roaming here: http://apps.three.ie/roaming/pages/display/three-like-home

Info on the top up options here:
http://www.three.ie/products_services/broadband/prepay-broadband.html

The sim I got off ebay had the 2GB over 1 month starter top up for under €10, i.e under £9!!! He also does three Ireland non-broadband sims (all you can eat data when you top up, 15€ or 20€ I think - no experience of these, but should work fine) . If you buy in store, you basically get a sim & €5 credit for €5, so what ever top up option you need, just factor in the top up cost with a €5 minimum.

You can even use out your allowance when you get home (I have left the sim in my SG Note).

1jim

Will a 3 sim work in any unlocked phone?

buglawton

Just noticed that an Aldi Talk pay as you go SIMs bought in Germany can have a bolt on - a week of Data anywhere in Europe, 60MB, for just 5 Euros.

Seems to knock Voda IE or o2 UK into a cocked hat for Euro data roaming value.. however, the UK Ebay entrepreneurs have not started selling these to UK punters yet ;(

see:
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alditalk.de%2Fweb%2Finternet-prepaid-tarif%2Feu_internet_paket_60%2F

grumbler

buglawton wrote: »

..a week of Data anywhere in Europe, 60MB, for just 5 Euros.

Seems to knock Voda IE or o2 UK into a cocked hat for Euro data roaming value..

Do O2 not offer 25Mb for £2? If so, the price is about the same. The only disadvantage is that it's for one day at O2.

Doc_N

1jim wrote: »

Will a 3 sim work in any unlocked phone?

Used not to be the case - worked on 3 phones only. Has that changed, I wonder?

grumbler

It will work in any unlocked 3g phone.