Using mobile in USA

Former_MSE_Megan_F

This is the official MSE thread for the

10 US Roaming Tips guide

Feel free to share your own tips below and let us know what you think of ours

EXSUDBURY

I visit our family in the USA twice a year. Sometime ago I purchased a cheap US cell phone on the Verizon network and each time purchase a package that covers me while I am there. The only disadvantage is that it expires after 3 months so on my next visit I have to obtain a new number.

malid

I have just returned from the USA. My phone is enabled for international and I used it extensively and successfully in Australia at the beginning of the year (3 contract).


I made phone calls successfully (better signal than in the UK) but had problems enabling cellular and data roaming - no availability at all even though I had a good signal with T mobile. I then went to chose the carrier and chose At & T instead of T Mobile which was the automatic choice. My cellular/data roaming worked for the remainder of the holiday although I continued to use wifi where possible (and there are loads of places unlike Australia).


Fantastic - thank you 3 - highly recommended!

MDonovan

Hi. One thing to note, which is NOT specified in the main article, is that for PAYG Feel At Home to be valid, you need to be on it for one month PRIOR to travel.

Roger1

I use a combination of Three Feel At Home and Toggle as well as Skype and WhatsApp.

As shown in the summary, Three calls to the UK come from contract allowance or PAYG allowance plus add-on, but calls in the US or elsewhere are charged at roaming rates.

This is where Toggle is handy. Registering local numbers (see https://www.togglemobile.co.uk) allows calls between a dozen or so countries including the USA at 3p per minute (sometimes 9p for mobiles). E.g. UK-US 3p for landline or mobile, US-US the same.

I have a permanent US number for £5 a year. This could be a solution for EXSUDBURY if s/he is prepared to pay 3p per minute.

cbrown372

MDonovan wrote: »

Hi. One thing to note, which is NOT specified in the main article, is that for PAYG Feel At Home to be valid, you need to be on it for one month PRIOR to travel.

Wrong I'm afraid, it was the case with a contract that you had to have had the contract for one month but PAYG you can use immediately and the £15 add on is valid for one month.

Aspi.Irani

I go to the USA every year and have been for a few years now. I like to keep in touch with my family in the UK. After searching, I found 'Localphone.com' a few years ago and have used them. The cost is very cheap 0.4p per minute to a landline and 1.5p to a mobile. You set up the account and pay GBP 5 to start and the charges are deducted from the account. It does not expire. You are given local numbers for each UK number you want to call. It works with a wifi connection through their app and also through a landline in the USA. It has its problems but has worked well for me about 65% of the times. Try it.

Jon_01

MDonovan wrote: »

Hi. One thing to note, which is NOT specified in the main article, is that for PAYG Feel At Home to be valid, you need to be on it for one month PRIOR to travel.

Sorry, that's not right. I've bought a payg sim on a Thursday, topped it up and added the bundle and traveled to the US the next day and it's always worked...

clinkham

I do like your Janet and John explanations which make complicated things simple to understand.

A good addition to this article (or a similar separate article) would be the use of 3 data sims in MiFi units. using the 'feel at home' offer from 3. I am regular visitor to Spain and use this combination which allows, effectively, tethering or allowing up to 8 or 9 phones tablets, laptops or phones to connect via wifi through the MiFi to the internet. All at the same time!
This + intelligent use of wifi hotspots in resort, makes surfing almost cheap as chips!

lisapen

My home phone and internet provider is Talktalk and while in the US last Christmas I took advantage of their Talk2Go App on my mobile. When connected to wifi I could make free calls over internet to people in the US as I have Anytime Foreign calls, and could phone the UK after 7 o'clock (UK time) which is when I can do it according to my contract - weekends any time though! I think other providers have a similar App.

ctw1969

Most mobile operators allow you to call forward on you phone for free. To be clear, when I say free, I am referring to the call forwarding facility being is free. Any calls forwarded from your normal mobile number to your temporary travelling "Feel At Home" 3 SIM card number will be forwarded using your usual inclusive minutes, or standard mobile to mobile rate if you do not have any inclusive minutes.

This has the benefit that friends and family can phone your normal mobile number and your mobile operator will automatically forward the call onto your temporary number, without the caller knowing any difference.

In addition, as this call forwarding happens at the phone company's exchange this call forwarding happens in the UK, so there are no international calling costs to your standard phone contract regardless of where you are to answer the phone, you do not need to have your normal mobile phone switched on or even the SIM card in your phone.

To set up; from your normal mobile phone and SIM, just dial: *21*your 3 "Feel At Home" mobile number#

Once set up, you can toggle between it being on and off by just dialling from your normal mobile phone SIM card:
*21# to turn it on using the last set number
and
#21# to turn it off

This also works for some (not all) land line providers (and some charge for this service to be added to your line in additional to the calls being forwarded), so you can direct you land line calls to your travelling mobile. Just remember, you will be paying for the call cost of forwarding the call to the mobile, where you do not have it included within any network minutes allowances.

I have an EE SIM contract, and when I travel through Europe, I just dial *21*3 mobile number# and then pop my 30 day contract 3 SIM into my phone and I now receive calls from any of my contacts without having to notify them of a temporary number.

When I return, I put my EE SIM back in my phone, dial #21# and normal service is resumed.

Hope this helps