cellular suggestions for visit to ireland

I'll be going to Ireland for a month in the spring and would appreciate any
suggestions on what to do about having a cell phone while I'm there. I
currently have Sprint as my carrier but this doesn't seem to be an option.
Is it possible to get a throw away phone there for a month? I don't want to
get something that requires a contract either here or there.

Thanks for your thoughts

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In article <Qb47b.394069$Ho3.59064@sccrnsc03>,
"Bob K." <[email protected]> wrote:

> I'll be going to Ireland for a month in the spring and would appreciate any
> suggestions on what to do about having a cell phone while I'm there. I
> currently have Sprint as my carrier but this doesn't seem to be an option.
> Is it possible to get a throw away phone there for a month? I don't want to
> get something that requires a contract either here or there.
>
> Thanks for your thoughts

Start with

http://www.cellular-news.com/coverage/ireland.shtml

If you go to http://www.google.com

you may search on "cell phone" Ireland

and see what else you find.

"Bob K." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:Qb47b.394069$Ho3.59064@sccrnsc03...
> I'll be going to Ireland for a month in the spring and would appreciate
any
> suggestions on what to do about having a cell phone while I'm there. I
> currently have Sprint as my carrier but this doesn't seem to be an option.
> Is it possible to get a throw away phone there for a month? I don't want
to
> get something that requires a contract either here or there.

Bob,
Ireland, like most of Europe, uses GSM technology, almost exclusively. You
will need to acquire an unlocked GSM phone that works on the 900 MHz and/or
1800 MHz bands (I strongly recommend the dual-band). They can be purchased
online for well under $100. After you have the phone, Sprint does provide a
GSM roaming service, at a price. But it is a price far too high for me to
even consider. The much better option is wait until you get there and then
obtain a prepaid GSM SIM (Subscriber Information Module) from one of the
three Irish carriers: Vodafone, O2 or Meteor. You just insert the SIM card
into the back of the GSM phone, turn it back on, and you are in business.
Nothing could be easier. Refill cards are availalble all over. Meteor
refills can be bought at the post office. They all charge 20 Euro to start
but are quite different after that. Meteor is by far the cheapest but also
has the worst coverage. I chose a Meteor prepaid because I wanted to take
advanatage of their cheap rates, particularly on calls to UK. I also have a
T-Mobile phone that could roam in the places that Meteor didn't have
service. Contact me ofline if you want more details.
--

Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net
Remove 'NOT' from address to reply

On Mon, 08 Sep 2003 18:50:24 GMT, "Bob K." <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'll be going to Ireland for a month in the spring and would appreciate any
>suggestions on what to do about having a cell phone while I'm there. I
>currently have Sprint as my carrier but this doesn't seem to be an option.
>Is it possible to get a throw away phone there for a month? I don't want to
>get something that requires a contract either here or there.
>
>Thanks for your thoughts

Recently bought a Handspring Treo 180 for a visit to Canada, as my
employer-supplied SPCS phone was not permited to be used there. Cost me
$90 on eBay, and worked well with Rogers on GSM there. IT is a WorldBand
phone, 1800/1900mHz.

If you buy from eBay, make sure a condition of the sale is that it is
unlocked, and test it before you go.

It was very nice to use, but now I want to use it full time....
--
Nobody but a fool goes into a federal counterrorism operation without duct tape - Richard Preston, THE COBRA EVENT.