Cell Phone Question For A Visitor To The UK From The USA

Our cell phones in the USA work on a different system to everywhere
else - they just have to be different..........

I am visiting the UK in a few weeks (returning home to see the family)
and I was looking at renting a cell phone while I am there, but I can't
see any good deals - everything is horribly expensive.

While browsing I came across a company that will sell me a GSM phone in
the USA already supplied with a UK number and card for $50 (30 pounds).
While this seems like a good deal - I get to keep the phone and nunber
and it will work in most countries in the world, the rates per minute
for outgoing calls are $1.50 a minute (almost 1 pound).

My question (finally getting there), is that as I understand it, your
phone number is linked to the card that you put in the phone, therefore
in theory I could acquire another card when in England where I could
pre-pay as I go and get a better rate. Is this possible, how easy is
it to buy and register a card, and what sort of per minute rates would
I expect?

Most of our phones over here don't have a card, you sign up with the
company, get your phone, they program it and voila.... Everything is
different...

Thanks in advance - looking forward to coming home.......

At 22 Aug 2006 17:22:59 -0700 Poddys wrote:
> Our cell phones in the USA work on a different system to everywhere
> else - they just have to be different..........

Actually there are two different systems in use in the US, CDMA (the one
you are describing) and GSM (the one they use "everywhere else."

Cingular and T-Mobile (as well as a few smaller regional carriers) use
the GSM system and sell phones that work both in the US and abroad.

> I am visiting the UK in a few weeks (returning home to see the family)
> and I was looking at renting a cell phone while I am there, but I can't
> see any good deals - everything is horribly expensive.

Check out a few British wireless carrier's websites, like Virgin, T-
Mobile UK or Orange and see how much they sell a prepaid phone for and
what the rates are. Nothing is preventing you from buying it there.
>
> While browsing I came across a company that will sell me a GSM phone in
> the USA already supplied with a UK number and card for $50 (30 pounds).
> While this seems like a good deal - I get to keep the phone and nunber
> and it will work in most countries in the world, the rates per minute
> for outgoing calls are $1.50 a minute (almost 1 pound).
Those rates are ok if you plan on hitting multiple countries and don't
want to mess with buying a different service in each country. Since
you'll only be in England, get (cheaper) English service.

> My question (finally getting there), is that as I understand it, your
> phone number is linked to the card that you put in the phone, therefore
> in theory I could acquire another card when in England where I could
> pre-pay as I go and get a better rate. Is this possible


Yes, IF the phone is "unlocked". Carriers often program phones to reject
other carrier's SIMs (Subscriber Identity Module- the "card").
Particularly if the carrier sells the phone cheap to hook you on their
service. This $50 deal sounds like it could be locked to their high-rate
SIM card.

> how easy is
> it to buy and register a card, and what sort of per minute rates would
> I expect?

If the phone is unlocked, you just stick the new card in. Some prepaid
vendors sell pre-programmed SIMs- stick in a new card and you have service.


>
> Most of our phones over here don't have a card, you sign up with the
> company, get your phone, they program it and voila.... Everything is
> different...

With Cingular and T-Mobile, it's exactly the same- they give you a phone
and a SIM. You can then stick the SIM in any compatible phone and the
phone is on your account.

>
> Thanks in advance - looking forward to coming home.......

Enjoy!

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"Poddys" <Poddys@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1156292579.463440.325390@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Our cell phones in the USA work on a different system to everywhere
> else - they just have to be different..........
>
> I am visiting the UK in a few weeks (returning home to see the family)
> and I was looking at renting a cell phone while I am there, but I can't
> see any good deals - everything is horribly expensive.
>
> While browsing I came across a company that will sell me a GSM phone in
> the USA already supplied with a UK number and card for $50 (30 pounds).
> While this seems like a good deal - I get to keep the phone and nunber
> and it will work in most countries in the world, the rates per minute
> for outgoing calls are $1.50 a minute (almost 1 pound).
>
> My question (finally getting there), is that as I understand it, your
> phone number is linked to the card that you put in the phone, therefore
> in theory I could acquire another card when in England where I could
> pre-pay as I go and get a better rate. Is this possible, how easy is
> it to buy and register a card, and what sort of per minute rates would
> I expect?
>
> Most of our phones over here don't have a card, you sign up with the
> company, get your phone, they program it and voila.... Everything is
> different...
>
> Thanks in advance - looking forward to coming home.......
>


Get your self a O2 pre pay sim with best text and talk rates back to the
USA.


--



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