Cell phone questions

Hello,

I'm coming to Oz from the States and want to get cell phone coverage
for my trip. I have a GSM phone (T-Mobile) so I'm pretty sure I can
just take my phone and get an Oz Sim Card. Any advice on how to get
one, where to get it, rates and prices. Any other Oz Cell phone info
you think I should now like how coveratge tends to be (I'll be in
Darwin, Ayres Rock, Melbourne, and most of the East Coast). What are
rates like in the country?

Thanks,
Aaron

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm coming to Oz from the States and want to get cell phone coverage
for my trip. I have a GSM phone (T-Mobile) so I'm pretty sure I can
just take my phone and get an Oz Sim Card. Any advice on how to get
one, where to get it, rates and prices. Any other Oz Cell phone info
you think I should now like how coveratge tends to be (I'll be in
Darwin, Ayres Rock, Melbourne, and most of the East Coast). What are
rates like in the country?

Thanks,
Aaron

You'd be OK for those locations with a Vodafone prepaid sim card, cost you
$2 for the card and you can prepay with varying amounts from $20 a time.
See www.vodafone.com.au Sames rates no matter where you are.

You can buy the cards almost anywhere, some locations offer a 10% discount
on the recharges.

Regards

David Bennetts
Australia

The three main players are

TELSTRA www.telstra.com

OPTUS www.optus.com.au

VODAPHONE www.vodaphone.com.au

VIRGIN MOBILE www.virginmobile.com.au

Browse their web sites and it will give you an idea. In particular check
out the coverage maps for each provider.

Ross

There are 10 types of people - those who count in binary and those who
don't.


wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm coming to Oz from the States and want to get cell phone coverage
for my trip. I have a GSM phone (T-Mobile) so I'm pretty sure I can
just take my phone and get an Oz Sim Card. Any advice on how to get
one, where to get it, rates and prices. Any other Oz Cell phone info
you think I should now like how coveratge tends to be (I'll be in
Darwin, Ayres Rock, Melbourne, and most of the East Coast). What are
rates like in the country?

Thanks,
Aaron

Aaron.
Before anything else, since most cell phones sold in USA are not multi band,
best you check its specs.
Most USA phones are 900/1900

It will need to operate on 800/1800 band for Australia (and Europe/UK)

If its not compatible, you can buy a cheap package of phone/Sim anywhere
after you arrive.

As an aside, you will be pleased to know that incoming calls to mobiles in
Australia are free.

Have a great trip. Hope this helps,



Have a great day today, and an even better day tomorrow.
Regards,
BIG KEV - Melbourne Australia




wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm coming to Oz from the States and want to get cell phone coverage
for my trip. I have a GSM phone (T-Mobile) so I'm pretty sure I can
just take my phone and get an Oz Sim Card. Any advice on how to get
one, where to get it, rates and prices. Any other Oz Cell phone info
you think I should now like how coveratge tends to be (I'll be in
Darwin, Ayres Rock, Melbourne, and most of the East Coast). What are
rates like in the country?

Thanks,
Aaron

"Big Kev" wrote in message
...
Aaron.
Before anything else, since most cell phones sold in USA are not multi
band, best you check its specs.
Most USA phones are 900/1900

It will need to operate on 800/1800 band for Australia (and Europe/UK)

If its not compatible, you can buy a cheap package of phone/Sim anywhere
after you arrive.

As an aside, you will be pleased to know that incoming calls to mobiles in
Australia are free.

Have a great trip. Hope this helps,



Have a great day today, and an even better day tomorrow.
Regards,
BIG KEV - Melbourne Australia


A little more on bands: GSM 900 MHz is the most widespread of the GSM
networks in Australia. There is little or no GSM 1800 MHz. There is some
GPRS 1900 MHz, I'm not sure how extensive it is. 3G GSM (2100 MHz) is
available only in (most) capital cities and a few regional centres.

Call charges may be considerably higher than what you are used to. Check the
various providers' websites (see Ross' post) to avoid any nasty surprises.

Dave Campbell

Big Kev et al,

Turns out I have a quad band Motorola v330 (850/900/1800/1900) so it
shouldn't be a problem. I just talked to my provider -- they'll unlock
it for free, so I think I can just go ahead and put any old SIM in
there. Coverage seems fairly simialr across firms, anyone have a
favorite for some reason or another?

Aaron


Big Kev wrote:
Aaron.
Before anything else, since most cell phones sold in USA are not multi band,
best you check its specs.
Most USA phones are 900/1900

It will need to operate on 800/1800 band for Australia (and Europe/UK)

If its not compatible, you can buy a cheap package of phone/Sim anywhere
after you arrive.

As an aside, you will be pleased to know that incoming calls to mobiles in
Australia are free.

Have a great trip. Hope this helps,



Have a great day today, and an even better day tomorrow.
Regards,
BIG KEV - Melbourne Australia




wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm coming to Oz from the States and want to get cell phone coverage
for my trip. I have a GSM phone (T-Mobile) so I'm pretty sure I can
just take my phone and get an Oz Sim Card. Any advice on how to get
one, where to get it, rates and prices. Any other Oz Cell phone info
you think I should now like how coveratge tends to be (I'll be in
Darwin, Ayres Rock, Melbourne, and most of the East Coast). What are
rates like in the country?

Thanks,
Aaron

I think I'll most def go the prepaid route -- if incoming calls are
free, and all outgoing calls are the same price, will it really matter
who I go with?


wrote:
Big Kev et al,

Turns out I have a quad band Motorola v330 (850/900/1800/1900) so it
shouldn't be a problem. I just talked to my provider -- they'll unlock
it for free, so I think I can just go ahead and put any old SIM in
there. Coverage seems fairly simialr across firms, anyone have a
favorite for some reason or another?

Aaron


Big Kev wrote:
Aaron.
Before anything else, since most cell phones sold in USA are not multi band,
best you check its specs.
Most USA phones are 900/1900

It will need to operate on 800/1800 band for Australia (and Europe/UK)

If its not compatible, you can buy a cheap package of phone/Sim anywhere
after you arrive.

As an aside, you will be pleased to know that incoming calls to mobiles in
Australia are free.

Have a great trip. Hope this helps,



Have a great day today, and an even better day tomorrow.
Regards,
BIG KEV - Melbourne Australia




wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm coming to Oz from the States and want to get cell phone coverage
for my trip. I have a GSM phone (T-Mobile) so I'm pretty sure I can
just take my phone and get an Oz Sim Card. Any advice on how to get
one, where to get it, rates and prices. Any other Oz Cell phone info
you think I should now like how coveratge tends to be (I'll be in
Darwin, Ayres Rock, Melbourne, and most of the East Coast). What are
rates like in the country?

Thanks,
Aaron

Outgoing call schedules do vary a little between companies. Of more
importance is coverage. Telstra has the best coverage of the 3 carriers
(Virgin is just a reseller). Optus is next and Vodafone has the least
geographic coverage. Check their maps.

If Vodafone coverage is adequate for you - I'd recommend them. They have a
prepay 'special' right now for purchases from a number of chain outlets - $2
for a sim card, which includes some call credit - and monthly capping,
whereby you can get $230 calls for just $49. Be sure to read the fine print
if you choose this option - as there are some constraints!




wrote in message
ups.com...
I think I'll most def go the prepaid route -- if incoming calls are
free, and all outgoing calls are the same price, will it really matter
who I go with?


wrote:
Big Kev et al,

Turns out I have a quad band Motorola v330 (850/900/1800/1900) so it
shouldn't be a problem. I just talked to my provider -- they'll unlock
it for free, so I think I can just go ahead and put any old SIM in
there. Coverage seems fairly simialr across firms, anyone have a
favorite for some reason or another?

Aaron


Big Kev wrote:
Aaron.
Before anything else, since most cell phones sold in USA are not multi
band,
best you check its specs.
Most USA phones are 900/1900

It will need to operate on 800/1800 band for Australia (and Europe/UK)

If its not compatible, you can buy a cheap package of phone/Sim
anywhere
after you arrive.

As an aside, you will be pleased to know that incoming calls to mobiles
in
Australia are free.

Have a great trip. Hope this helps,



Have a great day today, and an even better day tomorrow.
Regards,
BIG KEV - Melbourne Australia




wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,

I'm coming to Oz from the States and want to get cell phone coverage
for my trip. I have a GSM phone (T-Mobile) so I'm pretty sure I can
just take my phone and get an Oz Sim Card. Any advice on how to get
one, where to get it, rates and prices. Any other Oz Cell phone info
you think I should now like how coveratge tends to be (I'll be in
Darwin, Ayres Rock, Melbourne, and most of the East Coast). What are
rates like in the country?

Thanks,
Aaron

Hello,

I'm coming to Oz from the States and want to get cell phone coverage
for my trip. I have a GSM phone (T-Mobile) so I'm pretty sure I can
just take my phone and get an Oz Sim Card. Any advice on how to get
one, where to get it, rates and prices. Any other Oz Cell phone info
you think I should now like how coveratge tends to be (I'll be in
Darwin, Ayres Rock, Melbourne, and most of the East Coast). What are
rates like in the country?

Thanks,
Aaron



Hi Aron
You will need a unlocked Cell Phone that works on GSM 900/1800. If your
phone is locked do a google search there many places that unlock celll phone
on the net for a price or some times for free. Telstra or Vodafone both be
fine for your needs.

--



www.experimentalist.co.uk/shop/index.php
Australia, New Zealand, USA, German, UK, South Africa, Thailand, Brazil Sim
Cards &
EPIRB.
www.byronbay.co.uk - www.nimbin.co.uk

wrote:
[deleted]
Coverage seems fairly simialr across firms, anyone have a favorite for
some reason or another?

As mentioned, coverage is *not* similar accross providers, but it may
be similar for the areas which *you* intend to visit. So first check the
coverage maps and then select a provider. If the coverage is OK for
'your' areas, then, as several others, I recommend Vodafone. Last time I
was in Oz it was called a "Red SIM". However it did *not* have national
(i.e. within Oz) roaming (except for some very select parts of Victoria
and, IIRC, Tasmania), so your stuck with/on Vodafone's network which
does not cover many smaller towns, while Telstra does. I tell you it's
no fun when you try to use your mobile phone and it doesn't work, while
you see people around you happily chatting on theirs! :-(

So: Vodafone 'cheap' and limited and Telstra 'expensive' and
'unlimited'.

On Vodafone: If you want to take the SIM back with you or/and use
international roaming, then note that you will have to perform certain
procedures while *in* Oz, because these procedures involve sending/
receiving SMS messages, which won't work without international roaming,
i.e. Catch-22. The provided manual doesn't mention this.

And finally for more than you ever wanted to know:

The Australian Pre-paid Guide at
http://www.ausmobile.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&re q=viewarticle&artid=9&page=1