PrePaidGSM.net Forum (Archived) - View Single Post

andy · 22-10-2006, 16:12

What do you want to actually use the SIM for? At a guess, it sounds to me a bit like you just want to receive text messages from someone here.

The Orange equivalent of Virgin tariff that DRN mentions was has been unavailable for some time, and they now seem to have abolished all OVP deals (they are contract though)

Virgin has cheaper rates for post-paid by direct debit, but I don't know if that only applies to UK banks. It may have the cheapest data tariff. It does also seem to have an unofficial longer life than the others that expire at 6 months or so without use (incoming or outgoing)

As far as the cheapest roaming goes, Vodafone's Passport scheme now applies in all EU countries. 75p connect fee, then at the same tariff as here, ie 0p incoming, cheapest 5p off-peak (edit - 10p on tariffs now available) to landlines and Vodafone

O2's MyEurope has 35p a minute outgoing and incoming calls. They have recently started a free incoming calls ?5 monthly option, but this only applies to use in Spain (all networks) at the moment; likely to spread throughout Europe next year, (maybe with the same 25p/min calls? - which would be very close to the cheapest roaming way to call all European mobiles)

As far as easy top-up, I think most can have a credit card registered to them, but ask the others about UK only or foreign ones, and you'd then just apply credit from calling the relevant number and menu section. For voucher top-up, Vodafone can use vouchers from foreign Vodafone networks, and O2 can use any from Starmap alliance networks.

I'm not sure about which (if any; I haven't heard) need first use here. Some need registering to enable them (Orange), but even then I expect you could do that by phone from abroad, though you might need a callthrough to reach the freephone number (try via +442002220700)

If you will actually visit sometime, then Mobile World, O2, Orange and T-mobile all have cheap international calls options from 4 or 5 pence a minute (and you could use a calling card via the cheapest country). MW has a pretty short validity though. In the past, O2 had callthrough numbers available on the 100 free minutes a month package, but they've abolished this, though there is an O2 number for off-peak use from one provider, and some T-mobile callthroughs have rumours floating around.

The SIMs are pretty cheap from the networks' websites, like 50p or sometimes free, hence the numbers available on eBay. (On forums, people have been known to complain that there are no so many that all of the ones they got to resell are now virtually worthless!). And I've got a few free ones here.

	(#12)
andy (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,128 Join Date: 10 Dec 2004 Country:	22-10-2006, 16:12 What do you want to actually use the SIM for? At a guess, it sounds to me a bit like you just want to receive text messages from someone here. The Orange equivalent of Virgin tariff that DRN mentions was has been unavailable for some time, and they now seem to have abolished all OVP deals (they are contract though) Virgin has cheaper rates for post-paid by direct debit, but I don't know if that only applies to UK banks. It may have the cheapest data tariff. It does also seem to have an unofficial longer life than the others that expire at 6 months or so without use (incoming or outgoing) As far as the cheapest roaming goes, Vodafone's Passport scheme now applies in all EU countries. 75p connect fee, then at the same tariff as here, ie 0p incoming, cheapest 5p off-peak (edit - 10p on tariffs now available) to landlines and Vodafone O2's MyEurope has 35p a minute outgoing and incoming calls. They have recently started a free incoming calls ?5 monthly option, but this only applies to use in Spain (all networks) at the moment; likely to spread throughout Europe next year, (maybe with the same 25p/min calls? - which would be very close to the cheapest roaming way to call all European mobiles) As far as easy top-up, I think most can have a credit card registered to them, but ask the others about UK only or foreign ones, and you'd then just apply credit from calling the relevant number and menu section. For voucher top-up, Vodafone can use vouchers from foreign Vodafone networks, and O2 can use any from Starmap alliance networks. I'm not sure about which (if any; I haven't heard) need first use here. Some need registering to enable them (Orange), but even then I expect you could do that by phone from abroad, though you might need a callthrough to reach the freephone number (try via +442002220700) If you will actually visit sometime, then Mobile World, O2, Orange and T-mobile all have cheap international calls options from 4 or 5 pence a minute (and you could use a calling card via the cheapest country). MW has a pretty short validity though. In the past, O2 had callthrough numbers available on the 100 free minutes a month package, but they've abolished this, though there is an O2 number for off-peak use from one provider, and some T-mobile callthroughs have rumours floating around. The SIMs are pretty cheap from the networks' websites, like 50p or sometimes free, hence the numbers available on eBay. (On forums, people have been known to complain that there are no so many that all of the ones they got to resell are now virtually worthless!). And I've got a few free ones here.