PrePaidGSM.net Forum (Archived) - View Single Post - Are "international" SIMS becoming obsolete?

snidely · 24-05-2009, 06:32

DR -
I agree that wifi (be it UMA, Skype, etc.) is best used for outgoing. I use BB email for incoming. It is a lot cheaper getting/sending email via BB (less than $1/day for unlimited email) than the cost of someone sending SMS to you or you sending SMS out.

When recently in Zambia, I could get BB email at a place along the Zambezi that had satellite internet. It was too slow and too much latency for a reliable UMA voice call. When connected, the voice quality was almost useless. The service, I was told, wasn't cheap. You pay the internet service provider by the mb. The cell system did not have BB service. There is cell service in areas that don't have electricity.
If I could have connected via UMA it probably would have used up a lot of the guys expensive data pkg.

If the E61 can make use of Skype as easily as you can use it on a computer - why don't more people roam that way? IF I read the Skype blogs correctly, it appears that an app. for BB's is on the way. Is using Skype on the E61 as easy as making a regular cell call?
I have never used Skype Out - which is what would be needed to make the app. useful on a cell phone.
It will be interesting to see what G does w. Google Voice. I have two G numbers, but only use them so I can have a local number in Miami to give out and one to use as an additional number to give out in the Bay Area. I gave up my landline a year ago and tsfrd. my 35 y.o. number to my TM cell.

...mike

	(#14)
snidely (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 451 Join Date: 09 May 2005 Location: Berkeley, California and Miami Country:	24-05-2009, 06:32 DR - I agree that wifi (be it UMA, Skype, etc.) is best used for outgoing. I use BB email for incoming. It is a lot cheaper getting/sending email via BB (less than $1/day for unlimited email) than the cost of someone sending SMS to you or you sending SMS out. When recently in Zambia, I could get BB email at a place along the Zambezi that had satellite internet. It was too slow and too much latency for a reliable UMA voice call. When connected, the voice quality was almost useless. The service, I was told, wasn't cheap. You pay the internet service provider by the mb. The cell system did not have BB service. There is cell service in areas that don't have electricity. If I could have connected via UMA it probably would have used up a lot of the guys expensive data pkg. If the E61 can make use of Skype as easily as you can use it on a computer - why don't more people roam that way? IF I read the Skype blogs correctly, it appears that an app. for BB's is on the way. Is using Skype on the E61 as easy as making a regular cell call? I have never used Skype Out - which is what would be needed to make the app. useful on a cell phone. It will be interesting to see what G does w. Google Voice. I have two G numbers, but only use them so I can have a local number in Miami to give out and one to use as an additional number to give out in the Bay Area. I gave up my landline a year ago and tsfrd. my 35 y.o. number to my TM cell. ...mike Make use of T-M's UMA/wifi free calling from any place in the world with access to wifi. I use an LG G6, wife an S7) A/o Oct 20, 2013 no need for intl prepaid as T-Mobile U.S. includes voice roaming at 20¢/min (in and out)., unlimited text (in and out), and unlimited data in 140+ countries. My Plan -[6 lines] U.S. T-Mobile unlimited minutes (incoming and outgoing), unlimited text, fast data on each line. that $145/mo. total! . (In U.S. no surcharge for calling a cell.) If a line exceeds 2G of data in a month, pay $10 more for that line. [That only happens a couple times/year.