I am still trying to decide between O2 and E-Plus discount vendors (Fonic and Solomo Pro, respectively (I also still can't quite let go of Ortel, despite their poor customer service)).
In test
Der größte Mobilfunk-Netztest Deutschlands - CHIP Handy Welt the authors write:
Dass die Technik, die das Unternehmen für Sprachtelefonie einsetzt, tatsächlich ausgereift ist, belegen unsere Messergebnisse: E-Plus schneidet im Voice-Bereich bis auf wenige Zehntelpunkte genau so gut ab, wie die beiden großen Netzbetreiber Telekom und Vodafone. [E-Plus, for voice, is only a few tenths of a point behind the two large networks, Telekom and Vodafone]
The subsequent charts, for voice (
Sprache) only, show little overall difference in point scores among the nets (T: 80.5, V: 80.0, E: 79.7, O: 77.8), with O2 having the better rating for establishing calls (
Rufaufbau) but E-Plus losing fewer calls (
Abgebrochene Anrufe).
Test
http://www.p3-group.com/communicatio...glish_2010.pdf doesn't show E-Plus in quite as good a light, but not significantly worse than O2 either.
I am thinking that this and the better roaming rates and purchase & top-up options for the E-Plus net might, after all, make it a better choice for my needs (voice & SMS, no data). What do you think? Have I missed something?
Edit: Hmm, I just reread Inquisitor's sticky thread about Solomo and am left wondering. I have also reread Inquisitor's comments in this thread about the unreliability issues and the tests I mentioned above don't deal with things like that. Spending a little more for peace of mind is certainly worth it, so perhaps I should go Fonic after all. Back and forth, back and forth.
My phone, incidentally, is an unlocked quad-band Motorola V551 which I have, in the past (2007), successfully (but with a few lost calls and an occasional inability to establish calls) used on E-Plus, at least in Germany.
Is shipping within Germany, the EU (where offered), typically included in the on-line SIM cost or is it additional? I don't recall seeing this mentioned. Of course, I might just have missed it.