United-Mobile on Cruise ship

prion · 01-02-2008, 07:25

From Gt sim site:

As you may be aware, there are GSM providers, who offer extended network coverage on Cruise Ships and
Ferries around the world, allowing the passengers on these vessels to use their mobile phones whilst at sea.
We, through its own roaming provider, have access to these networks and they are being used regularly, but
this is causing billing problems with you, our Customer. This is because the "GSM Cell" on these vessels is
provided by a GSM Provider who may not be from where the vessel is currently sailing, and this means that
the rate charged for making or receiving a call per minute is likely to be more expensive than expected.
For instance, if you are on a ferry from Spain to Italy and you make a call, the GSM Cell on the ferry could
have a home country number of the USA, and you will be charged accordingly. You are then likely to
complain to us that you have been charged for a call in the USA when you were not in the USA.
From our perspective the system is performing correctly and charging according to the number allocated by
the GSM Cell, in this case, the USA. This in turn also means that we ourselves are being charged the home
country rates by its roaming provider, and as the number of these type of calls continues to grow, we are
unable to sustain a position of absorbing the cost of these calls, whilst being expected to refund our Customers.
If you are on one of these vessels and enjoying the provision of GSM service, you should accept that you
have to pay for the charges.
There are simply too many of these vessels with GSM Cells onboard, sailing around the world, that we
cannot provide you with a list of all the Cruise Ships and Ferries.
Going forward, if you are close to one of these vessels or onboard, you should take the precautions of changing
the network to one of our network partners, turning your phone off or accepting the
charges that will incur.

	(#15)
prion (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Pioneer Posts: 589 Join Date: 01 May 2006 Location: Greece Country:	01-02-2008, 07:25 From Gt sim site: As you may be aware, there are GSM providers, who offer extended network coverage on Cruise Ships and Ferries around the world, allowing the passengers on these vessels to use their mobile phones whilst at sea. We, through its own roaming provider, have access to these networks and they are being used regularly, but this is causing billing problems with you, our Customer. This is because the "GSM Cell" on these vessels is provided by a GSM Provider who may not be from where the vessel is currently sailing, and this means that the rate charged for making or receiving a call per minute is likely to be more expensive than expected. For instance, if you are on a ferry from Spain to Italy and you make a call, the GSM Cell on the ferry could have a home country number of the USA, and you will be charged accordingly. You are then likely to complain to us that you have been charged for a call in the USA when you were not in the USA. From our perspective the system is performing correctly and charging according to the number allocated by the GSM Cell, in this case, the USA. This in turn also means that we ourselves are being charged the home country rates by its roaming provider, and as the number of these type of calls continues to grow, we are unable to sustain a position of absorbing the cost of these calls, whilst being expected to refund our Customers. If you are on one of these vessels and enjoying the provision of GSM service, you should accept that you have to pay for the charges. There are simply too many of these vessels with GSM Cells onboard, sailing around the world, that we cannot provide you with a list of all the Cruise Ships and Ferries. Going forward, if you are close to one of these vessels or onboard, you should take the precautions of changing the network to one of our network partners, turning your phone off or accepting the charges that will incur.