New to GSM and SIM cards

[ggking7]

I live in the US but I travel a lot and I'd like to set myself up with a good system for international cell phone usage. I've been doing a lot of research and I plan to buy a GSM quad-band unlocked cell phone. I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep the phone working internationally at low rates.

I've been looking at the Yackie SIM card and the rates look good except in the US. Maybe I should buy a local T-Mobile SIM card for use in the US and a Yackie or similar card for traveling? Another option would be to buy a SIM card specific to the country I'm going to from a company like telestial.com, or possibly buy one once I get there. What would you guys recommend?

I'm also planning on using grandcentral.com to forward all calls to my US grandcentral.com number to whichever number I happen to be using. They currently only forward to numbers in the US, but they will be enabling international call forwarding soon. It looks like I could have them forward to my US Yackie number. Once grandcentral.com enables international call forwarding I could also have them forward to the 354 Yackie number. Is that in Iceland?

Are there any other cards that would work well in my situation? Any recommendations or advice for me?

[MATHA531]

Originally Posted by ggking7

I live in the US but I travel a lot and I'd like to set myself up with a good system for international cell phone usage. I've been doing a lot of research and I plan to buy a GSM quad-band unlocked cell phone. I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep the phone working internationally at low rates.

I've been looking at the Yackie SIM card and the rates look good except in the US. Maybe I should buy a local T-Mobile SIM card for use in the US and a Yackie or similar card for traveling? Another option would be to buy a SIM card specific to the country I'm going to from a company like telestial.com, or possibly buy one once I get there. What would you guys recommend?

I'm also planning on using grandcentral.com to forward all calls to my US grandcentral.com number to whichever number I happen to be using. They currently only forward to numbers in the US, but they will be enabling international call forwarding soon. It looks like I could have them forward to my US Yackie number. Once grandcentral.com enables international call forwarding I could also have them forward to the 354 Yackie number. Is that in Iceland?

Are there any other cards that would work well in my situation? Any recommendations or advice for me?

Like everything else in technology, things are constantly changing and good advice today might not be so good next month.

Having said that, USA is not gsm territory and there are not very many, if any, sim cards that give good rates in the USA and in Europe say so your plan to get two separate ones is a good idea.

Local sim cards vary as do customs in a country. Right now, there are exceptional good values in UK sim cards where many of the companies are literally giving the cards away (T Mobile UK comes to mind as does Orange UK)...you can also get very very cheap rates on some UK cards to call abroad with rates as low as 3p/minute to call the USA on a T Mobile UK sim card provided you use an auxilliary method you can read about. on Orange UK this can increase to 5p/minute, still a bargain.

Other countries, have much harsher policies...French sim cards are expensive, offer poor rates and thehy steal your credit after limited amounts of time as short as 15 days.....

International sim cards have had varied success; right now United Mobile plus (UM+) seems very stable and gives you free reception of calls in many places of the world with a UK phone number.

Yackie mobile seems to be working okay and if you've been reading the threads you will get a local USA number and pay not too much to receive calls in Europe but it will be useless in an important country such as Switzerland for some unfathomable reason.

Telestial is a rip off joint for local sims....they do piggy back on some of the international sims at not too bad rates but I wouldn't buy a local sim from them as you pay triple or quadruple the price you would pay in the country you need.

That's some general info...if you have specific questions, many of the people here are much smarter than I am especially regarding their own local situations and can give you some very good answers.

[ggking7]

Thanks MATHA531.

My next stop is Panama and I did read the thread about Yackie trouble in Panama. United Mobile unfortunately doesn't list Panama. Am I best off buying a SIM card when I get there?

Do any of the international SIM card companies other than Yackie offer a US number? A US number is important because I need grandcentral.com to forward their number to whichever number I'm available on and they don't forward out of the US yet.

How does data fit into all this? I'm mainly interested in connecting my laptop to the internet via the phone.

[christophe]

Hi

you can also use the cetrek sim card
celtrek.com
i use it such a year with satisfaction in the carribean, idian ocean et several countries in europe also using the local french land line number easily reachable they provide (top for family=free with local plans)
everything is ok , works fine ...except the prices and the billing system, some prices are very high and varies from country to country

for instance for next trip in Brazil....... amazing prices..
i m searching a second option.

[snidely]

Both CelTrek and MaxRoam work in virtually all Central and South American countries. Rates do vary a lot from 19 cent incoming in Costa Rica to over $1.25 in some countries. They provide U.S. numbers (and others).
If you are going to be in one country any length of time, then a country specific card will do. Telestial is a reputable company. Obviously,they have to charge more than the cost would be in the destination country. The convenience of having a card when you land is worth something and can save you money if you have calls to make when you land. Eg. In Guatemala there were not shops in the torn up airport and couldn't locate a store until the next day. (We landed late.) Prepaids there have 10 cent calling to the U.S.!

...mike

[christophe]

Mike,
for an non us resident like me; i found that roaming cards are the best option especially to be reachable at lower price and also as a norrmal reasonable use all the year
maxroom and celtrek are too expensive as outgoing calls for some distinations
yackie an gt sim seem to be god value but i read so negative feddback on the forum....

[powerlifter]

'm also planning on using grandcentral.com to forward all calls to my US grandcentral.com number to whichever number I happen to be using. They currently only forward to numbers in the US, but they will be enabling international call forwarding soon. It looks like I could have them forward to my US Yackie number. Once grandcentral.com enables international call forwarding I could also have them forward to the 354 Yackie number. Is that in Iceland?

Are there any other cards that would work well in my situation? Any recommendations or advice for me?




There is a place called intouch usa that has a call forwarding service. This is from their website.

Add a US based phone number to any overseas SIM card with the new SmartForward Service from InTouch SmartCards. With the Smartforward service setup is free and you receive $50 of starter credit in your account.

InTouch SmartCards is pleased to announce SmartForward, a new service that gives you a US based phone number (703 or 202 - Washington DC Metro Area) that redirects calls to your overseas SIM card's international phone number instantly. Our SmartForward Service allows you to add a US based number to any SIM card.

Now you can be reached anywhere in the world and callers can avoid international long distance. If you need to be easily reachable when you travel overseas and you have been told your international number is hard to reach, you will want to consider trying out our new SmartForward Service.

Your SmartForward number can be forwarded to any SIM Card that InTouch SmartCards sells (or that you already have) and can be easily redirected to a new SIM card with a simple phone call.

The SmartForward service is portable, allowing you to change SIMs without changing the phone number you are reached on back home.

How It Works



* Simply give your "easy to call" US based number (1-301-XXX-XXXX) to anyone and calls will be redirected to your overseas mobile number.

* With our SmartForward Service, you would be able to forward your US cellular phone overseas to your foreign SIM Card, even if your US phone is from Verizon or Sprint.

* Using the SmartForward Service is an excellent way to economically call our SmartFree, Travel International SIM, Monaco Plus Global SIM cards from anywhere in the world.


Operating Instructions



* Simply have callers dial your SmartForward number or forward your existing service (cellular or landline) to your Smart number and the SmartForward Service will take care of the rest.

* Your account will never be cut-off, but instead will be automatically replenished, when necessary, in $50 blocks.

Please Note: It is important that you keep track of the minutes you use, particularly if you decide to forward your existing number to the SmartForward service.

Additional Details: Minutes are automatically added to your SmartForward account as needed with recharge increments of $50.

Your minutes can be used after you arrive back in the US or on your next trip overseas. You will have 90 days to use your remaining minutes unless prior arrangements are made. Please call 1-800-872-7626 x0 with any questions.

Let me say that I have no connection or business interest with them. I think that this is way over priced from what I read, but you be the judge of that. I am just giving another way to go if you so desire.

[YackieMobile]

Originally Posted by christophe

Mike,
for an non us resident like me; i found that roaming cards are the best option especially to be reachable at lower price and also as a norrmal reasonable use all the year
maxroom and celtrek are too expensive as outgoing calls for some distinations
yackie an gt sim seem to be god value but i read so negative feddback on the forum....

negative feedback ???

Please dont " build " a reputation based on comment who say, BAD, like you can't also promote a product because one other say GREAT

You have today on the market around 7, maybe 8 providers who can be considerated as Serius

After that, all have to manage some days few technicals issues, and some unhappy customers

It is too simply and restrictive to say, OH!! this compan is bad, use this one who is good

Basicaly a SIM card is a SIM card and will work if linked to a roaming agreement, after i'm agree that you will have to deal with them if you have a problem

And this will be the comparative point, how one company will solve his problems

And i think that it is the same for united mobile, travel sim, callblue, and the new owner for callkey

So what say to a customer.....

Do you buy your car based on comments? your house too? your computer ?

it can be a first way for make a comparaison, but contact them, talk to them, read their web site, talk to user who love the products ( not to the guy who do not like it, because they will not be objective )

And you will find your product, and if he fit to your need, it will be the good one,

It is my Sunday evening comment, because excepted for the bad guys, all other companies in this business work hard for providing you the best products and services.....and they need to be respected for that

We all work for be better and we need you for that

[ggking7]

christophe & snidely,

CelTrek and MAXroam both appear to have service in Panama, but their rates are pretty high.

powerlifter,

There are actually many companies offering a similar service. I chose grandcentral.com because Google bought them and Google seems to turn out very nice products. I would also consider gizmoproject.com because that is the only SIP service grandcentral.com works with, and that endorsement means something.

YackieMobile,

It's really nice to see you posting here, representing your company. Your Panama rates are much lower than CelTrek and MAXroam, but you posted in another thread recently that there have been problems with Panama service. Is it working?

Should I only use your SIM card with a device listed in your Handsets PDF?

Can I browse the internet with your SIM card?

I noticed you have VOIP rates. Are those for use with your Windows softphone?

[christophe]

Originally Posted by YackieMobile

negative feedback ???

Please dont " build " a reputation based on comment who say, BAD, like you can't also promote a product because one other say GREAT////

We all work for be better and we need you for that

hi yackie,

why be angry and ever aggressive?
when customers use you products, whe also help the general issue of prepaid roaming cards. That's tue that some are rough in the commentaries but the treads concern many providers and not only us based residents which traval.
When you pay 49 Usd for the sim card like yackie or 39,95 usd for Gt, you compare,you read, you also be prudent... companies falled out in 2007 and how much money gone and lost?
Like other providers , i communicate using tickets and live help befor purchasing? Im sorry to insist.. you dont give me any feedback about the ticket i open, you dont answear by phone with the uk number on the website and the sales live support isn't online for instance last week... what do I think ?