vB Easy Archive - Travelling to UK

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Travelling to UK
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Posted by: TmaX

Hi guys,
I am going to be travelling to England this month and would like to know which phone or frequency would be best suited for use there. I am currently using a S710a here in Canada. Would I be able to use my phone with a sim card from there as long as my phone is unlocked? Any general information would be helpful.

-TmaX

Posted by: TriBand81

Correct, your phone will work with any SIM as long as it's unlocked. Your best bet would be to consider an Orange or Virgin Mobile UK SIM since they are GSM 1800-only which means you can use your S710a without any coverage problems or dead spots due to the lack of GSM 900.

Orange has a very solid GSM 1800-only network across the UK.

Look here for more info:

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/uk.html

Posted by: TmaX

Thanks a lot for the advice, I'll sign up with them once I arrive.

Posted by: TriBand81

No problem, it's just hard to believe that one day London is normal and now that place has been turned upside down due to some terrorists.

Posted by: TmaX

I know man *eeek*
Im not going to be scared away by this though.
Regardless I shall be at my local passport office tmrw morning.
Things like this just disgust me

-TmaX

Posted by: TriBand81

No doubt, I lived there from 2002 to 2004. I took the Tube to my American university every day and in the last year, the threat was voiced as a major possibility.

Another major drawback is that there is no way to call for help in the deep line sections (Piccadilly/Jubilee Lines for example) since there is no coverage on the Tube.

Posted by: stylus

I just wanted to say to my fellow wireless friends out there in London how sorry I am that you had to endure those awful terrorist attacks by those senseless people. This brought back memories of 9/11/01 when we experienced terrorist attacks of our own here in the States.

This will undoutedly play and replay again in your minds but hopefully the pain will ease in time.

I heard reports of congested landline and mobile phone networks out in England where many users complained of busy signals and calls that wouldn't connect. Are your networks back up to speed? Were they as bad as the news media made them out to be?

As Tony Blair mentioned, it the terrrorists goal to instill a sense of terror in ourselves. Our best defense is to play offensively and not let them spoil our freedom or way of life.

I too hope this war with Iraq ends soon so our servicemen and women can go home. However, I don't believe Blair and Bush are ready to back off or permanently leave Iraq without finishing what they started. It's like a WIN WIN or LOSE LOSE situation anyway you look at it.

Posted by: Junglizt1210

Word stylus,
Yea, networks back up now...!

Yea it sucks, such a cowardly deed. I don't think anyone can side with them, they are not Muslims, they are dumb ***** who have no heart.... who lack a brain and common sense too. Their reasons are stupid, and terrorism doesn't get them anywhere.

Posted by: TriBand81

Quote:

Originally Posted by stylus

I heard reports of congested landline and mobile phone networks out in England where many users complained of busy signals and calls that wouldn't connect. Are your networks back up to speed? Were they as bad as the news media made them out to be?

The major reason why people couldn't get through was because Vodafone and O2 allocated their towers and networks mainly to emergency crews. In my mind, personal complaints take very low priority during such a disaster. Obviously, the anguish of not knowing what happened to your loved one makes you want to do anything to reach them but in such cases, the emergency crews should always have priority.

Posted by: stylus

Quote:

Originally Posted by TriBand81

I completely agree.

Unfortunately, I feel we are next and a priority on the terrorist list. I live near Los Angeles, CA. USA.

Verizon Wireless has installed back up generators at most of their cell sites and switching facilities for emergency use. We also have COWS (cells on wheels) to boost reception in the case of an emergency or large event. Last year, large hurricanes hit our eastern and gulf coastlines and our network operated at over 90%. We have another three hurricanes poised to move onshore so I'm anxious to see how our network stands up this time.

I will still live my life with a sense of normalcy and just be cautious of my surroundings and hope I never have to personally experience what you guys have.

Cheers.

Posted by: olouie99

Is there a way to buy the prepaid SIMs before getting to england?

I am going to Oxford and the end of the month and would like to have phone access when I get off the plane so I can contact the people I am staying with.

Posted by: JEFFJAGUAR

www.L8SHOP.NET

Posted by: Junglizt1210

eBay is the cheapest place..! There are many buyers willing to ship to the US, and they're cheap there too! (only a few $$)

When you get off the plane at Terminal 3 or Terminal 4, I don't think any of the shops in Arrivals do top ups, so, either you are faced with £1.00 only as starting credit offered by Vodafone, or you could ask the seller to make sure the card can make calls and ask him to top it up for you.

If you are willing to travel outside the airport, which lies on the outside of London, there are shops on Hounslow, Uxbridge and the surrounding areas. Alternatively, you could travel to Terminal 3 departures, where there is "The Link" (A phone shop) and you can top up your prepaid card there.

Heathrow is grouped into 3 areas - Terminal 1, 2 and 3 and Terminal 4. Flights to/from the US or Canada use Terminals 3 and 4. Termainl 5 is under construction. There is currently no underground (subway) service at terminal 4, so you will have to take the temporary bus to Hatton Cross, then take the tube back to the central area, where Terminal 1, 2 and 3 are located. Or once you get to the Tube station at Hatton Cross, you could take the tube into London if you are staying there for the night or whatever. There are no shops around Hatton Cross or Heathrow ina walkable distance, so your options are to bus, or you can walk it, it will take a bit though.

If you can't get a SIM card in time (allow 2 weeks for SIM card delivery from the UK), I would advise you use a payphone for the time being if you get off at Terminal 4, or go to The Link in Terminal 3 departures (as opposed to Arrivals) to buy a SIM card there. Have the guy help you set it up if you have any problems. Make sure your phone is unlocked before you travel and has either the 900MHz or 1800MHz bands.

Posted by: JEFFJAGUAR

Actually, although I haven't checked recently, L8 shop was the cheapest charging something like £3 for most of the starter kits and charging only £3 to ship to the US.

Virgin mobile is the best as it comes with £5 of credit built into the sim (unless they have changed their policy lately) and charge only 20p/minute to call North America. They use the T mobile UK network which some claim is inferior depending on just where in the UK are....but you get your number with them.

Orange requires registration and comes with only £1 of credit and you own't know your number till you register.

Vodafone comes with £1 of credit and you have to enter a code to get your number (all are available at L8 shop).

Vodafone has outrageously high rates for calls to North America so you will either have to get a ld service which you can access via a local UK number or use callback world or enlinea.

O2 has an interesting service where if you top up with £10 each month (the sim comes with nothing on it) you can use a service called pre-dial.com. Since the service allows cross carrier 100 free minutes each month you call the number they list for Orange and can access US numbers for free...or if you use Orange you use the Orange number and pay the 25p for the first 3 minutes each day and 5p/minute thereafter. You can read about it on pre-dial.com.

Also carphone warehouse has a new service which includes 5p a minute to call the US and you can check it out on their web site.

But for simplicity sake, get the Virgin mobile sim at L8 shop. You will know your number and the instant you step off the plane, you will have a functional British mobile with a British mobile number and £5 worth of credit!

Posted by: Junglizt1210

Good stuff then

Posted by: TriBand81

Quote:

Originally Posted by stylus

I know where you're coming from, I lived in London for 2 years but I was born and raised south of San Francisco even though I haven't lived on the Peninsula for nearly 5 years now. I miss the US very much but I also don't like the kind of politics Bush is pushing. My brothers and my parents still live in CA and I know that the threat of terrorism is still at the back of the mind of many Americans.

To be honest, the GSM networks here in Germany haven't been put up to a large-scale test in terms of strong natural disasters for quite some time, most of the time Southern Germany gets loads of storms with powerful winds which damage cell towers in rural areas. Other than that, the 4 GSM providers here fare very well.

What makes LA more of a target over San Francisco, Oakland or San Jose or even Silicon Valley for that matter? A lot of the American economic power is based there as well.

Posted by: TmaX

So should I go with O2 or Orange for my stay there?
I will be making mostly local calls in London and perhaps some LD calls to Canada. Triband suggest Orange, but im thinking maybe O2 b/c of the included airtime with their card.

-TmaX

Posted by: JEFFJAGUAR

Personally if you will be based mostly in London and making mostly local calls with the odd call or 2 to North America I would strongly consider Virgin..

1. You get £5 with sim pack.

2. Local rates in UK to landlines: 15p/minute timed to the second (5p minimum) for first 5 minutes each day then 5p/minute (to the second but 5p minimum) rest of day. Orange £1 with service pack requires registration before you get number landline calls slightly more expensive: 25p/minute for first 3 minutes each day then 5p thereafter but both are 20p/minute to North America timed to the second with 5p minimum.

Over the whole country, I have read Orange coverage is better than T mobile UK (whose towers Virgin use) but service in London is fine...

Posted by: TriBand81

Quote:

Originally Posted by TmaX

So should I go with O2 or Orange for my stay there?
I will be making mostly local calls in London and perhaps some LD calls to Canada. Triband suggest Orange, but im thinking maybe O2 b/c of the included airtime with their card.

-TmaX

All UK prepaid SIMs come with airtime but Virgin Mobile offers the best deal for your money so I would recommend them over Orange, I recommended Orange for their solid coverage but in terms of pricing Virgin Mobile is better.