Global GSM Prepaid Overview - Great for travelers!

[AdmiralAK]

Quick Facts
Country: International
Network Name: Hop Mobile
Website: http://www.hopmobile.com
Product Name: Hop
Owned by/Major partners: Operates on more than 80 networks globally
Operational Frequency: 900, 1800, 1900 and possibly 850 GSM
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): $60 ($15 worth of airtime)
Prepaid Package Validity: 1 year
CSD access: No
GPRS access: No
SIM applications: Yes
Manual included: Yes (English and French)
Refill amounts: $25, $50, $100 (recharge cards), or $50, $100, $150, $200, $250 (if paying by credit card)
Availability: Hop Mobile's website and resellers globally (they are limited though)
Competitors: United-Mobile

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
Buying this package, like United-Mobile, also seems pretty straight forward, you can go on their website and buy it there or you can look at their reseller's list and head on over to the store and buy it.

The Bad:
Although resellers exist they are few and far between.

Usage:
The Good:
The SMS price is priced at an affordable rate of 10 cents per message, and incoming calls are 35 cents per minute, this is cheaper than United-Mobile's offers! However their outgoing calls are 95cents per minute, more expensive than United-Mobile, but it seems to cost the same whether you are calling a mobile phone or a landline (with united-mobile you pay 20 extra cents per minute if you call a mobile phone). Another good thing is that they list all the carriers that they have agreements with so you can see yourself and decide how good coverage is! Another thing that I like about their website is that they break down the roaming list by continent, so you can quickly see what is available where you will be. For the USA it lists cingular wireless and AT&T, so if you are coming to the USA, bring your 850 GSM enabled phone for better coverage. In addition to voice and SMS you also get voicemail and information services


The Bad:
No GPRS or CSD access, what a bummer! The dialing procedure seems a but complicated to make an outgoing call. You need to dial *111* then the country code, then the number. United mobile is a bit more simple, you can just dial the number with the international prefix and code and you are all set. The number that you have is a Monaco number, so having this number as you MAIN mobile number when at home costs you and your friends and colleagues more money than getting a local SIM.


TIPS:
1) If you are going to the USA a phone that supports the 850 GSM band is advisable but not required.
2) A copy of the manual is online, check it out on their website and see if you understand it before you buy it.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Just like United-Mobile, this package is good for someone doing the "pan-european" trip (or something similar) where you are going to be in Germany for 2 days, 1 day in France, 2 in Italy and 4 in Spain. It is worth it to have one number all throughout Europe to be able to make and receive phone-calls and sending/receiving SMS messages without going though a local telecom and activating roaming on your french or german or other prepaid account and getting charged up the wazoo and having difficulty recharging your account when not in the country of origin of the SIM card. For general usage I think this is a bit expensive for both you and the person(s) calling you because the number that you get is a Monaco number, meaning that your friends and colleagues need to dial an international number in order to reach you.

[JoTE]

united mobile has a online-guide too here:

http://www.united-mobile.com/4_user_...user_guide.htm

[vermontcellboy]

Quick Facts
Country: Ukraine
Network Name: UMC
Website: www.jeans.com.ua (Virtual Operator) www.umc.ua (Network owner, available in English)
Product Name: Super-Jeans (Not Regular Jeans which assesses a connection fee and is arguably more expensive)
Owned by/Major partners: UMC Ukraine
Operational Frequency: 900/1800
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): Special Promotion Valid Now 40 Grivnas ($8.00 or so) Gives you 5 Grivna balance ($0.90)
Prepaid Package Validity: Superb. Super-Jeans never expires, or requires useage. Great for repeat, but rare, trips.
CSD access: Yes at 0.30 grivna a minute (About $0.05 a minute)
GPRS access: No
SIM applications: Yes/ SIM-Menu gives you like access to News and Stuff. I believe only in Ukrainian.
Manual included: Yes/Ukrainian
Refill amounts: 10 (Limited Availability As a Voucher) 20, 40, 80 Grivna. 5.31 Grivnas = $1
Availability: At UMC Stores and Dealers. I prefer the UMC Flagship Store which is in the “Passage” on Kreschatik (Kiev’s main street). It’s this huge arch that is hard to miss, and then you make a right. Notice, If you buy a kit, they will always send you to the “Kasa”, as they have a cashier system in place.
Competitors: Kyivstar Ace & Base (More Expensive) Golden Telecom Uni (Close in prices, but ridiculously horrible coverage) UMC Sim-Sim (More expensive, not really a competitors as they are owned by the same co.)

More In-Depth Information
There are free incoming calls here, as the person calling you from Ukraine pays 1 grivna a minute or about $0.18 to reach you.
All outgoing within Ukraine are 1.60 grivna a minute, which is about $0.34 a minute.
Buying: I went to the UMC Flagship Store in the Passage on Kreschatik. Store was moderately friendly, which is seemingly rare in Ukraine. Person was very friendly, and much to my surprise, and happiness, no ID or excessive documentation was required. I don’t know about other countries, but in Ukraine they’ll usually give you a pile of SIM Cards to choose through to pick the number you like the most. I picked something like 266-1160.. Except replace the sixes with another number.
Jeans is 8-066 if your dialing from Ukraine and 011-38-066 if you are dialing from the U.S. Some of the older kits identify your number as +38050xxxxxxx. This is not true.
The Good:
Friendly Service, Great Network (Works in the Subway), Good Prices, No Expiration.

The Bad:
My phone went out once (fixed after going to a different part of town) and you spend your money much quicker than one would expect.

Usage:
The Good:
CSD, Superior Coverage, Good Reliability/VQ, No Capacity Issues even though Signal did like to bounce at our apartment in Ukraine.
The Bad:
**NONE**

TIPS:
Go to a Corporate Store, buy your cards from stores, and be careful about muggings and pickpockets.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
JEANS is a superb prepaid service and I prefer it to all of the other services. Get SUPER-JEANS and not regular JEANS



*** edits by Admiral ***
Just fixed the formating
*******************

[Andytel]

Quick Facts
Country: Italy
Network Name: TIM
Website: http://www.tim.it
Product Name: TIM Card
Owned by/Major partner: Telecom Italia Group (56%)
Operational Frequency: 900 and 1800 (urban areas) GSM, 2200 MHz WCDMA (UMTS)
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): 40 Euro with 20 Euro of credit (during summer, special offer with double credit)
Prepaid Package Validity: 12 month from activation or last recharge + 1 month only for receiving
CSD access: Yes
GPRS access: Yes (EDGE+GPRS)
SIM applications: Yes (64k sim card)
Manual included: quick guide in Italian
Refill amounts: 5(4), 25(20), 50(45) Euro cards (credit included), 75(70), 100(95) and up to 250 Euro via shop
Availability: TIM, Telecom and "Il Telefonino" shops, multibrand phone dealers, tobacconists (for top-up scratch cards)
Competitors: Vodafone IT, Wind, 3 (3 is UMTS only)

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
Very easy to buy a prepaid card, but it's often cost-effective to buy it together with a new phone (by Italian law, GSM phones must be sold unlocked).
TIM shops can be found in most towns, even smaller ones. It's very easy to top-up, you can buy a top-up scratch-card nearly at any "tabacchi" or newsstand; TIM and "lotto" shops can recharge your account directly. You can top-up even from abroad, via website or by using a scratch-card of the following operators: T-mobile D1 (Germany) and Telefonica (Spain).

The Bad:
There are a lot of tariff options to choose among, this may be very confusing especially if you don't understand italian. My suggestion is to choose a flat rate per second, like "Unica" and not to consider self-recharge options ("Autoricarica") unless you stay in Italy for many months.
You first need to have an Italian "Codice Fiscale", otherwise you cannot buy any prepaid card in Italy. You can get one here:
http://www.comuni.it/servizi/codfisc/
Print it and bring it with you (credit to Effendi for this suggestion).
Note: this fiscal code is for tax and accounting purposes, but is also employed to identify the user; anyway, the shop dealer (if he's a smart person) should be able to calculate this code for you even if you don't know it. All you need is an identity document, or passport.

Usage:
The Good:
GSM coverage is usually good everywhere.
SIM cards are preactivated, once you go out of the shop you are ready to go (call receiving is enabled after the first call you make, it is always free within Italy).
GPRS and MMS enable automatically at the first time you use them (if your phone is correctly set and supports these services).
TIM network supports EDGE nearly in every place where you have coverage: if your phone supports it too, you will find data transfer is much faster; if you plan to use data services a lot, you can activate a promotional flat rate ("Maxxi TIM Web Sempre" or "Maxxi TIM Web Time").
UMTS was just launched, so don't consider it for the moment. Useful SMS tells you which calls you missed while your phone was turned off or off-network, and when a turned-off phone you tried to call is again available ("ChiamaOra").
There are many interesting promotions available: if you plan to use your phone a lot, you can activate a "Maxxi TIM Sempre" or a "Maxxi vacanze TIM" card and get respectively 400 national minutes for 8 Euro or 400 min. + 400 SMS for 10 Euro.
You can also activate a "Carta internazionale" for 10 Euro and get a discount tariff (0.25 Euro/min) for international calls towards Europe, USA and Canada + 25 free international minutes.
International roaming is preactivated, and it works by dialing *101*phonenumber# .
Direct roaming is available with some operators.

The Bad:
There are so many options and special offers that even a shop agent is not always fully aware of them. I tried to give an overview but I could not be complete.
Customer service is not always so accessible and helpful, it's often difficult to find english-speaking operators.
Checking the credit via SIM menu is sometimes slow and not updated.
Many tariff options include a set-up fee or a billing per fixed increments (e.g.: "Long TIM") which is not so convenient.
Roaming tariffs for prepay are quite high (but if you use the SIM only while in Italy, that's no problem).
UMTS coverage is still limited.

TIPS:
1)Find which is your "Codice Fiscale", otherwise you may find difficulties in buying a simcard in Italy (credit to Effendi for this suggestion).
2)Choose the tariff carefully (there are many different options, the best one depending on what your calling habits are). Choose per-second billing if possible.
3)Consider activating a "Carta internazionale" to get a discount tariff (0.25 Euro/min) for international calls, or a "Maxxi" card for national minutes and/or SMS/MMS, or for data traffic if you plan to use them a lot.
4)To know the available credit and the last charge, use the SIM menu TIMCARD->CREDITO->ATTUALE to have a info SMS sent back to you (free of charge).

FINAL THOUGHTS:
TIM and Vodafone are the two best italian operators, with the best coverage. TIM offers somewhat better deals if you use your phone a lot, even if some plans/promotions are at first glance complicated; if you're not a heavy user, other operators can be cheaper.
Vodafone IT was also reviewed by me, Wind was reviewed in detail by Effendi (see earlier posts in this thread).

[AdmiralAK]

Quick Facts
Country: Greece
Network Name: Q-Telecom
Website: http://www.qtelecom.gr
Product Name: Q-Card 1
Owned by/Major partners: Q-Telecom
Operational Frequency: GSM 1800 and GSM 900 through roaming
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): 19 Euro
Prepaid Package Validity: 18 months from activation of SIM
CSD access: No
GPRS access: No
EDGE access: No
SIM applications: Yes (Named "MyQ")
Manual included: Yes (Greek)
Refill amounts: 5, 10, 20 euro
Availability: Authorized Q-Telecom resellers in Greece
Competitors: Vodafone, TIM, Cosmote

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
There are quite a few other authorized dealers that have sprung up since Q initially started business and it it easy to locate them on Q's website, their english website version seems good enough (at least to me). You might notice that resellers outside of Athens might include a lot of "ACS" stores. This is a UPS and FedEx like company in Greece (I think they partner with UPS for international). When you buy the package, you can choose your own number, how's that for customizability?

The Bad:
Initially, the only authorized Q-telecom dealers in Greece are located in Athens and Thesalloniki. Since you most likely be arriving by plane, this will most likely not be a problem. The problem has been addressed since. Even though they sell nationwide, it is still easier to find and purchase a Vodafone, TIM or Cosmote package than Q.


Usage:
The Good:
In major cities like Athens and Thessaloniki Q has their own network and it is pretty good in terms of coverage (side note: it runs on GSM 1800). Prices are quite good! In comparison, it seems to have some very decent international rates and pretty low national rates. This is a cheap service, but it doesn't skimp on the extras. You get voicemail included with prepaid and you have the ability to switch the language (good for non Greek speakers). The SIM application, called "MyQ" have sections on the Stock Market, Entertainment, News, Weather, Sports, Horoscope, Ship schedules, Lotto, ringtones, images and Greek Holidays (just in case you are wondering why Athens is so empty on August 25th lol). In terms of validity of time, your card is valid for 18 months from the time of activation. When you top-off it seems like the you expand your validity period (by how much I do not know).

The Bad:
Q is somewhat new to the game and does not have any global roaming partners yet, so if you wish to use up all your credit, do it in Greece because you will not be able to do it elsewhere. Coverage in Greece in non-major cities is the same as Vodafone's coverage (side note: runs on GSM 900), so it runs more like a virtual network rather than an actual network. The SIM cart is reported to be using "java Technology" and to have "large capacity" however you still only store up to 30 SMS and 200 numbers (so this is similar to all other SIMs these days - nothing new). The main thing that would prevent me from using Q as my service provider is the fact that they do not yet provide CSD and/or GPRS access. I suppose if you have your own service provider you can dial-up, but Q does not offer it natively, a price to pay for lower calling prices I guess - hopefully things will be better once Q further develops their own network. No MMS access.

TIPS:
1) If you wish to buy a Q-telecom package know where you are going to buy it prior to leaving your place of origin!
2) Consider whether or not you want GPRS access prior to buying into Q

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Q-Telecom seems to have a great package if what you want is voice communication. For "seasoned" users that can't bear to be offline Q is not the optimal package.

[Melik]

Quick Facts

Country: Turkey
Network Name: Avea
Website: www.avea.com.tr
Owned by/Major partner: TT & TIM
Operational Frequency: 1800 GSM
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): 100 Credit - 23,500,000 TL (~16$)
500 Credit - 40,000,000 TL (~27$)
CSD access: N/A
GPRS access: Yes, after Activation
SIM applications: Yes
Manual included: Sometimes yes, sometimes no
Refill amounts:
100 Credits 10,000,000 TL (~6$)
250 Credits 21,000,000 TL (~14,50$)
500 Credits 39,000,000 TL (~26,50$)
750 Credits No Price aviable now
1000 Credits No Price aviable now
Availability: Avea Shop , Aria Shop , Aycell Shop
Competitors: Turkcell , Telsim

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
The second cheap Prepaid Cards. Very easy to buy and it will be Activated in 10 Minutes. You can find many Aria,Aycell,Avea Shops in Turkey. You can buy Credits even at Lotto Shops and other Mobile Phone Shops. You can install Credits from your Mobile Phone, many usefull Services aviable. The Numbers start with 0555 or 0554

The Bad
No UMTS, no EDGE,maybe not much net coverage in some small Cities.




Tip :
There are 3 free Tariffs if you won't use the Tariffs then Choose none of them !!!



Final Thoughts:
Don't forget to ask a Friend How is their Net Coverage.



Sorry for my bad English

Melik.

[AdmiralAK]

Quick Facts
Country: USA
Network Name: Tracfone
Website: http://www.tracfone.com
Product Name:tracfone
Owned by/Major partners: Operates on Cingular's Network
Operational Frequency: 850 and 1900 GSM
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): N/A
Prepaid Package Validity: 60 days and a 1 year depending on card
CSD access: No
GPRS access: No
EDGE access: No
SIM applications: No
Manual included: Yes (English)
Refill amounts: $20, $30, $40, $80, $100, $150
Availability: Tracfone website, K-Mart, Office Depot, and more
Competitors: AT&T, T-Mobile, Cingular, Virgin

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
There are quite a few store that you can purchase tracfone from. You can get it online at the Tracfone store, at K-Marts, Office Depot stores, Rite Aid, Lowes, Dominics, Pak n' save stores, Travel centers and more. What I like too is that you can get a year validity on your minutes, something that is unusual with other USA prepaid GSM offers. You can activate the package online which is often quite simpler than talking to a human being.

The Bad:
The main bad thing with Tracfone is that you need to buy one of their phones in order to use their service. Yes they are a GSM provider but you cannot use another GSM phone. They have special firmware on the phone that goes hand-in-hand with the SIM card. Customer service is not that helpful, reports have said. They still seem to be a bit unfamiliar with the concept of a SIM and members reported having a hard time activating their account over the phone.

Usage:
The Good:
Your money has one year validity! If you are a frequent traveler to the USA you can come and go and your minutes have not expired! This service seems ideas as a backup phone to have with you, even if you have an account with someone else, incase your account runs out of money and you need to make a phone call, or send a text message. Since Tracfone is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) and they operate on Cingular's network coverage is the same as Cingular, and since Cingular bought off AT&T they also inherited their coverage as well, so coverage on Tracfone should be pretty good. You do get Call waiting, Caller ID, SMS and voicemail capability. Cost is counted by measurement of units. For local and local area calls 1 units = 1 minute. For roaming calls 2 units = 1 minute. The higher the value the card you get, the cheaper it is to call per minute. Incoming Text messages are free!


The Bad:
You need to buy their phone!!! What good is it to have GSM and not be able to use your own phone with a prepaid SIM? You might as well go get a Boost Mobile (iDEN) , Virgin (CDMA), Verizon (CDMA) or even the CDMA version of Tracfone for a prepaid package (they offer CDMA prepaid as well) if you need to lug another phone around. The only thing redeeming tracfone and setting them apart from the three aforementioned prepaid non-GSM providers is the fact that minutes have a one year validity (some exclusions apply). Tracfone has special firmware on their phones to allow them to show the minutes on the display (woop-dee-doo! ). What is further annoying is that phone you buy from Tracfone cannot be used on another network, so you cannot take it back with you, pop in your own SIM and be able to use your own provider with Tracfone's phone. Furthermore with Tracfone there is no data capability (no CSD and no GPRS).

TIPS:
None that I can think of

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Unless you are a frequent traveler to the USA and do not need data access on your mobile phone them Tracfone might be for you. Their minutes take a year to expire so you have quite a long time and many opportunities to use your minutes. As a traveler, I would pick another provider for my provider while being in the USA. If you are a resident of the USA and want an emergency phone, something to have in the car in case your regular phone dies, or in case you get a flat tire, a blown gasket or some other mechanical or medical problem then this could be a very good phone for you.

[SQFreak]

Tracfone is different everywhere. In NC, they're CDMA and GSM.

[AdmiralAK]

I was focusing more on the GSM aspect

[utopium]

They don't charge extra for roaming on GSM. They deduct only 1 unit per minute everywhere. It's the CDMA/TDMA phones where they double the units used for roaming.

Also, you only get 60 minutes with standard minutes you buy. You have to purchase a special card to get the one year expiration.

[Livino]

Quick Facts
Country: Brazil
Network Name: Oi (TNL PCS S.A.)
Website: www.oi.com.br
Product Name: Oi Cartão
Owned by/Major partners: Telemar www.telemar.com.br
Operational Frequency: GSM 1800MHz
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): R$31,00 / US$10.00 (July 2004 exchange rate)
Prepaid Package Validity: SIM valid for 180 days from activation if not used, credits valid for 30-90 days depending on voucher
CSD access: Yes
GPRS access: Yes
EDGE access: No
SIM applications: Yes (Remaining credit, e-mail, news among other things)
Manual included: Yes, 46-page booklet in Portuguese, plus some stickers for the handset
Refill amounts: Amounts in Real (approx. 3.05/USD): R$10, R$15, R$25, R$50, R$100, plus a R$20 option if you happen to refill using direct debit.
Availability: 16 southeastern, northeastern and northern Brazilian states (Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão, Pará, Amazonas, Amapá, Roraima)
Competitors: TIM Brasil (all States covered), Claro (all except Minas Gerais and the Amazon basin States), Telemig Celular (in Minas Gerais), Amazônia Celular (Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Roraima), Vivo (all except Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí, Paraíba)

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
THIS IS NOT OI-SPECIFIC, BUT MUST BE MENTIONED

First things first. When you arrive in Brazil you must remember that you’re entering Bureaucratic Park. So, If you’re bringing your own phone please take some time to register it with Brazilian customs. They’ll give you a blue paper slip that proves this is your phone and you that brought it from abroad and intend to leave the country with it.

When you go buy your pre-paid service and they ask for proof of purchase for the phone, just present the blue slip.

DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP, because it’ll be even harder to activate a phone without a proof of purchase or this little customs slip. Now read on.

When buying and/or activating a pre-paid phone or SIM card in Brazil one must be ID verified and is also expected to present a valid address. This usually poses a problem to temporary visitors even if the Telecoms authority has stated that a valid passport is enough ID for phone activation purposes. Why the fuss, then? Because vendors’ systems usually ask for a CPF number (tax number) in order to register the card/phone. Obviously, foreigners do not have CPF cards, and shop attendants are usually too obtuse to accept a passport number and will keep asking for CPF (going as far as asking tourists to come back with a Brazilian friend with a valid CPF). DO NOT buy that argument and insist your passport is a valid ID for registering a pre-paid phone. If you insist long enough they usually yield. Not that they understand a single word of what you just said anyway. As for the address, just use your hotel address and you should be fine.

Personally, I recommend you stay away from operators’ own shops or kiosks, where sales personnel are “trained” like robots and will enter an endless loop (“please provide a CPF number”) if met with the slightest difficulty or variation of routine. If it becomes too difficult, ask for the manager (“gerente”). If he/she is young, give up (training’s the same, they’ll just enter the lame loop) but if they’re older you stand a chance.

Look for smaller phone shops and small authorized dealers which are usually keen to meet operator quotas and will sell a phone or SIM card to your dog if it’s got a pedigree or some other suitable form of identification.

If you’re bringing your own phone, make sure it’s unlocked and make that clear to the salesperson. In Oi own-branded shops it’s almost impossible to activate a phone that hasn’t been bought from them, as they’ll insist the IMEI won’t register with Oi’s system. That’s a lie, I’ve been using personally-imported phones ever since I switched to Oi two years ago without any problems. Again, smaller shops are usually more helpful and by choosing them you stand a better chance of finding a salesperson that actually has a brain.

One you get through all these obstacles, you’ll find out that your new Oi Chip (Oi SIM card’s commercial name) comes with R$10 in credits, which is good for a few minutes’ conversation (actual talk times will depend on the region you’re in, Oi has different prices for each State covered).

The Good:
SIM cards are pretty cheap in Brazil. Pre-paid phone packages are usually more expensive than in other countries, so I recommend you get your phone unlocked and bring it with you. Register it with customs and avoid own-brand operator shops (“Oi”, “TIM Shop” etc.).

Remember that Brazil uses GSM at 1800MHz only.

The Bad:
All the hassle you’ll probably have to go through to get your SIM, made all the more painful by the fact that shop attendants don’t usually speak English or any foreign language (you’ll be lucky to find one who can speak Portuguese properly). One could argue that this is due to the government-mandated ID verification, but I think blame lay with the terrible training and complete lack of vision by phone companies’ management.

Couldn’t they imagine that people without CPF would still need pre-paid SIMs?

Usage:
The Good:

You start with a single-rate option ("Oi Qualquer Hora") but that tariff can be changed to one with reduced prices during certain periods (morning 8a.m.-12p.m. afternoon 12-4p.m. night 4-8p.m. and "super night" 8p.m.-12a.m.).

From midnight to 8 a.m. all plans have reduced call charges.

Oi’s main advantage is that it has by far the best GSM coverage in its 16-State area. CSD wap is available throughout, but GPRS is only available in State capitals and important areas (for tourism, industry, other major population centers, town with important universities etc.).

Without any top-ups your number (and SIM) will be valid for 180 days before it expires completely, in which case you’ll have to cough up another R$31 for a new SIM and associated number. Credit validity as follows: 30 days for R$10 and R$15 vouchers, 60 days for R$25 vouchers (and R$20 top-ups purchased by direct bank debit if you happen to have a Brazilian bank account), 90 days for R$50 and R$100 vouchers.

Call and text message pricing depends on the State your number’s registered in, and if you roam on Oi’s own network throughout Oi’s 16-State coverage area you’ll pay local charges for your local calls and long-distance if you’re calling your “home” area.

When placing long-distance and international calls, you have to choose your long distance provider every time. This is done by dialing a two-digit code. Code 31 (Telemar, Oi’s parent company) gives discounts to Oi users. To place a long-distance call within Brazil:

0 + XX (long-distance provider code) + YY (area code) + phone number

For international calls it’s the same thing except you start with two zeros (00) instead of one.

Services available are SMS, caller ID, voice mail (you’ll need to call the voice mail number and set a password for this but the menus are in Portuguese), CSD, GPRS (in select areas), conference call, call waiting, SMS chat, news, and automatic domestic roaming.

Many of these services can be accessed by SATK (Sim Tool Kit), your own “Oi Menu”. The booklet’ll tell you of the options available. You can top-up your phone through this menu, among other things.

Another good thing about Oi’s pre-paid service is that it informs you by text message of your credits and how much you have spent after every call. Nice.


The Bad:
It can be a pain to contact Oi’s customer service number and talk to an actual person rather than a recording if you’re on prepaid.

One thing to take into account with Oi, as well as most other services in Brazil, is that nobody speaks English. Don’t count on that. In fact, sometimes I think they don’t even speak Portuguese, or are unable to understand it beyond some standard, grammatically incorrect sentences. Customer care is abysmal and the telecoms authority isn’t really regulating these companies, so it’s no use to call them if you find any difficulties.

Also, MMS and POP e-mail is not available to pre-paid Oi customers. But you can send SMS to an e-mail address.

TIPS:
Avoid Oi’s own shops. Oi’s selling phones like hotcakes right now so they couldn’t care less about a customer without Brazilian papers or a dissatisfied customer.

Try and top your phone up from a bank account. If you use direct debit there’s a R$20 voucher option and it carries a R$5 bonus.

CSD/GPRS settings for Oi and TIM Brasil phones can be found on this thread which I posted earlier this year.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Oi’s OK as a pre-paid option, nothing more. Prices are in line with the concurrence (they all raise prices at the same time while the competition authority pretends to look the other way).

Since you’ll be here for a limited time only, their sub-par customer care probably won’t bother you that much.

Signal quality, strength and availability put TIM to shame. All in all, the best pre-paid option in Brazil if you go the GSM route and happen to spend most of your time here in Oi’s coverage area, which encompasses the best beach resorts and tourist spots anyway.

[Livino]

Quick Facts
Country: Brazil
Network Name: TIM Brasil
Website: www.timbrasil.com.br
Product Name: TIM Meu Jeito & TIM Meu Tempo
Owned by/Major partners: TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile)
Operational Frequency: GSM 1800MHz, TDMA 800MHz (being phased out)
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): R$25.00 / US$8.20
Prepaid Package Validity: 150 days from activation, with recharges valid for 90 days
CSD access: Yes
GPRS access: Yes
EDGE access: Yes, select cities
SIM applications: Yes
Manual included: Yes, 30-page booklet in Portuguese plus a quick guide leaflet
Refill amounts: R$35, R$50, R$100 plus R$15 vouchers in Minas Gerais, Bahia and Sergipe
Availability: Nationwide GSM, TDMA in Minas Gerais, the northeastern States, Paraná and Santa Catarina.
Competitors: Vivo, Oi, Claro, Telemig Celular (Minas Gerais), Amazônia Celular (Amazon States), CTBC (rural Minas Gerais), Sercomtel (Londrina, PR)

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
Buying a TIM Chip from TIM (SIM Card) is about as difficult as buying a SIM from Oi (that is, they’ll probably ask for a CPF number). See Oi guide above for details.

TIM Chips are cheaper than Oi’s at R$25 and they come with R$10 in credits. That’ll be good for a few minutes’ talk time – actual conversation time will depend on the State where you are.

The Bad:
All the hassle you’ll have to go through if you choose to buy your SIM from a TIM shop. Also, TIM CS manages to be worse than Oi’s. And that’s no small achievement.

Usage:
The Good:
TIM offers nationwide coverage even if it’s still a bit patchy at the moment. Signal strength and quality not up to Oi’s standards, but then again Oi doesn’t have the whole country to cover (8.5 million sq. Km of it).

They’re really pushing handsets right now but I still recommend that you bring your own (unlocked) phone.

TIM offers all of its services to pre-paid customers except international roaming. That means MMS and Edge are available (wherever possible).

Prices are in line with the competition and will depend on where you are in Brazil – each State has its own call prices. Two plans available: Meu Jeito, with a choice of different off-peak times (morning, noon, afternoon… you get the idea) plus a single-rate option; and Meu Tempo, where you set the amount you’re going to spend that month and can top it up if you use your phone more than you were planning to.

The Bad:
Coverage not as good as the competitors’ outside large cities.

Extremely obtuse CSR’s (took me about an hour of being bounced back and forth across three or four different call centres before I could extract some information from them, things like GPRS and CSD settings). It seems TIM has several customer support call centres across Brazil (I noticed three different accents) and they don’t seem to be able to speak with each other, so each time your call is forwarded to somebody else – and that’ll happen with alarming frequency – you’ll have to explain your request again.

TIPS:
As per Oi: avoid TIM own shops to get your SIM card.
Declare your phone to Brazilian customs to get the infamous little paper slip. Bring passport and other ID with you. And be patient – you’ll need to.

CSD and GPRS settings available from this thread.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
TIM’s main strength is its nationwide coverage, but don’t buy into that if you’re planning on wandering outside the big cities. Oi Chips are cheap at R$25 and come with some credit, plus the ability to use all available services except international roaming (pointless in this case anyway).

Personally I’ve had bad experiences with TIM in the past as a contract customer (their billing system played up on me on several occasions) but as pre-paid provider it seems to be OK. Their customer care is chaotic and worse than Oi’s (which is pretty bad itself).

Don’t expect coverage outside large cities and major tourist spots and you’ll be fine.

[Livino]

Quick Facts
Country: Brazil
Network Name: Claro
Website: www.claro.com.br
Product Name: Claro Cartão
Owned by/Major partners: América Móvil (Mexico) http://www.americamovil.com
Operational Frequency: GSM 1800MHz, TDMA 800MHz (being phased out)
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): R$25.00 / US$8.20
Prepaid Package Validity: 150 days from activation (if you don’t top it up)
CSD access: Yes
GPRS access: Yes
EDGE access: No
SIM applications: Yes
Manual included: Yes, 38-page booklet in Portuguese plus a detachable Quick Guide leaflet
Refill amounts: R$20, R$25 (refills valid for 60 days), R$30 and R$50 (valid for 90 days)
Availability: Most Brazilian States except Minas Gerais and the Amazon basin States.
Competitors: Vivo, Oi, TIM Brasil

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
Buying a Claro pre-paid SIM is very easy and straightforward. You’ll only need your passport and I recommend you look for a Claro own-brand shop or kiosk as they’re trained to register your SIM with your passport number.

They seem to be, along with Vivo, the only mobile phone companies in Brazil that are prepared to serve visiting customers.

The SIM kit is a big, round, red blister package that costs R$25 and includes an activated chip and the instruction booklet.

The Bad:
Claro started its GSM operation later than its competitors so don’t expect the best coverage in the world.

Absent in important regions of the country such as Minas Gerais and the Amazon. Automatic GSM roaming is available in those areas, but at cost.

Usage:
The Good:
Signal quality is good, though as I’ve mentioned it’s not available everywhere right now.

Their customer support (available in Portuguese: 0800-0363636) is the best in Brazil once you get through to them. It took me 11min15seconds of irritating music before someone finally took my call, but once you’re on they were the only ones that could give me straight answers to straight questions.

Available in Rio and São Paulo and, what’s best, they don’t charge you for roaming within their coverage area.

Two pre-paid tariffs, a single-rate one and an off-peak option at night. Prices, as usual, will depend on your location.

The Bad:
11 minutes and 15 seconds’ wait before I could speak to a CSR. It was a free (0800) call, but still… I usually don’t have all day, even when I’m on vacation!

They do have a credit card refill service (*555 from your Claro handset) but this hasn’t been available for the past 3 months (as of late July 2004) and customer support couldn’t tell when it’ll be back online or whether it’ll accept foreign credit cards. So why bother to advertise this feature?

Oh, and their website will only support Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. As a Firefox user myself, I wasn’t pleased at all.

TIPS:
Look for Claro own shops and kiosks to purchase your SIM. You’ll be ID-verified from the passport, and they probably won’t ask about the handset. But I’d still register it with Customs upon arrival anyway.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Claro gets high marks for its clear and straightforward, if a bit slow, customer service.

They also deserve praise for providing for foreign pre-paid users – it’s the easiest place to buy a SIM with a passport.

GSM coverage still has some important holes but they’re expanding it all the time. If you keep to large cities and major tourist destinations you’ll be fine. There’s also extensive TDMA coverage but you’ll need a TDMA phone and it’s easier to get a SIM anyway.

[TriBand81]

Quick Facts
Country: Germany
Network Name: E-Plus Deutschland
Website: http://www.e-plus.de
Owned by/Major partner: KPN Telecom Mobile (77.49%) and Royal KPN (22.51%)
Operational Frequency: 1800 GSM, 2200 MHz WCDMA (UMTS/being set up, Launch: August 16th)
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): 40 Euro with 15 Euros of credit, valid for 12 months
Prepaid Package Validity:
15,00 (6 months)
30,00 (12 months)
60,00 (24 months)
>60,00 (24 months)

Grace Period before complete number deactivation: 2 months

CSD access: Yes
GPRS access: Yes
SIM applications: Yes (64k sim card)
Manual included: Yes
Refill amounts: €15, €30 & €60 (Credit card and bank transfers only)
Availability: E-Plus shops, Multibrand phone dealers, German electronics giants: Saturn, Mediamarkt and Pro Markt, tobacconists (for top-up scratch cards)
Competitors: T-Mobile Germany (D1), Vodafone Germany (D2), O2 Germany (E2).

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
Readily available at any E-Plus shop, Saturn, Pro Markt and Mediamarkt location as well as any major electronics store.
E-Plus shops are located in all large German cities as well as some small towns. When no E-Plus shop is located in a town, you can get the refill cards at any newsstand, most supermarkets (Rewe, Kontra and others - look for the E-Plus Free & Easy sticker in the windows, if not, just ask ). If you plan to roam with the Free & Easy SIM, be sure to take enough Free & Easy Cash cards with you to refill abroad or register your CC with E-Plus to refill abroad. The service number 1155 is free from abroad but you only have the option of refilling the SIM with a CC outside of Germany.

E-Plus also has a large array of partner stores so look for these as well. You can locate the E-Plus Shop near you here:
http://www.eplus.de/meta/shopsuche/s...asp?d=eplus.de (Enter the ZIP Code or the city name, i.e. Köln for Cologne).

No registration or proof of German residency is required.

The Bad:
None.

Usage:
The Good:
GSM coverage is usually good everywhere. No problems in the subways in cities like Köln and Bonn due to extensive microcell coverage, major cities and urban areas/small towns are also covered quite well.
SIM cards are preactivated, once you go out of the shop you are ready to go. GPRS and MMS are available, you need to call 1155 (Free & Easy Service number, free from anywhere within Germany). Select Option 6 and then press 1 to have GPRS/MMS activated, it can take a few minutes or up to 24 hours to have this made available. GPRS is active once you see the applicable GPRS indicator on your screen.

UMTS is being set up but is not implemented on the consumer level to the point where E-Plus is actively promoting this. They have a UMTS card out on the market so that is one possibility if you need fast UMTS data connections. (Set to launch on August 16th). No news yet on actual 3G handsets or the UMTS phone network launch.

SMS works very well, I have no problems sending and receiving SMS from the US from Cingular users in California. SMS works quite well when roaming as well, E-Plus is expanding their roaming selection bit by bit. Right now, it's possible to roam/dial directly in 28 countries with Free & Easy prepaid SIM cards and also to be reached in 110 countries.

Useful SMS tells you if you have voice mail as well as when the caller hung up with their number (if available) without leaving a message, SMS is also sent to confirm a successful SMS submission to the SMSC. Very cool, SMS is sent right after refilling to confirm successful top up. International roaming is preactivated, and it works by dialing directly in 28 countries, in other countries one has tio Direct roaming is available with some operators.

The Bad:
GPRS is useful but a bit costly if you do a lot of GPRS surfing. UMTS coverage is not fully launched, expect more info once the launch occurs on August 16th. UMTS data card runs at €200 with signing of 24 Month E-Plus Online contract (€99,95 Monthly Usage Fee with 100 hours per Month, must access UMTS/GPRS via the E-Plus APN: internet.eplus.de).

Roaming expenses for prepaid are quite high so don't get caught unaware (http://www.eplus.de/tarife/2/2_5/2_5.asp). GSM coverage is available nearly everywhere (shaky when traveling by train (the ICE trains are equipped with repeaters to keep a stable signal) but good coverage in most German cities with subways (own personal experience is that coverage is flawless in Köln and Bonn U-Bahn. UMTS coverage is unconfirmed at this time, E-Plus gained sites and 3G licenses in 2002 from the failed 3G provider Quam so this should add coverage but is untested by regular uses as of yet.

TIPS:
1) Check for latest SIM card prices and special Free & Easy price plans: http://www.eplus.de/tarife/2/2_0/2_0.asp, http://www.eplus.de/tarife/2/2_2/2_2.asp

2)Choose the Free & Easy plans carefully (there are different options, the best one depending on what your calling habits are: Free & Easy Weekend: Cheap Weekend calls, Free & Easy Weekday: Cheap Weekday & Night calls). All calls made are charged per second, but a fixed connection rate may apply (depending from the plan).

3)To know the available credit and the last charge, call 1155 (free of charge within Germany, not available when roaming!!)

FINAL THOUGHTS:
E-Plus is great for occasional cell phone users and those who wish to be reachable. For heavy volume callers, I suggest that a visit to each of the 4 German providers be made so you can be advised in person on what the best rates/plans are for your own needs.

I have been using E-Plus since October 2000 and they are quite great, also a big plus for students, they have a monthly contract rate plan for those studying in Germany: (Time & More Student plans - 20/60/120 Minutes plus 30 inclusive SMS/month): http://www.eplus.de/tarife/1/1_4/1_4.asp (Scroll to "Für Studenten).

I hope this has been of some use. If there are any questions or comments (i.e. help in translating portions of the E-Plus sites) PM me.

Greetings from Köln, Germany,

Triband81

[JEFFJAGUAR]

One other thing might be helpful...is it possible on the German plan to get menus and voice prompts in English? I think this should be added to the reviews being posted.

Thank you!