Global GSM Prepaid Overview - Great for travelers!

[AdmiralAK]

Here is the Templete :-)
You can download it, fill in the info, copy and then paste it into the reply box


Admiral

[AdmiralAK]

Quick Facts
Country: Canada
Network Name: Fido
Website: http://www.fido.ca
Product Name: Prepaid
Owned by/Major partners: Microcell
Operational Frequency: 1900 GSM
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): $50 canadian
Prepaid Package Validity: 15-60 days depending on voucher
CSD access: No (according to sonyericsson setup wizard)
GPRS access: Yes
SIM applications: No
Manual included: Yes (English and French)
Refill amounts: $15, $20, $30, $40 (canadian)
Availability: Fido Stores and Fido website
Competitors: Rogers

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
I was in Canada for 2 weeks so I decided to go the prepaid route since I would be calling local numbers. I bought my prepaid package at a Fido Store (in a mall in Montreal). Buying the package was relatively painless, and I also bought my first refill voucher there as well. The prepaid package had directions in both english and french and it was pretty helpful (even though I do not really read the manuals), and it included some startup time (how much I do not remember).

The Bad:
I had to fill out a form, give them my name, address, and local landline phone (hello?!). They did check my identification, they asked for my passport since I was not a resident of Canada. Also I found the price to be a bit high but the included time made it worth it.

Usage:
The Good:
Fido operates well in cities. I did not have any problems using my phone in Montreal and Ottawa. I also did not have any problems getting reception while in transit between the two cities. When I bought my package GPRS was not available to prepaid customers but evidently now it is. Fido Prepaid comes with Caller ID, Call Waiting, Voicemail, SMS (probably MMS too?).

The Bad:
If you want to go trekking though the mountains and the woods, away from the cities, Fido is not for you (and they tell you that). CSD is not offered by Fido either, I always like to have CSD as a backup just in case GPRS does not work. The last thing that I found annoying was that Fido prepaid has no roaming. I still had some credit on my account before I left but once I got back home I could not roam.

TIPS:
1) Know where you will be staying if you want to buy a prepaid Fido package, they will ask you
2) Stay in the cities, Fido has no reception out in the boondocks
3) If you want GPRS access please ask the Fido representative at the store to activate GPRS on your account when you buy the package.
4) When you are returning home, make sure to use up your credits in your account because you cannot roam on a prepaid account.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Since I stay in cities whenever I visit canada I found that Fido works well for me. I recommend Fido to any traveller that wishes to have Prepaid in Canada.

[Telekom]

Originally posted by AdmiralAK
[B
More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
I was in Canada for 2 weeks so I decided to go the prepaid route since I would be calling local numbers. I bought my prepaid package at a Fido Store (in a mall in Montreal). Buying the package was relatively painless, and I also bought my first refill voucher there as well. The prepaid package had directions in both english and french and it was pretty helpful (even though I do not really read the manuals), and it included some startup time (how much I do not remember).

The Bad:
I had to fill out a form, give them my name, address, and local landline phone (hello?!). They did check my identification, they asked for my passport since I was not a resident of Canada. Also I found the price to be a bit high but the included time made it worth it.

[/B]

Prepaid accounts no longer include any initial time. If you want airtime you'll have to buy a voucher. There is no more included time with the initial account as there was at one time.

[Affiliated]

I live in New York but spent 5 weeks in Quebec City where I took a class at Universite Laval (May 9 - June 11, 2004).
Upon arrival, I decided to purchase a pre-paid phone. Unlike the previous poster, when I signed up for FIDO pre-pay at a mall in Quebec City, I was not asked for ID of any kind. I simply gave them my local Quebec address and that was that.
The package cost $125 Canadian and included a Siemens A56, sim card, $50 worth of minutes, as well as several accessories for the phone. There are a variety of rate "plans" depending on the voucher purchased. I went with the 5 cents nights (starting at 7:00) and weekend plan since I knew I would not need to use it at prime-time at 40 cents per minute. There were however other options for day time use with rates as low as 15 cents per minute. Overall, I was very pleased with the service, though, in hindsight, I do wonder if Telus might have been a better option. I chose FIDO because of the lower initial out of cost price (cheaper phone) and availability of 5 cents nights, however, Telus and an unlimited weekend option (for a fee of something like 20 or 30 dollars) which would have ended up saving me money cause I used the phone way more then I had anticipated.

Overall, service was good and signal strength was very good throughout the greater Quebec City area.

[Affiliated]

Two things that I forgot to mention:

1) I figured that I would "recharge" this phone when I return to Quebec next summer. Unfortunately, I just learned that after 3 months the account being inactive, the only way to reactivate it is to buy a new SIM. Not sure how much this would cost and if it would include minutes. Wondering if it might be cheaper to just sign up for a new package and new phone next summer?

2) The phone is locked to FIDO only and cannot roam on any other network except for a 911 call.

[Telekom]

Originally posted by Affiliated
Two things that I forgot to mention:

1) I figured that I would "recharge" this phone when I return to Quebec next summer. Unfortunately, I just learned that after 3 months the account being inactive, the only way to reactivate it is to buy a new SIM. Not sure how much this would cost and if it would include minutes. Wondering if it might be cheaper to just sign up for a new package and new phone next summer?

2) The phone is locked to FIDO only and cannot roam on any other network except for a 911 call.

I've had Fido prepaid (when I got service it was then called "Fidomatic") for over two years. At any rate at the time I signed up for a prepaid account the only GSM operator in Canada was Fido/Microcell. At the time you could buy just a SIM kit alone for CAD50 and it included some airtime. Now SIMs alone do not include any airtime. When I signed up you only had 60 days after your airtime expired before they'd invalidate your account so for these two years I have continued to add to my account and presently I have over $260 in my account. Accounts are now shut down 120 days after the expiry period. OTOH Rogers has similar offers to Fidos for their GSM system but a difference is that the Rogers prepaid when your minutes expire you have a full year's time before your account is deactivated so if you're planning on going up occasionally you can just buy recharge vouchers as necessary. Unfortunately for you the Siemens phone you got for your prepaid service is locked to Fido so unless you want to find someone to unlock it or you can find an unlock calculator for your phone it won't do you much good to use Rogers.

[SQFreak]

Quick Facts
Country: United Kingdom
Network Name: O2 UK
Website: http://www.o2.co.uk
Product Name: Pay & Go
Owned by/Major partners: O2
Operational Frequency: 900/1800
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): !�
Prepaid Package Validity: 6 months with no calls; top-ups not required
CSD access: Yes
GPRS access: Yes
SIM applications: ?
Manual included: Yes, English. Many documents describing the service are included as well.
Refill amounts: Vouchers are available in �ncrements starting at �nd going up to � eTopUp will allow the customer to top up in any increment at any eTopUp location, which is pretty much half the stores in the UK
Availability: O2 UK stores, independent resellers like The Carphone Warehouse
Competitors: Vodafone UK, Orange UK, Virgin Mobile UK (MVNO off T-Mobile UK network), T-Mobile UK, Tesco (MVNO off O2 UK network), Fresh Mobile (MVNO off T-Mobile UK network), 3 (a 3G UTMS network with very limited coverage operated by Hutchison)

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
Extremely easy. I walked into the O2 UK store in Lancaster, England, said I needed a prepaid phone and walked out 15 minutes later with an activated Sagem myX-2 and �of calltime credit. Oh, and an International Talk & Text/Call Abroad voucher. I paid with a credit card, and no further information was required.

The Bad:
International Talk & Text was a pain to get working. I called and entered the voucher number, and was told that within 48 hours I would get a text message confirming it was activated. 48 hours later, no text message. �f phone calls to O2 Customer Service later (�s the cost of the International Talk & Text voucher!), it would be activated by midnight that night, and I would receive no text message. 10pm that night, I got a text message confirming that International Talk & Text was active. HoFo member josepho advises me in the future, and other HoFoers to call 2424 from your mobile to register for International Talk & Text; do not use the voucher.

Usage:
The Good:
Coverage in most places was good, rates were fairly low (to an American, they were extremely high to another mobile network, but that’s normal in Europe). Offpeak international airtime with International Talk & Text was low � I paid 10p/min for calls to the U.S. after 7:30pm UK time. It can be used internationally out of the box. No registration is required. You can top up at any store with eTopUp, and charge it to a non-UK credit card.

The Bad:
Ah, the trouble. The phone’s buttons were squeaky, but that’s not particularly important. There’s one spot on the rail line that goes from London Paddington to Hereford that’s an absolute dead spot for O2 UK while Orange and Vodafone work fine. It’s just west of Oxford. Vodafone and Orange coverage routinely beat out O2’s but not by much. Every time a call is ended, within about half a second, a system message appears telling you how far you are from reaching the lower call rate for the day. You have to see it and you have to close it before you can do anything else. It’s very bothersome if you just want to quickly place another call or slide the phone into your pocket. I’d rather have some way of shutting that off.

TIPS:
1) Register for International Talk & Text. It gets you cheap rates to any other country. But do it by calling 2424.
2) When you call to do your first top-up is when you’ll be given the number. Have paper to write it down on. Even better, write it on your eTopUp card.
3) Buy from an O2 UK store, not a reseller, as prices are often lower, especially on SIM-only. The O2 UK store is also much more knowledgeable. I asked three resellers about International Talk & Text; each was clueless. The O2 UK store knew exactly what I was talking about and pulled out a voucher for me.
4) Find out what network most of your friends and colleagues are on. Pick that network as the one to get a prepaid phone on. It’s more cost-effective that way.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
A worthwhile service for the occasional traveler. Pretty much every offering in the UK is similar, so pick one you like and go with it. See my tips.

[Telekom]

SQFreak, you may want to go through your message and edit it. Most every reference to a money amount and other reference to numerical amounts is some weird box symbol � instead of an amount. It makes no sense at all.

Originally posted by SQFreak
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): !�
Refill amounts: Vouchers are available in �ncrements starting at �nd going up to � eTopUp will allow the customer to top up in any increment at any eTopUp location, which is pretty much half the stores in the UK
Availability: O2 UK stores, independent resellers like The Carphone Warehouse
Competitors: Vodafone UK, Orange UK, Virgin Mobile UK (MVNO off T-Mobile UK network), T-Mobile UK, Tesco (MVNO off O2 UK network), Fresh Mobile (MVNO off T-Mobile UK network), 3 (a 3G UTMS network with very limited coverage operated by Hutchison)

[/B]

** By Admiral *******
Edited quote to keep things short
*****************

[alanh]

If you need a £ sign, you can insert one by typing £

Likewise,
¥ = ¥ (Japan)
€ = € (Europe)
¢ = ¢ (US)
₢ = ₢ (Brazil Cruziero)
₨ = ₨ (India Rupee)
₩ = ₩ (Korean Won)
₪ = ₪ (Isreal Sheqel)
₫ = ₫ (Vietnamese Dong)
₱ = ₱ (Phillipines Peso)
฿ = ฿ (Thailand Bhat)

Browser support for the numeric codes is spotty. It will show as a box if your browser doesn't recognize the code. There are others (₧, ₣, ₯) that were obsoleted by the €.

[SQFreak]

Originally posted by littlefuzzbear
SQFreak, you may want to go through your message and edit it. Most every reference to a money amount and other reference to numerical amounts is some weird box symbol � instead of an amount. It makes no sense at all.

Set your character set to Unicode and it'll work. (HoFo defaults to Chinese for some reason).

Unfortunately, I can't edit it. If an Administrator would kindly change it...(if someone thinks I should report it, I will)

[Telekom]

Originally posted by SQFreak
Set your character set to Unicode and it'll work. (HoFo defaults to Chinese for some reason).

Unfortunately, I can't edit it. If an Administrator would kindly change it...(if someone thinks I should report it, I will)

I did and your characters still display wrong.

[SQFreak]

Hmm, how 'bout that. Things are still wacky.

Here are the fixes:

Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): £10

"...activated Sagem myX-2 and £20 of calltime credit...."
"...hours later, no text message. £5 off phone calls to O2 Customer Service later (£5 was the cost of the International Talk & Text voucher!)..."
"...International Talk & Text was low - I paid 10p/min..."
"Ah, the trouble. The phone's buttons were squeaky, but that's not particularly important. There's one spot on the rail line that goes from London Paddington to Hereford that's an absolute dead spot for O2 UK while Orange and Vodafone work fine. It's just west of Oxford. Vodafone and Orange coverage routinely beat out O2's but not by much. Every time a call is ended, within about half a second, a system message appears telling you how far you are from reaching the lower call rate for the day. You have to see it and you have to close it before you can do anything else. It's very bothersome if you just want to quickly place another call or slide the phone into your pocket. I'd rather have some way of shutting that off."
"When you call to do your first top-up is when you'll be given the number. Have paper to write it down on. Even better, write it on your eTopUp card."
"Find out what network most of your friends and colleagues are on. Pick that network as the one to get a prepaid phone on. It's more cost-effective that way."

Part of the problem was the copy-and-paste from Word. That should solve everything. Now...mod...

[Telekom]

Originally posted by SQFreak
Hmm, how 'bout that. Things are still wacky.

Here are the fixes:

Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): £10

"...activated Sagem myX-2 and £20 of calltime credit...."
"...hours later, no text message. £5 off phone calls to O2 Customer Service later (£5 was the cost of the International Talk & Text voucher!)..."
"...International Talk & Text was low - I paid 10p/min..."
"Ah, the trouble. The phone's buttons were squeaky, but that's not particularly important. There's one spot on the rail line that goes from London Paddington to Hereford that's an absolute dead spot for O2 UK while Orange and Vodafone work fine. It's just west of Oxford. Vodafone and Orange coverage routinely beat out O2's but not by much. Every time a call is ended, within about half a second, a system message appears telling you how far you are from reaching the lower call rate for the day. You have to see it and you have to close it before you can do anything else. It's very bothersome if you just want to quickly place another call or slide the phone into your pocket. I'd rather have some way of shutting that off."
"When you call to do your first top-up is when you'll be given the number. Have paper to write it down on. Even better, write it on your eTopUp card."
"Find out what network most of your friends and colleagues are on. Pick that network as the one to get a prepaid phone on. It's more cost-effective that way."

Part of the problem was the copy-and-paste from Word. That should solve everything. Now...mod...

Thx dude! I'm not sure if it was my settings or something you tweaked, but I could see it all this time.

[hef]

Quick Facts
Country: UK
Network Name: Vodafone UK
Website: www.vodafone.co.uk
Product Name: Vodafone Pay As You Talk (PAYT)
Owned by/Major partners: Vodafone UK
Operational Frequency: 900MHz
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): £10
Prepaid Package Validity: 180 days from activation
CSD access: Yesiree
GPRS access: Yesiree
SIM applications: Yes, but can’t remember what they are
Manual included: Yes, en ingles!
Refill amounts: Multiples of £5
Availability: Vodafone shops in the UK
Competitors: 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin…

More In-Depth Information

Buying:
The Good:
Walk into any Vodafone store and they should have a SIM pack in stock. Payment on credit card or cash, should be supplied with a “quickstart” sheet that has tips and codes useful for everyday use of your new SIM! SIM comes with £1 credit and can be used immediately.

The Bad:
Some shops (other than Vodafone) will try to charge up to £25 for a Vodafone SIM card, telephone number for new SIM is not printed anywhere so you have to insert SIM into phone and make a call to find out new number.

Usage:
The Good:
Coverage with Vodafone is very good, probably the best of all the networks in the UK. You can buy text packs that make it VERY cheap to text people in the UK. Extra credit is easy to find in gas stations, supermarkets, post offices etc No need to register to use it.

The Bad:
No reduced rates packs available for overseas use like O2, calling other UK networks can be expensive.

TIPS:
Check out the text packs and voice packs that can make using your phone cheaper!
Check out the Vodafone website for pricing information, I would include it here but it can change so check there for up to date info!!

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Someone who’s actually on Vodafone PAYT may be able to write a better review, I’m not actually on it but I work in a Vodafone shop so do have some experience J

[SQFreak]

I did investigate Vodafone's PAYG and they have fairly cheap rates for international calling. And the £ sign is broken in your post, as well as the apostrophe. Don't worry, I did the same thing.