PLEASE NOTE:All articles are copyright but you can link to this page by copying and pasting the html code EXACTLY as shown. Thank you. <a href="http://www.1st-4-cheap-mobile-phones.co.uk/articles/art4.shtml" > <b>Mobile Phone and Cell Phone Articles</b></a> Options for Non-UK Residents by Michael Furniss www.greatbritishsim.com Options for Non-UK Residents Wishing to use their Mobile Phone Whilst in the UK. If you have ever used your mobile phone whilst travelling abroad you will know how expensive it can be, and using it whilst in the UK is no exception. General UK Mobile Phone Network Information UK mobile phone networks operate using GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) technology. The GSM frequencies used in the UK are 900MHz and 1800MHz. Both frequencies offer similar coverage - about 99% of the population. GSM phones require a small electronic chip, called a SIM card, to be inserted into a slot in the handset. This SIM card is the "heart" of your phone ~ it contains your mobile phone number, your phone book, and all of your network registration information. If you have a GSM phone, and it works on one of these two frequencies, it technically will work in the UK. These are the different SIM card options available to travellers to the UK. Using Your Own SIM Card Using your own foreign registered SIM card in the UK can be expensive. This is because you are charged at a higher rate for operating on a UK network. This higher rate covers both international calls from the UK, and all local calls within the UK, further to this, you are charged for all the calls you receive. You may benefit from keeping your own phone number but you pay a high price for the privilege. Using a UK Pre-pay SIM Card Using a UK pre-pay SIM card, registered to a UK network, will reduce the cost of your phone bill when compared to using your own SIM card. The calls that you make will be cheaper, and all your incoming calls will be free. However, prices are still high when compared to UK post-pay tariffs, and you have the added problem that you must buy your talktime in advance. If you do not have enough talktime you could easily be cut-off during an important phone call. Using a UK Post-pay SIM Card The cheapest call tariffs in the UK traditionally are offered with post-pay SIM card services. However, post-pay has not been an option for non-UK residents due to the fact that it charges a monthly line rental. You would be charged every month, even when you were not in the UK. However, a new type of post-pay service has been developed to try and overcome the limitations of the above SIM card services. It offers connection to a cheaper post-pay UK tariff, but without the monthly line rental. Plus, some companies also offer a special cheap rate for calls back to your home country. By paying a one-off purchase price for the SIM card, and then only paying for your calls on a cheaper post-pay tariff, you should stand to make the greatest savings whilst using your mobile phone in the UK. [CaRP] XML error: mismatched tag at line 13 |
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