International Cell Phone use

10 years ago

I am in need of advice. My teenage daughter has a prepaid cell phone through Virgin mobile. We prefer that she has prepaid so we can control the use. She is traveling to Koln, Germany and though she won't be using her cell phone much, I want her to have access to text and calls for emergency and to contact us while she's gone. I called Virgin Mobile who told me her phone will not work for calls or texts abroad, so we need a different option. My travel experience is minimal and happened well before cell phones. Does anyone know what other options would be good? She won't be using it much, but I will need to hear from her a few times to avoid losing my sanity. I'm a little nervous! Lol! Any advice is appreciated!

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Comments (12)

dedtired
10 years ago
As I recall, Verizon loaned (or rented?) me a phone to use overseas. Call your service provider and see if they will do that. Since you have a pre-paid plan, that may not be an option.
Kathsgrdn
10 years ago
I used a Mobal phone when we went to Germany and France a few years ago.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mobal
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Impact on the viewshed simply means will it look bad where it is placed. I prefer to not see large manmade structures in areas that have a pretty natural look to them. If the proposed tower is going into an already developed area this may be a moot point. Birds... There is not much that can be done to warn off birds. While many birds do have organs / areas in their brains that allow them to orient for migratory purposes, there is little evidence that they are attracted. The birds just do not see them in the dark and run into them much like hitting a window. Birds just never evolved the ability to avoid a cell tower. Also, keep in mind I am not implying that they are going to decimate a local bird population. This type of even has occurred from the time the first radio towers were installed. Property values. My comments were in regard to what is occurring here. In my area of the southeast, many farmers are being lured away from farming to sell their land for housing developments. I know of two farmers that rather than sell their land for development, chose to allow a utility to place towers on their land. I am to polite to ask what the lease payments were, however I do know that they were happy with them. I believe that the lease payments for a 40X40 footprint was more than adequate to pay the taxes and allow them to continue farming the land. I am not sure what you want to hear about property values... I personally would rather see the (intrinsic) value drop to dissuade development if at all possible. This is a judgement call that you have to make. Clean and serviced. Generally, the utility will drive up to the tower and do the needed work. Most towers have in conjunction a service line, power supply, small structure to hold the computers, and sometimes a backup generator. In many cases in my area, we have worked with utilities to avoid using herbicides on the surrounding area. If a case can be made as to why mowing should be done, they are more than happy to help. Depending on the area, there may be native plants that can be protected. (not necessarily threatened / endangered - an impact statement would point these out and likely prevent the tower from being installed in the first place) Also, you can ask that non-invasive species be used for soil stabilization. Radiation hazard. My personal feeling is that the EMF (electro magnetic frequency) issues are minimal. Speaking as a scientist, I have yet to see any credible journals back up claims that the EMF associated with towers / electrical lines / etc. are a threat to public health at a statistically significant rate. I am sure that there may be many that disagree with this, and that is fine, but show me the data. I am sure as a X-ray tech you are exposed to FAR more radiation than you would experience living next to the tower. Also consider that we live in a world saturated with EMF be it from power-lines, radios, cell phones, wi-fi, the wires in your home, and many many other sources. Sitting in front of your computer you are being hit with EMF. I fall into the category of extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. There are far more damaging things in the environment that I would concern myself with. (pollution etc.) What it really comes down to is the value judgement of do you want to live near the tower and see it all the time. Andrew
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It depends on the phone and the carriers. There's a number of different types of service out there too. For instance different carriers use different frequencies (CDMA, PCS, GSM, etc) SIM cards are suggestive of GSM technology used by Tmo and ATT. If you're looking to use prepaid service you can sometimes use the phones but won't always have all the features. If you're looking for a contract service, then as cautioned before, beware of costs to change. Often the smallest thing will extend your contract. For instance, if you get a new phone, you generally get a new (extended) contract with hefty cancellation fees. You'll have to get more info from the companies, but generally speaking, Tmo will not be interchangeable with Virgin and Verizon. Tmo & AT&T are more likely to be options. Probably not answering your question, but not an easy question to answer!
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Instead of the big companies like Verizon and T Mobile we were advised to look into the smaller companies who specialize in international cell phones. I looked into cell hire and Mobal (www.MobalRental.com) and my favourite was Mobal becuase you buy the phone for $49 and you just keep it for life. You only pay for what you use and there's no monthly charge so it's easy. Although call rates are a little high for some countries, I don't mind paying exstra for the convenience. Cheers, John H Here's the link to Mobal: Mobal International Cell Phones Link to Cell Hire: www.cellhir.com Here is a link that might be useful: International Cell Phone
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I really was taken aback by the "holier than thou" take on my post. I sure don't feel that way, nor did I intend to come off that way. Hands free is legal in my state, however, the law now prohibits any contact with your cell, even when stopped in traffic. I've never used my cell in the car, I never look at texts and certainly wouldn't text myself. If hands free were illegal, I wouldn't do it. I never used my phone in the car before I had hands free and it is really a rare occasion when I do now - maybe to let someone know I'm stuck in traffic or running late. I have one route I take on a 2 lane country highway to my cabin, with long stretches of open road and sometimes I will talk to a friend for an extended period, but that, too, is rare. I am careful about when and where I talk, not on unfamiliar roads or when traffic seems to be erratic. I do feel like I am a super aware driver, I drive defensively. The same with my GPS...I always put in the address before I start moving and it talks me through maneuvers. I do glance at the dash display to see what the next move is going to be and how far away it is, but like I said above, it's no more of a glance than at my speedometer. I guess you can be livid if you want. I hope you don't ever turn on your car radio, or change the station or listen to the news. For some people that could be a big distraction and time with your eyes off the road. Same with smokers who light up while driving. Or people who drink their lattes, or even sip from water bottles. Only one hand available to control your car. I think it's a spectrum of distractions and abilities.
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OklaMoni
10 years ago
I used buy a phone card when I was over there. But realize, pay phones eat up the minutes fast... even if no one answers.

Now a days, I just use email to stay in touch.

Moni
jmc01
10 years ago
I take a regular cell phone, call the service provider and ask them to turn ON the international capability. When I return home, I call the provider back and turn it off.

Can someone with regular service trade phones with your daughter while she travels?
jeaninwa
10 years ago
Listening to Clark Howard on the radio, he has calls about this often. Seems, he said you can buy a SIM card to put in your phone once you get overseas.
Here's what I found on his question and answer forum, the same question was asked by a woman planning a trip to Ireland, but the answer would basically be the same...
"you could take unlocked GSM quad-band or world phones, and buy prepaid SIM on arrival. If you don't have a phone like that, and can't get it, then you could have your current phone unlocked if it is a GSM quad-band phone. Unlock prices range from free to $30 to impossible -- depends on your provider and your phone. Two weeks is not much time to get a phone quick, though. You also need a plug adapter for any phone, camera, or tablet computer you take, like this.

Phone something like this. Very important! Unlocked quad-band or "world phone" GSM only!

On arrival, look for Lyca Mobile prepaid SIMs from the stockists listed on Lycamobile.ie. Calls to other Lyca mobile SIMs in Ireland will be free. http://www.lycamobile.ie/en/nationalrates Calls back to the US would be 3 Euro cents per minute.

So... a $10 phone, probably 5 or 10 Euros for a Lyca SIM start-pack on arrival (includes SIM with an Irish phone number and usually 5 Euros or so of credit), a plug adapter ... and you're set. Oh, and be sure if you get a phone that it includes the cord!

Otherwise... plan to use the skype app on your phones whenever you have wifi. You can extend wifi spots by getting a one-month subscription to Boingo.com"

OK, that's clear as mud...sounds like Skype would be a viable option.
maire_cate
10 years ago
My previous cell phone didn't have international capability so I rented a phone from Verizon. i think the total cost was around $20 - $30. They mailed it to the house and it included a prepaid return envelope.
trixietx
10 years ago
I used the Mobal phone also. Not expensive and works fine.
bob_cville
10 years ago
Seconding (or thirding) the recommendation for Mobal phone. You buy the phone and set up the service, and you only pay for the actual usage of the phone. We have one we bought a few years ago, and have used it in France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Trinidad and Costa Rica over those years. Most of the time though it sits in a drawer at home, and during that time the cost of the phone is zero. When we actually use it, the cost of any calls made merely appear on the next months credit card bill, (and i think there might be an itemized call list emailed to us)
mom24
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks so much for the great responses. Are Mobal phones only available online?
mom24
Original Author
10 years ago
I went with Mobal. What great service! I ordered off the website and had my phone two days later along with a free plug adapter. Thanks again!
Toni S
10 years ago
Have them show you how to turn OFF the DATA usage if she gets a smart phone, not the same as airplane mode ( airplane means no calls or data). I used face book message to communicate while I was traveling, data turned on for a few mins. Facebook will keep your messages until she opens them. There are other ways but we both had FB already.
sjerin
10 years ago
My dd bought a different SIM card in Germany and it worked fine. We also used Whatsapp (a free app) on both our phones, which is a way to text for free.

International Cell Phone use

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