International cell phone service...

[Michelle/OK]

my dd and her husband will move to Taiwan then China this summer. They are currently on our Sprint cell plan.

 

What kind of plans are available for folks in foreign countries? Any recommendations or personal experience?

 

Thx in advance!

[amey311]

Are you asking about cell phones for her to call internationally, or a phone for her to use while overseas?

 

One year that my mom went to the UK, she rented a phone here in the states that she could use in the UK, but it was very much an "only for emergencies" kind of thing - it gave her a US number, and she took it so she could reach me, or I could reach her in case of major emergency.

 

When we went last summer, our plan was to get a sort of "throw away" phone. Some cheap cell phone with a pay as you go plan. We ended up borrowing an extra from my cousin and then just adding about $20 worth of minutes to get us thru our time there.

 

You might be able to find some ex-pat boards or something similar and see what others have done. It will be much easier (and less costly!) if you're just looking for a phone for her to call domestically (around china). If you're looking for something for her to use to call you back in the states, have you considered Skype? it won't be mobile, but it might be low cost or free.

[TammyinTN]

I'm in Germany, but have a daughter in TX. She only has a cell phone, so I get an AT&T calling card 1000 minutes for $40 and just recharge it when I'm low. I call her everyday and talk at least 10 minutes. She isn't charged at all and I only pay for what I use. I just have a basic phone plan here in Germany and there's no charge when I call 800 numbers to reach AT&T.

[weddell]

We just moved from the U.S. to India. I'm not sure if China uses the same type of cell phones as India, but I think they do. The system is totally different from the U.S. The phones aren't locked into one provider like they are in the U.S. Instead, you buy a phone then you buy a SIM chip with your cell plan and insert it in your phone. It's hard to find unlocked phones in the U.S., but in other countries it is the norm (including Europe and Asia). They'll probably need to do it when they get there rather than trying to get things set up before they leave.

 

As for calling the U.S., the rates from my cell aren't bad at all, but we mostly use Skype.

[Catherine]

My son is in Germany, we're in the US and I have an international calling card that I use for phone calls to his host family's land line. Skype is another option. He doesn't use his home cell phone there.

[Starr]

And they can skype for free!

[LuckyDuck103]

You can get a cheap unlocked phone on Amazon or Newegg. Look for a GSM quadband phone then you can use it anywhere in the world where they use GSM technology (i.e. a SIM card.) It's easy & cheap. I travel between Canada and southern africa & use the same phone - just swap SIM cards when I move into a different country. Pay as you go works great. If they are a bit techy they can buy a smartphone & use 3G for internet if the carrier offers a data plan.

 

3G was awesome on my last trip to Zimbabwe. I was uploading stuff in very remote regions. It was fun sharing my trip with family here in real time. Depending on how cheap the data is there, you can use Skype on your smartphone. The downside of course is some areas have sketchy cellphone coverage but that's to be found anywhere.

 

This page http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html shows you what frequency band each country uses. Quadband (850/900/1800/1900MHz) covers pretty much everywhere.

 

Those international SIM cards are a rip-off.

[kolamum]

Living overseas I second not getting a mobile phone until you are there. Many places won't have the ability to use a mobile/cell phone you took with you from another country. :)

[Giraffe]

Living overseas I second not getting a mobile phone until you are there. Many places won't have the ability to use a mobile/cell phone you took with you from another country. :)

 

This is because the rest of the world uses GSM while only T-Mobile and AT&T use GSM technology (I forget what Sprint, Verizon, etc. use, but it's not GSM). Your DD should wait until she gets to her destination then research phones. For us, we get a Turkish number (on a SIM card) and switch the card out on our T-Mobile (GSM) phones. It works.

 

For calling internationally - it's cheaper if you get a calling card and call her. In most countries incoming cell phone calls are free, but outgoing cost $$. So if you, in the US, call her using the cheapest means for you, it will probably cost her nothing to receive the call.

 

HTH.

[Mrs Mungo]

She should wait until she gets there. There will be WAY more options for her there than there are here.

 

Now, if you want a phone to call her overseas, then you need to shop around to cell phone providers.

 

T-Mobile has a $10/month international talk and text option. The "talk" is for landlines, the text is for cell phones. There is a per minute charge to call cell phones, but it is discounted with their international plan.

 

Most of the major providers have something similar.

 

Now, if you want something you can use here *and* a phone that will work if/when you visit her overseas, then you need to look into an unlocked phone, that will be the cheapest option.

[Mrs Mungo]

In most countries incoming cell phone calls are free, but outgoing cost $$. So if you, in the US, call her using the cheapest means for you, it will probably cost her nothing to receive the call.

 

This too.