However, it is most likely that your GSM phone will not work overseas. Even if you have a GSM phone, it is likely that the version that you have is different from the one used overseas. Most cellular providers will rent you a phone, compatible to the frequencies used overseas. You will need to look around for the best deal in renting, that is available in the market today. For information regarding renting, visit www.planetomni.com/RENT_INFO.shtml for more details regarding the prices of renting a quad or tri-band GSM handset.
Now that you have a phone, the next is the SIM card. SIM Cards are available for all major countries in the world, and for global roaming as well. These SIM cards are prepaid, where you do not need to enter into any contract with the service provider. This prepaid SIM card will save you atleast 80% of your communication cost. All the out-going calls are charged at local rates, with free incoming calls. These cards are available with airtime credits included and are available in different denominations. The price of such a card includes the set up fee for the SIM card, which is a fixed amount, and includes the basic price of the airtime credit along-with. You have the option in buying more airtime credits along-with the card. As you use up your credit limit, you may use re-charge vouchers of varied amounts to top up your airtime credits. These credits are available in terms of the value that you have put in and not as unit of calls or time. With such a prepaid country specific SIM card, you have a lower expense for your international calls, as you do not pay for any roaming charges.
To sum up the prepaid country specific and global roaming SIM cards, you generally get:
A credit for a starter airtime when you buy the card.
All incoming calls are free no matter where it generates from.
Lower rates for international calls.
No roaming charges on the calls that you make.
All outgoing calls are charged at local rates.
Free incoming SMS.
You get that country specific number.
Etc.
You need to bear in mind that anyone can use your prepaid SIM card. If you lose your phone with the SIM card inside, you will need to call up the customer service to de-activate your SIM card so that no one else can use it. In this situation, your SIM card cannot be replaced.
With the combination of an appropriate GSM phone and SIM card, you have a freedom to communicate anywhere and have a substantial saving as well. Though you will not be able to retain the number that you have at home, you may like to leave your new contact number in the voicemail, so that people trying to get in touch with you would know the number to get in touch with. The mobile phone that you wish to hire, will come to you with the necessary accessories like the battery charger. Most of the service providers will provide you with voicemail in your new mobile phone. If you are traveling to more than one country, you may change your country specific SIM card accordingly or better still, you may like to buy the international SIM card which will allow you to roam in most of the countries in the world, letting you have the same features or facilities as a country specific SIM card. Since your rented GSM mobile phone is given to you in an unlocked condition, you may use any SIM card that you like with that handset.
On your next visit overseas, rent a SIM card for country that you are visiting with your mobile. Rent a the mobile for which-ever country you are going to and you may purchase the SIM as well.
Cell phone use overseas. In 99% of the world the local cellular service standard is called GSM. We use this in the states as well. When combined with a SIM CARD (which usually goes under the battery of the phone) the phone is able to communicate and the SIM CARD also holds the telephone number and memory for pre-paid credit. Rates can be extremely low using this system. For example in 99% of all SIM CARDS incoming calls are free and calls to the states can cost a trifle. Such as, from the UK to the USA 7 cents/minute, from Israel 22 cents, from Australia 27 cents. Yes, USA Dollar cents! There are today even prepaid service providers in the USA offering rates of 10 cents per minute to call anywhere in the US to any type of phone. No contracts, no credit card checks, no bills. Pre-paid always means no minimums no contracts, no obligations. You only pay for the calls made. You'll need an unlocked GSM tri-band or quadband UNLOCKED phone. You can buy factory unlocked phones and sim cards for more than 170 or the 193 countries on earth from http://www.planetomni.com Tel. # 800-514-2984
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