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Forum Question Posted By: Replies:
London
mobile phones & internet
Posted: Fri August 5, 2005 08:47 AM UTC
HI,

is it easy to buy a mobile phone in London if you are not a permanant resident? About how much would it cost, and what are the call rates like?

Is there free internet access in public libraries? How easy is it to access these if they exist?

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London
RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Fri August 5, 2005 08:54 AM UTC
is it easy to buy a mobile phone in London if you are not a permanant resident? About how much would it cost, and what are the call rates like?

YES
YOU NEED A PAY AS YOU GO SIM CARD
I THINK ORANGE CHARGES £5 FOR THEM PLUS THE CREDIT

SEE ORANGE, VODAFONE ONLINE FOR TARRIFS


Is there free internet access in public libraries? How easy is it to access these if they exist?

YES - NORMALLY VERY EASY TO ACCESS


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London
RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Fri August 5, 2005 09:03 AM UTC
And if you can't find a library there are internet cafes all over London that are fairly cheap.

Enjoy!

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RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Fri August 5, 2005 01:29 PM UTC
Easy peasy, there are mobile phone shops all over the place that will give you a cheap deal. Some are big chains like carphone warehouse, and phones4u and others are little kiosks that cheap pay as you go SIMs for all the major networks.

The clever the business is to get a cheap mobile phone and sim that has international roaming between countries that is cheap. Often phone calls are cheap only within the UK, they really sting you if you send of recieve calls from abroad.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1119870249,48922,

A cheap Pay As You Go Sim should cost less than £10 and a cheap phone about £30.

You don't need to give any information, just cash.

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RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Fri August 5, 2005 01:39 PM UTC
For Internet Access a lot of the libraries give free access. Otherwise the commercial Internet Cafes cost about £1 per hour, there are a coulple on Charing Cross Rd.

http://www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/ict/pn.cfm


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RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Fri August 5, 2005 07:27 PM UTC
You might need to book a time slot in advance in libraries though.

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RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Sat August 6, 2005 01:14 AM UTC
Thanks for all the help.

Do you mean that if my family calls me from Australisa, and I do not have international roaming, I can get charged for recieving a call? Even if I am in the UK where I buy the phone?

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RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Sat August 6, 2005 07:15 AM UTC
There are phone shops on every main shopping street in every town, and many large supermarkets sell them too. The cheapest will be perfectly adequate if you just want to use it for phoning/ texting. Don't get sold a 'contract'......get a 'pay-as-you-go' phone on a network such as Orange or Vodaphone. You can add money to your credit easily with a plastic swipe card widely available from phone shops/ supermarkets/ newsagents etc.

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RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Sat August 6, 2005 12:44 PM UTC
Buy an UNLOCKED GSM mobile phone before you go. Here in the USA you can get one new for less than $100. It must be UNLOCKED (not tied to any specific carrier) and dual GSM in the 900/1800 MHz bands or (more expensive) tri-band 900/1800/1900 (that will also work in areas of the some USA).

Then when you get to London, Paris, or anywhere is over 200 countries. You buy a chip, called a SIM card for as low as US$15 that will give you your own number. You can "top up" or add time when you need it. In London -- Vodaphone, Orange, and Virgin are among top carriers.

An absolutely superb site will tell you infinitely more than you ever wanted to know about international cells -- cost, options, caveats, etc., etc., -- a 7 part series tht will make you an expert.

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2002/0308.htm

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RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Sat August 6, 2005 01:43 PM UTC
You can get phones cheaply here too........from about 30GBP. You'll be spoilt for choice!

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RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Sat August 6, 2005 01:56 PM UTC
You have got be careful with the SIMs international calls,these can be real ripoff and you can end up paying to recieve calls as well as make them unless you get special deal aimed at international travellers.

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RE: RE: mobile phones & internet
Posted: Fri August 19, 2005 12:32 PM UTC
what!? i'm paying taxes to provide free internet services in public libraries? outrageous.

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