Sbc News

My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They recommend
getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM card for
Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am trying
to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.

The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbound calls and
has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from Australia to
the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
$0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a local
Australian phone number to call.

I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they to use
with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of costs are
involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be traveling from
Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There is one stay
at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that far from the
coast, maybe 100 miles.

I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone network
than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell phone
coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.

Any help you can give will be appreciated

Thanks

Andy

Raffi Balmanoukian

Good on him, for a start (they're called "mobiles" in Australia....most will
know what a "cell" is from the proliferation of N.American TV but it's still
not the term of choice).

For the cities, he's better off getting one of the numerous o/s calling
cards which allow for rates as low as AUD0.05 per minute to Canada/US.
Different cards have different calling terms, where they apply, and so on.
They don't allow for incoming calls for the most part, though.

Just don't get him a phone which has text messaging - Australians are crazy
about it and he'll come back with carpal tunnel in his thumb!




in article SfZJb.5999$, sbc news at
wrote on 1/4/04 2:50 PM:

    > My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They recommend
    > getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM card for
    > Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am trying
    > to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.
    >
    > The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbound calls and
    > has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from Australia to
    > the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
    > $0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a local
    > Australian phone number to call.
    >
    > I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they to use
    > with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of costs are
    > involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be traveling from
    > Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There is one stay
    > at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that far from the
    > coast, maybe 100 miles.
    >
    > I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone network
    > than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell phone
    > coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.
    >
    > Any help you can give will be appreciated
    >
    > Thanks
    >
    > Andy
    >
    >

Julie

We use a "Say G'day" phone card available at all Post Offices for keeping in
contact with out son in the US.

See http://www.saygdaycallingcard.com/

If you look at http://www.phonecardrates.com.au/showsearch.asp it gives you
various options, that may be worth following up, but we found that being
able to just go to the PO and purchase it and then top it up was very
convenient.

Julie

"Raffi Balmanoukian" <>
wrote in message
news:BC1DDFC5.1EE25%...
    > Good on him, for a start (they're called "mobiles" in Australia....most
will
    > know what a "cell" is from the proliferation of N.American TV but it's
still
    > not the term of choice).
    > For the cities, he's better off getting one of the numerous o/s calling
    > cards which allow for rates as low as AUD0.05 per minute to Canada/US.
    > Different cards have different calling terms, where they apply, and so on.
    > They don't allow for incoming calls for the most part, though.
    > Just don't get him a phone which has text messaging - Australians are
crazy
    > about it and he'll come back with carpal tunnel in his thumb!
    > in article SfZJb.5999$, sbc news at
    > wrote on 1/4/04 2:50 PM:
    > > My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They
recommend
    > > getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM card
for
    > > Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am
trying
    > > to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.
    > >
    > > The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbound calls
and
    > > has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from
Australia to
    > > the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
    > > $0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a local
    > > Australian phone number to call.
    > >
    > > I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they to
use
    > > with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of costs
are
    > > involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be traveling
from
    > > Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There is one
stay
    > > at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that far from
the
    > > coast, maybe 100 miles.
    > >
    > > I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone network
    > > than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell phone
    > > coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.
    > >
    > > Any help you can give will be appreciated
    > >
    > > Thanks
    > >
    > > Andy
    > >
    > >

Johnnie5

I am guessing that you want the phone so you can contact him while he is
here

you can get sim cards starting at $30 which is all you need if that's all
you want to do

this way you can call him and its at no cost to the sim

www.vodafone.com.au always pushes reasonable international call rates using
the mobile

he could get a $10 phone card when he arrives to use at payphones, these
give about 200 mins
of call time to the states for when he wants to call home


"sbc news" <> wrote in message
news:SfZJb.5999$...
    > My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They
recommend
    > getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM card for
    > Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am trying
    > to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.
    > The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbound calls
and
    > has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from Australia
to
    > the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
    > $0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a local
    > Australian phone number to call.
    > I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they to use
    > with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of costs are
    > involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be traveling
from
    > Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There is one
stay
    > at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that far from
the
    > coast, maybe 100 miles.
    > I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone network
    > than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell phone
    > coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.
    > Any help you can give will be appreciated
    > Thanks
    > Andy

Paul O

Coverage: Telstra is best - but coverage generally is good for 98% of the
population - not so good for the real outback (well west of the coast).
Coverage maps are available on all three major carriers' web sites (Telstra,
Optus Vodafone).
Access to phones: Comparable with the USA or Canada.
Have you thought about a callback service?? (We used one on our mobile phone
this year when we spent 12 weeks away (in Canada, Ireland, Italy and
Turkey). Bought a prepaid sim in each country (most difficult in Canada -
where the gsm networks are limited). Simply register your phone number when
you get the sim - then call a US number - let it ring twice - hang up. They
call you back on your mobile and you enter the number you wish to call -
very cheap!! Sounds much more complicated than it is. Do a Google to find
service operators. We used:
http://www.callback.com

As a teacher who has taken students overseas - your son will be complacent
about his belongings' security for the first two or three days (just plain
mislaying things is the concern - not theft). I don't know what you can do
to prepare him - as supervising teachers we used have to pick up all sorts
of stuff - but only for the first three days - kids adapt remarkably
quickly.

Good Luck

Paul



Remove the obvious!


"sbc news" <> wrote in message
news:SfZJb.5999$...
    > My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They
recommend
    > getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM card for
    > Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am trying
    > to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.
    > The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbound calls
and
    > has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from Australia
to
    > the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
    > $0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a local
    > Australian phone number to call.
    > I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they to use
    > with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of costs are
    > involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be traveling
from
    > Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There is one
stay
    > at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that far from
the
    > coast, maybe 100 miles.
    > I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone network
    > than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell phone
    > coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.
    > Any help you can give will be appreciated
    > Thanks
    > Andy

Dave Campbell

"sbc news" <> wrote in message
news:SfZJb.5999$...
    > My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They
recommend
    > getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM card for
    > Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am trying
    > to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.
    > The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbound calls
and
    > has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from Australia
to
    > the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
    > $0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a local
    > Australian phone number to call.
    > I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they to use
    > with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of costs are
    > involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be traveling
from
    > Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There is one
stay
    > at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that far from
the
    > coast, maybe 100 miles.
    > I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone network
    > than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell phone
    > coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.
    > Any help you can give will be appreciated
    > Thanks
    > Andy
Consider using a combination: prepaid SIM in case you need to contact him,
and a phone card so he can call you without breaking the bank. There's a
wide range of cards available, and many can be purchased through convenience
stores. Take a look at http://www.ozprepaidcards.com.au/ for rate
comparisons; some are ridiculously cheap for calls to the US. (You don't
have to buy through them, the cards are also available over the counter.)
However, many only have dial-in locations in capital cities or centres with
large migrant (or overseas student) populations, and while they may have a
toll-free number for use from other locations, the surcharge for using it
can really deplete your card quickly.

Dave Campbell

Frank Slootweg

Get *both*, i.e. a SIM card for the mobile phone and a phone card for
use with any public phone. Mobile phone coverage can be problematic/
absent especially in remote areas, so you should never rely on only a
mobile phone. OTOH, public phones are 'everywhere' where there is some
form of life/business_activity, *also* is remote areas. I advise to buy
a cheap (in call rates) phone card *and* a Telstra Phone Away card. The
Telstra card has high(er) rates, but is very flexible and can be used
with a free local number from anywhere. It also offers a voicemail box,
so you can leave a message for your son. The next time he calls the free
number he will hear that he has voicemal. Telstra cards start at AU$ 10.

sbc news <> wrote:
    > My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They recommend
    > getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM card for
    > Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am trying
    > to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.
    >
    > The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbound calls and
    > has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from Australia to
    > the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
    > $0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a local
    > Australian phone number to call.
    >
    > I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they to use
    > with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of costs are
    > involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be traveling from
    > Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There is one stay
    > at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that far from the
    > coast, maybe 100 miles.
    >
    > I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone network
    > than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell phone
    > coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.
    >
    > Any help you can give will be appreciated
    >
    > Thanks
    >
    > Andy

Dennis G. Rears

"sbc news" <> wrote in message
news:SfZJb.5999$...
    > My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They
recommend
    > getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM card for
    > Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am trying
    > to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.

You can buy an starter kit at any 7-11 or news agency. Just make sure you
phone is unlocked.
    > The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbound calls
and
    > has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from Australia
to
    > the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
    > $0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a local
    > Australian phone number to call.


I had a starter kit when I was in OZ last year. Keep in mind that while
incoming calls are free the caller does pay. For example if you called your
son on his mobile (Cell) phone you rcharges would be more than if you called
him on a landline phone about 10 uUS cents more a minute. He will also have
voice mail.
    > I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they to use
    > with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of costs are
    > involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be traveling
from
    > Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There is one
stay
    > at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that far from
the
    > coast, maybe 100 miles.

I would go with the cell phone and use phone cards on a as needed basis.

    > I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone network
    > than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell phone
    > coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.

Go to
http://www.optus.com.au/Vign/ViewMgm...ew_354,00.html
for optus info. BTW, esatern OZ is NSW, ACT, and QLD

dennis

James White

    > "sbc news" <> wrote in message
    > news:SfZJb.5999$...
    > > My son is going on a Student Ambassador trip to Australia. They
    > recommend
    > > getting phone cards. I have a cell phone that will accept a SIM ca-
    > > rd for
    > > Australia. I have a local source for a 'Yes' Optus SIM card. I am
    > > trying
    > > to decide which choice is best cell phone or phone card.
    > You can buy an starter kit at any 7-11 or news agency. Just make
    > sure you
    > phone is unlocked.
    > > The SIM card cost about USD $50. It allows unlimited free inbou-
    > > nd calls
    > and
    > > has credits for a about 70 minutes of talk time for a call from Aus-
    > > tralia
    > to
    > > the US. The rate is AUD $0.165 (USD $0.12) to connect plus AUD
    > > $0.29/minute (USD $0.22/minute). The SIM Card also provides a loc-
    > > al
    > > Australian phone number to call.
    > I had a starter kit when I was in OZ last year. Keep in mind that wh-
    > ile
    > incoming calls are free the caller does pay. For example if you call-
    > ed your
    > son on his mobile (Cell) phone you rcharges would be more than if you
    > called
    > him on a landline phone about 10 uUS cents more a minute. He will al-
    > so have
    > voice mail.
    > > I know little about the Australian phone cards. How hard are they
    > > to use
    > > with Australian phones (My Son is 11 years old). What type of
    > > costs are
    > > involved? How universal is access to phones. My son will be tra-
    > > veling
    > from
    > > Sydney working his way up to the Great Barrier Reef area. There
    > > is one
    > stay
    > > at a farm in the "Outback" which on the map does not look that
    > > far from
    > the
    > > coast, maybe 100 miles.
    > I would go with the cell phone and use phone cards on a as need-
    > ed basis.
    > > I am interested to know if there is a less expensive cell phone ne-
    > > twork
    > > than the Optus. I am also interested in how good Australian Cell
    > > phone
    > > coverage is along the Eastern side of the continent.
    > Go to
    > http://www.optus.com.au/Vign/ViewMgm...8_34129-3_546-
    > 1--View_354,00.html
    > for optus info. BTW, esatern OZ is NSW, ACT, and QLD
    > dennis

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Regards,

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