Mobiles - again!

My mobile phone provider is Virgin. I've looked endlessly at possible options for using a phone in the US and even bought a tracfone at one point, which was ok, except that the airtime expires. I know that Virgin also is a cell provider in the US and am wondering whether anyone here has tried buying a sim from them over there and putting into their Virgin phone. in theory, I'd think this would work, but has anyone tried? The house we are going to be staying in does not have a landline and I really don't want to be totally without a phone at all while out there.

Any thoughts people?

[buns]

One thing you may have to consider is that the US uses a different standard to the UK

In the past you had to have one that worked on dual frequencies, but things like I phones overcome that these days.

I have taken the plunge and purchased a very simple Virgin phone in the US and as we go there fairly often, ringing home at 25 cents per minute is very useful

buns

I think VM US uses phones that are CDMA and not GSM therefore prob. will not have a SIM Card. Think its based on the SPRINT network. Not 100% sure on the newer Apple and Android phones they may have to change with these, I think these now have both techs built in.
Sorry I cannot be of more help but this may point you in the right direction.

Just ask Virgin (UK) to unlock your phone. How long have you been with them? Then you can buy any pay-as-you-go SIM in the US (and anywhere else in the world).

I did this with Three. Although now Three provides data usage, texts to the UK, and calls to the UK, while in the USA (and 15 other countries) at no extra cost to your normal UK plan.

http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_Home

No personal experience of using virgin but can I suggest you look at a three pay and go sim. Best value I could find in my trip to USA. Worked great

Additional Charges outlined below - anything over your tariff

http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Roaming_ ... 4306357859

Basically it's doesn't cost u any extra than as if I were in the uk.

Tariff I used was

£15.
All-you-can-eat data
300 minutes
3000 texts
Lasts for 30 days

Obviously u need a phone that is not locked to a specific network and u just pop in your three sim and your good to go

Allymc316

We have bought three sims cards for our mobile phones for our west coast trip on Tuesday. Heard very good things about three

Sharon

Shaz72,

You won't regret choosing Three.Enjoy your trip

I recently used the Three free call home whilst on holiday in New England. Its ace, even data, as long as you stay inside your normal allowance its free.

[mitchja]

As other's have mentioned, Virgin Mobile UK and Virgin Mobile US are not compatible with each other. Virgin Mobile US handsets and mobile devices don't use SIM cards like all ours do.

With an unlocked UK handset, you need to use a US GSM network which are either AT&T or T-Mobile US (a T-Mobile UK/EE handset won't work unless it's unlocked)

Be careful with T-Mobile US as they use a different frequency for 3G in a lot of areas still which is not compatible with UK handsets. Whilst they are in the process of upgrading their network to the same frequency we use for 3G, some areas you will only see 2G on a UK handset.

Worth noting as well that most UK 4G handsets will also not work on 4G in the US on any network as again they use different frequencies for 4G compared to us.

Whilst it's a small detail, the Three roaming data isn't unlimited, it actually has a 25Gb monthly limit, more than enough for most though

Thank you to you all. I have to admit,I did wonder whether Virgin US and UK would be compatible, it would have been too easy! I've been with Virgin for years, well over 10, and my current contract is up later this year. Is it likely they would agree to unlock my phone, aren't providers usually not keen or not prepared to do that???? If not, I suppose. I could go to any number of places to get it unlocked, but then would my current sim, linked to Virgin, still work? Sorry,I feel such a numpty ?|

The 3 sim does sound a good option though, assuming I can unlock my phone. Lastly, and again probably blindingly obvious, I assume the 3 sim can also be used to call in the US? How much per minute do those work out?

The 3 package sounds wonderful - but don't you have to already have to have a contract with them to add this Free Call Home or at least have been with them a month ?
Like Catsilversword I also would like to know if you can call friends in the USA whilst being in the USA cheaply with this Sim ?

What I want to be able to do is phone people in Florida whilst I am on holiday in Florida without having to take out a lengthy contract with a local network. I would happily buy a cheap phone out there if there was a way I could get a month's pay as you go every time I go across the pond. Not sure if I'm explaining this very well !
Does anyone have any further suggestions, please ?

Hi Hiljil,

The last 2 or 3 times I've been in Florida, I used a "simple calling plus " sim. I used an old uk triband phone and just stuck the card in.

It's around 6c a minute to phone a land line in the UK, 6c a min to phone a US number and around 60c a min to phone a UK mobile number.

The bonus is that as well as a US mobile number (which sometimes changes when you visit), you get a UK mobile number which stays the same.

This means when someone from the UK calls you on your UK number (when you are in the US), the call comes off their minutes but you don't get charged anything. With a normal UK mobile you would pay the international part of the call which can be pretty expensive.

Basically, if someone has unlimited minutes on their UK mobile contract, and they use your UK mobile number, you can chat away at no cost to anyone y) y)

Their is no data on my account and when the phone dies, I will probably go the "3" route with an old iphone as that looks really good.

At the moment, especially in the Disney area there is plenty free wifi, so lack of data isn't too much of an issue.

Happy shopping

David

You got it on one hil. I do feel the need to have a phone for emergencies, and that was reinforced when our car broke down on our last trip. I'd happily get another tracfone, but the minutes do expire and then there's the setting up. Which I know isn't difficult, but it does mean you have to basically get one at the start of the holiday and waste time doing so.

I can't help but think companies are missing a trick here somehow!

David,

Did you buy the card in the uk or us?

Increasingly confused....

Hi CSW, bought it in the UK. They now have a great app for you ipad/iphone which let's you see all calls, credit left, top up credit etc.

Will try and find paperwork with more details for you (the app doesn't give a web address)


Edit

http://www.ekit.com/ekit/MobileInfo/Ser ... lus_bronze

Of course , as they say at the BBC, there are many other similar products available.

I do agree with you though, there is surely a market for a very simple SIM card, service that should be available for those travelling to the US.

David

[mitchja]

No contract is needed with Three to get their Feel at a home roaming plan, as they also offer it on their PAYG plans as well.

All you need to do is get yourself a free PAYG SIM card from Three here and then either topping up as the same time you order the SIM or just top-up once the SIM arrives. You do have to covert your PAYG credit into a set of allowances though, which is easy enough and can be done by setting up an online account with them.

If you top-up £15 and convert that all into allowances that gives you 300 minutes, 3000 texts and unlimited data (the data is actually upto 25gb when roaming, but that's more than enough for most!!) Those allowances then last for 30 days.

Three also give you 150mb of free data every time you top-up as well with PAYG.

All the details for their Feel at a home roaming plan can be found here

Even though I have an EE roaming plan, I've still got one of these PAYG SIM cards as EE's roaming plans don't include data when roaming.

You do need to make sure you handset is unlocked though if you are not on Three.

What I want to be able to do is phone people in Florida whilst I am on holiday in Florida without having to take out a lengthy contract with a local network.

Are you wanting to phone fellow holidaymakers on their UK mobiles whilst they, and you, are in the US? Or do you want to phone US numbers whilst you are abroad? If the latter, then the Three package, which is otherwise brilliant, may not be the best option, as the general principle is that you pay your normal domestic tariff rates whilst abroad -- so for instance if you call a UK number it is charged as though you were in the UK, and therefore potentially eligible for free minutes, but if you call a US number it treats you as calling abroad -- and this may not be the cheapest way of achieving what you want.

Thank you all for the help and explanations . Very grateful.

I want the phone to contact US mobiles and landlines not for UK folk visiting Florida with their UK phones. Like Catsilversword I have always worried about the car breaking down etc and needing to call assistance . Last trip for example we got a bad puncture but fortunately had just left the middle of nowhere and were in walking distance of a restaurant with very helpful owners.

It would be great if you could hire a cell phone along with the car - or as part of a villa rental .
Anyway, thank you for all the advice.

Yes, that's what I want to be able to do, call US numbers while in the US. So the 3 sim isn't good for this then??? If not, maybe get an old phone unlocked and try to buy a sim there??? Ain't easy, is it?!

[mitchja]

Not that this is much use now, but if your purchased a 4G EE 24mth roaming plan (one of their 4GEE Extra plans) before the end of March 2014, that includes zone 1 countries (USA, Australia and a few others as well as all EU countries). With this plan roaming calls to UK mobiles, UK landlines as well as local numbers within the same zone you are in at the time are included.

I grabbed one of these for this reason. Whilst data isn't included roaming calls and texts are.

EE decided to change their roaming plans from March onwards though to now only include the EU

It might be worth keeping an eye on EE (and the others) to see if they do anything similar as they all seem to refresh their plans every few months and I suspect they closely monitor what the other networks are doing. Three do seem to have shaken things up with the feel at home roaming plans.

Has anyone tried the world sim?