Topic Wiki

Roaming on U.S. carriers
Verizon: $25 per each 100MB when Gobal Data feature is activated. Exorbitant calling rates.
AT&T:
T-Mobile: Simple Choice plans (postpaid-only which requires credit pull, but you can cancel anytime) include unlimited data roaming at 2G speeds in 120+ countries. Calls between any of these countries are $.20 /min.
Sprint: - For some reason its a bit complicated - https://www.sprint.com/landings/openworld/index.html - http://www.sprint.com/landings/international-value-roaming/ - http://support.sprint.com/global/pdf/support/BizMultiCountryDataPack.pdf
intlroam.sprint.com
 


International SIM cards

Google Fi
All plans include coverage in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Unlimited Plus and Flexible also come with data in 200+ international destinations, and 5G in select countries for supported Pixel and Samsung phones. Try Fi for free: Test our coverage to see how we keep you connected. Our 7⁠-⁠day trial works right on your phone alongside your current service.

Toggle Mobile:
Covers the U.S., many European countries (though not Italy or Belgium), and Australia. Rates from these countries are £.03 to all USA and UK phones both mobile and landline, £.03 to landlines and £.09 to mobiles in many other countries, £.06 to Israel landlines and £.15 to Israel mobiles. SMS to most (looks like all) countries is £.07. Data bundles start at £5 for 500 MB in the UK and £20 for 1GB in the other Toggle countries. Incoming calls are free in 20+ countries.

SIMs can be ordered online and shipped free to many countries. You automatically receive a free permanent U.K. number. Before each trip you must register online for a local incoming number in the countries you are travelling to, which activates the roaming plan and lasts 30 days at no cost. You can pay £5 a year to keep numbers permanently.

Golan Telecom:
The 99₪ unlimited talk/text/internet/international calling plan, which also gives you up to 2 virtual foreign numbers, also includes for many countries (not all have launched yet) unlimited global data roaming (6GB high-speed), incoming calls & texts, and calls & texts to Israel.

Alternatively, Golan also offers a ₪29 per day data-only roaming plan which gives 100MB a day in these countries (all have been launched). These roaming options can be very useful for foreigners regardless of whether they need Golan for Israel.


VOIP calling apps

Vonage Mobile: Free calls to US/CA, very cheap int'l rates (see link). Uses your real number for outgoing caller ID, and also for incoming calls if you are a tmobile/AT&T customer and activate ReachMe roaming in the app.

Google Hangouts: Uses your Google Voice number over VOIP. Free calls to US/CA, very cheap int'l rates (see link).


Local SIM cards

Israel: See wiki on this thread.

Global MiFi
FreedomPop $10/500mb
https://www.freedompop.com/worldwide


eSims

See PlatinumGuys post for more info.

Perhaps this is common knowledge, but I was just mindblown. In 60 seconds online, I was able to buy a data package in a different country from Airalo and install it on my iPhone - keeping calls on the primary Verizon SIM and data on the Airalo eSim.

FWIW, they offer 15GB in Israel for $15 - and you can buy more easily online if it runs out, but I don't know which network Annatel resells

Airalo promo code FOUNDERS30 for 30% off up to $7 (I don't benefit in any way)

Another vendor is https://esim.knowroaming.com, I guess you have to compare destination to destination.
https://esimdb.com is a great database for vendors in different locations.

« Last edited by Suave on September 19, 2023, 07:25:51 AM »

Author Topic: International Sim Discussion  (Read 161746 times)

Offline Dan

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #160 on: April 18, 2012, 09:30:06 PM »
WHy is it a pain
Because it's a callback SIM.  You dial a number and then it rings you back and makes the phone call.
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Offline miles

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #161 on: April 18, 2012, 09:49:25 PM »
i use go sim

Offline sawlw

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Re: international cell phone plans
« Reply #162 on: April 18, 2012, 11:45:17 PM »
Easy. Android phone with Groove IP app ($4.99) or iPhone with Talkatone app (free with ads). Uses your Google Voice account to make/receive calls anywhere in the world on WiFi or 3G/4G. Free US/Canada, Google Voice rates for int'l outbound. I personally use Groove IP on Galaxy Nexus and it is excellent.

Is there such an app for webOS , since grooveIP doesn't work on the HP touchpad running on c9?

Offline Flying Fish

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Re: European And Israeli Sim Discussion
« Reply #163 on: April 19, 2012, 07:27:01 PM »
I have 2 Orange accounts, and they're great when I'm in Israel, however it sucks when it comes to communicate with them, it took me literally a year to get them to send me the bill in email, and I have no means of communication with them.

I can't figure out their website.. I'm really bad with Hebrew!!  :-[

How do you email them? Which language are you writing to them?
I email and talk to them in my passable Hebrew. Their phone agents rarely know English.

As far as seeing your bill, if you register your account online you can view your account info and bill very clearly. Use the Google Chrome translation or Google Dictionary extension if you can't read the Hebrew. Registration requires an SMS verification code, so you must either be in Israel or be on roaming.

Feel free to ask for any help that you need!

Offline sillypainter

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #164 on: April 24, 2012, 01:48:04 PM »
Of course you all heard about CelloMobile.com a heimishe international cell phone provider renting and selling international phones and SIM cards since 2006.

CelloMobile.com ran advertisements on DD a couple times this winter and will iy"h advertise more on dansdeals.com this summer, but meanwhile nobody beats their international SIM card rates, and no it's not callback in Europe, but still has incoming calls free in Europe.

You are able to use the callback feature of the phone to even more reduce your calling rates in Europe.

CelloMobile.com uses their own platform and billing, so everything is strictly run by an American company with billing in USD$, CelloMobile.com specializes in serving Europe and other destinations, not strictly specializing in the Israeli market but rather the WORLD market.

Try them out once, and you will never regret it.

Some benefits of the CelloMobile.com international SIM card (http://www.cellomobile.com/international-sim-card.aspx)

-Direct dial service in Europe (no callback, more reliable)
-Free incoming calls in over 60 countries
-Excellent calling rates
-NO connection fees or fancy charges
-Your balance or service WILL never expire, put it to sleep for 3 years and your balance is still there..WOW!
-You can see your balance live online and on your handset

And best of ALL, you deal with a heimishe company that knows what service and reliability means to you!!!

(disclaimer: I work for CelloMobile.com, but all I wrote here is the truth and only the truth, and I don't know of any competitor that has a better service, seriously)


Offline Cbs

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #165 on: April 25, 2012, 03:20:58 AM »
rates seem a bit expensive....starting from .40 cents per minute?!

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #166 on: April 25, 2012, 03:30:57 AM »
@sillypainter: the number is from which country ?

Offline sillypainter

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #167 on: April 25, 2012, 11:00:46 AM »
@ Superflyer

Phone number is based in the UK, there is also an optional USA phone number that has a $0.30/min. surcharge. The USA phone number itself is free.

@CBS

Not sure who you compare us to, but our rates are the BEST in the industry, no expiration date, direct dial service option in EU, USA and UK phone number (Calling a UK number is pretty cheap, so incoming calls free makes a lot of sense).

Our competitors use an Estonian phone number, which is very expensive to call (you might find a mistake calling card, but most are like $0.40-0.60/min, which makes the incoming free a joke. Also our outgoing calling rates are much cheaper than the Estonian solutions).

Btw, there are cheaper plans when going to a single country only, which we do sell SIM cards for individual countries, the CelloMobile.com international SIM card makes mostly sense when traveling to multi countries or when you don't want to deal with local SIM card hassles, like topping up, expiration, language barriers, and yes, sometimes your balance gets to 0 in no time, and there is no one to talk to...!!!

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #168 on: April 25, 2012, 11:41:50 AM »
You know its not really uk, don't you ?

Not in the normal sense.

Offline myb821

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Cell phone for use in europe
« Reply #169 on: May 19, 2012, 10:09:16 PM »
As some of you know I am going to europe this summer specifically France Italy and Copenhagen. My wife has the droid 3 which is a world phone. Does this mean I can just get a sim card and use it in europe? if yes does anyone have a recommendation for where to gt a sim card for use in europe? if not what do I need to do?

thanks in advance for all the help

Offline Dan

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #170 on: May 19, 2012, 10:25:52 PM »
As some of you know I am going to europe this summer specifically France Italy and Copenhagen. My wife has the droid 3 which is a world phone. Does this mean I can just get a sim card and use it in europe? if yes does anyone have a recommendation for where to gt a sim card for use in europe? if not what do I need to do?

thanks in advance for all the help
Unlocked?
http://www.onesimcard.com/?59381
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Offline myb821

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #171 on: May 19, 2012, 10:27:46 PM »

Offline myb821

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #172 on: May 19, 2012, 10:38:18 PM »
Im also looking for data. Their data seems to be pretty expensive at 1 cent per 10 kb no? also outgoing calls are 45-60 cents per minute depending on country which seems like alot

Offline Dan

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #173 on: May 19, 2012, 11:01:08 PM »
Im also looking for data. Their data seems to be pretty expensive at 1 cent per 10 kb no? also outgoing calls are 45-60 cents per minute depending on country which seems like alot
The main advantage are free incoming in most countries of the world and decent rates wherever you are in the world.
I'm sure in every country you can optimize with local sims, but you have to add the convenience factor.
I don't use it for data, really just use it for phone calls to places while out and about.

For data I try to find wifi or just use it in the hotel and make calls when in wifi via GrooveIP for Android.
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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #174 on: May 19, 2012, 11:13:44 PM »
The main advantage are free incoming in most countries of the world and decent rates wherever you are in the world.
I'm sure in every country you can optimize with local sims, but you have to add the convenience factor.
I don't use it for data, really just use it for phone calls to places while out and about.

For data I try to find wifi or just use it in the hotel and make calls when in wifi via GrooveIP for Android.
how does grooveip work?

Offline Dan

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #175 on: May 19, 2012, 11:16:32 PM »
how does grooveip work?
Makes calls over wifi using your google voice number, incredible app.
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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #176 on: May 19, 2012, 11:20:22 PM »
Makes calls over wifi using your google voice number, incredible app.
any difference between the lite and reg lite is free reg costs 5 bucks

Offline Dan

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #177 on: May 19, 2012, 11:21:20 PM »
any difference between the lite and reg lite is free reg costs 5 bucks
No idea, I got the full for $2: http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/19318
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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #178 on: May 20, 2012, 12:38:42 AM »
any difference between the lite and reg lite is free reg costs 5 bucks
Upgrade to the full version of GrooVe IP (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.gvoip) to remove ads and enable features:
- Calls over a mobile data connection not just WiFi
- Native dialer integration
- Proximity sensor support
- Change sign in status or sign in invisible

Offline myb821

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #179 on: May 20, 2012, 12:39:55 AM »
Upgrade to the full version of GrooVe IP (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.gvoip) to remove ads and enable features:
- Calls over a mobile data connection not just WiFi
- Native dialer integration
- Proximity sensor support
- Change sign in status or sign in invisible
what is proximity sensor support