Here's my take on E-Plus:
Quick Facts
Country: Germany
Network Name: E-Plus Deutschland
Website:
http://www.e-plus.de
Owned by/Major partner: KPN Telecom Mobile (77.49%) and Royal KPN (22.51%)
Operational Frequency: 1800 GSM, 2100 MHz WCDMA (UMTS)
Prepaid Package Cost (Just SIM): 40 Euro with 15 Euros of credit, valid for 12 months
Prepaid Package Validity:
15,00 (6 months)
30,00 (12 months)
60,00 (24 months)
>60,00 (24 months)
Grace Period before complete number deactivation: 2 months
CSD access: Yes
GPRS access: Yes
SIM applications: Yes (64k sim card)
Manual included: Yes
Refill amounts: ?15, ?30 & ?60 (Credit card and bank transfers only)
Availability: E-Plus shops, Multibrand phone dealers, German electronics giants: Saturn, Mediamarkt and Pro Markt, tobacconists (for top-up scratch cards)
Competitors: T-Mobile Germany (D1), Vodafone Germany (D2), O2 Germany (E2).
More In-Depth Information
Buying:
The Good:
Readily available at any E-Plus shop, Saturn, Pro Markt and Mediamarkt location as well as any major electronics store.
E-Plus shops are located in all large German cities as well as some small towns. When no E-Plus shop is located in a town, you can get the refill cards at any newsstand, most supermarkets (Rewe, Kontra and others - look for the E-Plus Free & Easy sticker in the windows, if not, just ask ). If you plan to roam with the Free & Easy SIM, be sure to take enough Free & Easy Cash cards with you to refill abroad or register your CC with E-Plus to refill abroad. The service number 1155 is free from abroad but you only have the option of refilling the SIM with a CC outside of Germany.
E-Plus also has a large array of partner stores so look for these as well. You can locate the E-Plus Shop near you here:
http://www.eplus.de/meta/shopsuche/....asp?d=eplus.de (Enter the ZIP Code or the city name, i.e. K?ln for Cologne).
No registration or proof of German residency is required. All you need is your national ID card or passport.
The Bad:
None.
Usage:
The Good:
GSM coverage is usually good everywhere. No problems in the subways in cities like K?ln and Bonn due to extensive microcell coverage, major cities and urban areas/small towns are also covered quite well.
SIM cards are preactivated, once you go out of the shop you are ready to go. GPRS and MMS are available, you need to call 1155 (Free & Easy Service number, free from anywhere within Germany). Select Option 6 and then press 1 to have GPRS/MMS activated, it can take a few minutes or up to 24 hours to have this made available. GPRS is active once you see the applicable GPRS indicator on your screen.
UMTS was launched in August 2004 but there is currently no prepaid UMTS option for E-Plus.
SMS works very well, I have no problems sending and receiving SMS from the US from Cingular users in California. SMS works quite well when roaming as well, E-Plus is expanding their roaming selection bit by bit. Right now, it's possible to roam/dial directly in 28 countries with Free & Easy prepaid SIM cards and also to be reached in 110 countries.
Useful SMS tells you if you have voice mail as well as when the caller hung up with their number (if available) without leaving a message, SMS is also sent to confirm a successful SMS submission to the SMSC. Very cool, SMS is sent right after refilling to confirm successful top up. International roaming is preactivated, and it works by dialing directly in 28 countries, in other countries one has tio Direct roaming is available with some operators.
The Bad:
GPRS is useful but a bit costly if you do a lot of GPRS surfing.
Roaming expenses for prepaid are quite high so don't get caught unaware (
http://www.eplus.de/tarife/2/2_5/2_5.asp). GSM coverage is available nearly everywhere (shaky when traveling by train (the ICE trains are equipped with repeaters to keep a stable signal) but good coverage in most German cities with subways (own personal experience is that coverage is flawless in K?ln and Bonn U-Bahn. UMTS coverage is unconfirmed at this time, E-Plus gained sites and 3G licenses in 2002 from the failed 3G provider Quam so this should add coverage but is untested by regular uses as of yet.
TIPS:
1) Check for latest SIM card prices and special Free & Easy price plans:
http://www.eplus.de/tarife/2/2_0/2_0.asp,
http://www.eplus.de/tarife/2/2_2/2_2.asp
2)Choose the Free & Easy plans carefully (there are different options, the best one depending on what your calling habits are: Free & Easy Weekend: Cheap Weekend calls, Free & Easy Weekday: Cheap Weekday & Night calls). All calls made are charged per second, but a fixed connection rate may apply (depending from the plan).
3)To know the available credit and the last charge, call 1155 (free of charge within Germany, not available when roaming!!) or enter *100# to check your balance while both in Germany or abroad. Your balance is then displayed on your phone's screen.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
E-Plus is great for occasional cell phone users and those who wish to be reachable. For heavy volume callers, I suggest that a visit to each of the 4 German providers be made so you can be advised in person on what the best rates/plans are for your own needs.
I have been using E-Plus since October 2000 and they are quite great, also a big plus for students, they have a monthly contract rate plan for those studying in Germany: (Time & More Student plans - 20/60/120 Minutes plus 30 inclusive SMS/month):
http://www.eplus.de/tarife/1/1_4/1_4.asp (Scroll to "F?r Studenten).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some additional thoughts:
E-Plus also has several special prepaid offers, check the German Operators page here on PPGSM.net.
A number of Germany's MVNO's also operate on E-Plus' network so if you think you'll get a better deal with them, then look at Simyo, blau.de, Schwarzfunk, uboot or at base which is a postpaid offer.