Cheapest roaming rates for SMS & Data (no voice)

[billyjoe]

Hello to everyone,

prepaidgsm.net list is focused in Roaming voice cost, so I'm trying to collect all information from each operator, but it's really dificult because of diferent site maps or languages.

The requirements of SIM cards I'm looking for are:
- Prepay
- SMS in roaming 0,11€
- cheapest GPRS tarif
- >12 months expiration
- Don't want call-back service
- I will not use Voice calls

At this moment the best ones I found are:
Belgium Base 2,5/Mb 0,11/SMS
Luxemburg Luxgsm 3,4/Mb 0,11/SMS

Could anyone propose some Operators or Countries to look for?

[inquisitor]

solomo pro (a German operator) also has attractive roaming rates within the EU:
data: € 0.19/100KB
SMS: € 0.13/message
incoming calls: € 0.10/min
outgoing calls: € 0.51/min (even cheaper with their callback)

simyo.de has the same rates for data, SMS and outgoing calls, but incoming ones are more expensive.

[andy]

If your data requirement is anything more than a trivial amount, I think you'll have to forego roaming and start a collection of favourites from each country

but, UK networks roaming in EU, per MB

3 £1.25
O2 £3
Orange £3
T-mobile £1.50
Virgin £5

Vodafone has given up per MB, except for small amounts, and charges in blocks. On phones, up to 1 MB costs £4.99 per day, charged in 1 kB units. Then the next 24 MB per day are free. Then £4.99 for the next 25 MB. For laptop use, it's £9.99 per day for each 50 MB.

There are also some other bundle possibilities, but I'd need to check through them to check if they are on contract or prepaid.

None of the UK SIMs will expire if used at least once every 180 days, though Virgin is a year or so and 3 doesn't expire at all

But really, I'd repeat what I said about use only in home country, then you can find bundles such as 200 MB, 500 MB or more for €5 or €10 a week or a month or even longer, such as yesss in Austria 512 MB for €9.99 and lasts up to a year or can be topped up

[djmonsi]

Vodafone ireland. 0.99/day 50mb limit! got it working in non-EU countries and its a 12month sim. SMS rates no idea.. They got 10euro/500MB for a month plan. Never tried it abroad!

[inquisitor]

Quite a decent rate, which Vodafone Ireland offers. But I think those rates are limited to the use from a handset and over a WAP-proxy, which means no other protocols than http are admitted. At least that is what I conclude from the tariff page, which is headed with "Internet on your mobile", and from the fact that "live!" is Vodafone's brand for their WAP service.

[djmonsi]

Did use it on my E71 for IM , E-mails , facebook and forums.

[billyjoe]

Thank you for your replies.

DATA usage I'm going to do is:
- HTTP and FTP access
- No more than 2Mb/day

I would need more than 60 SIM cards/month. In Spain we have restrictions of 5 SIMs / person /day and it is required ID for registration. Are this restrictions common in the EU?

[inquisitor]

How could you need more than 60 SIMs when the EU has 27 member states? Remember that all rates mentioned here generally apply to EU-countries only.
Regarding legal limits on the number of SIM cards owned, we don't have such at least here in Germany.

[andy]

It sounds like tracking a transport fleet. There are no limits on acquiring UK SIMs: in fact it is not even compulsory to register (except Orange). You can get 2 to 4 free from any network, posted to a UK address, or buy larger numbers on ebay for from about 50p

[djmonsi]

UK sims are shipped abroad too. But 60 sim cards/month?