After United Mobile

[bbob]

The only real options seems to be the iom sims.

GT-Sim is not an option, just because of this:

How long will the card and the balance on the account remain valid (only for Prepaid customers)?
If there are no calling activities within a period of 3 months, a rental charge of Euro 9,95 for the number will be automatically deducted from teh account. To avoid these charges simply top up your account by Euro 25.00 and the life time of your number will be extended for another 3 month at a time. If you would add another Euro 100.00 your life time of your number would be extended for another 12 month.

Estionian sims are nice but I just don't like the access number and can be hard to reach using voip providers.
09 iceland, same problem calling direct. Yackie, what more needs to be said, so many changes that you can't keep up exchanging sims.

So not many real working alternatives anymore.

That said um +44 outside the eu might still be a lot cheaper than using your standard sim. But it's nices to have 1 sim for where you are going, not having to swtich card every country you visit.

I have ordered the easyroam card, will hopefully get it today and enjoy free roaming again. UM is really pricing themselves out of the market this way. But the biggest question is, why did they do this. Was it needed to cover increasing network cost ? were they making to little money ? Time will tell.

[Nokia1610]

@ bbob: well, yours seems to be a good analysis (maybe those who have Travelsim and/or 09 can say if they have problems with incoming calls).

Now, I'm looking forward to reading your report on easyroam

UM is really pricing themselves out of the market this way. But the biggest question is, why did they do this. Was it needed to cover increasing network cost ? were they making to little money ? Time will tell.

It would be nice to know... I only hope other providers won't do the same.

[LBarouf]

Originally Posted by Nokia1610

It would be nice to know... I only hope other providers won't do the same.

Most MVNOs/MVNEs seem to use Jersey Telecom as their MNO partner. UM used FL1 for the +423 and JT/Wave as their +44 partner. Who knows... maybe UM was too hungry and signed an agreement for too many line, now they have to recoup the loses... if it's JT that jacked up the prices...we will find out pretty soon, others will have to increase their prices.

Anyhow, I hate United Mobile so much now. Strange...no one ever mentioned the customer service that I find horrible. no more 24h/7d....

[andy]

Originally Posted by LBarouf

Most MVNOs/MVNEs seem to use Jersey Telecom as their MNO partner. UM used FL1 for the +423 and ...

Yes, Sim4travel also use Jersey, but I think you'll find that there are also several on Manx Telecom and Cloud9/Wire9 in the Isle of Man, plus those Vistream brands with eplus in Germany, Celtrek and Maxroam using an Israeli SIM. In addition, 09 Mobile in Iceland, Travelsim in Estonia, the first a main network, second I don't know

[MATHA531]

See the other thread...O9 is now apparently the late O9...the Icelandic economy is in the toilet.

[MATHA531]

Easy roam is another of the Isle of Man sim cards that make you pay a renewal fee every year........to me a downer.

[easyroam-]

Originally Posted by MATHA531

Easy roam is another of the Isle of Man sim cards that make you pay a renewal fee every year........to me a downer.

You have two choices.

We could charge you a connation or daily fee or we charge a small yearly fee.
Top-up your credit within 90 days and there's no fee.

Our Service Life
The travel sim card has a fixed service life of 365 days. However to keep your sim card working for the following year, there is a renewal fee of U.S $21 (£10) This will keep your number working and any un-used calling credit valid for the next year.

If you’re roaming sim has expired, you will loose your call credit and it cannot be refunded.

Customers who purchase call credit within 90 days of there expiry date will not need to pay the network fee and all credit will be rolled over for the next 365 days.

[MATHA531]

Here's my question and I go back on this international sim thing to the days of HOP and Ryan Air which were revolutionary at the time....

I do wonder how much the eurotariffs for roaming have cut into the business of the international sim cards....if you're only going to have to pay say 0,19€ to receive calls within the eu, do you really need the international sim card.

Of course for those of us from North America, it might pay. But especially with British sim cards being so cheap (they are literally giving them away), for a three week trip through Europe from the USA, I can probably do just as well using eurotariffs using very very cheap calling cards and very cheap receiving calls.

I do wonder if this is one of the reasons for the sudden spurt in pricing.

I will say that for several years I swore by UM not at them. I remember a trip a couple of years ago throughout Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic) which finished in Germany, France and the UK. I had acquired German, French and UK sim cards but while in Eastern Europe, UM +423 functioned perfectly. And at the time, my ld carrier in the USA charged 10¢ US/minute for calls to +423 with a 1¢ (not a misprint) termination fee to a +423 mobile. I thought I was in pig's heaven using callbackworld for the outgoing.....I couldn't believe how cheap it was...

And then calls to Liechtenstein increased ridiculously so and they even added on asinine termination fees so I migrated to the +44 UM...no where near as cheap but the call forwarding to the +44 number was reasonable (not 11¢/minute but what the hell)...and I had no problems with them. Enlinea kept very cheap call back rates to the Icelandic mobile (O9) and I was paying something like 16¢/minute to call back to the USA on O9. Call quality wasn't as good but acceptable.

Now....well as the song says those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end.....

The only hope now is that the eu gets its way and eventually we get the free reception of calls with an eu sim throughout the eu!

[prion]

Originally Posted by MATHA531

Here's my question and I go back on this international sim thing to the days of HOP and Ryan Air which were revolutionary at the time....

I do wonder how much the eurotariffs for roaming have cut into the business of the international sim cards....if you're only going to have to pay say 0,19€ to receive calls within the eu, do you really need the international sim card.

Of course for those of us from North America, it might pay. But especially with British sim cards being so cheap (they are literally giving them away), for a three week trip through Europe from the USA, I can probably do just as well using eurotariffs using very very cheap calling cards and very cheap receiving calls.

I do wonder if this is one of the reasons for the sudden spurt in pricing.

I will say that for several years I swore by UM not at them. I remember a trip a couple of years ago throughout Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic) which finished in Germany, France and the UK. I had acquired German, French and UK sim cards but while in Eastern Europe, UM +423 functioned perfectly. And at the time, my ld carrier in the USA charged 10¢ US/minute for calls to +423 with a 1¢ (not a misprint) termination fee to a +423 mobile. I thought I was in pig's heaven using callbackworld for the outgoing.....I couldn't believe how cheap it was...

And then calls to Liechtenstein increased ridiculously so and they even added on asinine termination fees so I migrated to the +44 UM...no where near as cheap but the call forwarding to the +44 number was reasonable (not 11¢/minute but what the hell)...and I had no problems with them. Enlinea kept very cheap call back rates to the Icelandic mobile (O9) and I was paying something like 16¢/minute to call back to the USA on O9. Call quality wasn't as good but acceptable.

Now....well as the song says those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end.....

The only hope now is that the eu gets its way and eventually we get the free reception of calls with an eu sim throughout the eu!

The problem is with countries outside EU. The cellurar providers in my country have recently increased their rates when using roaming in many countries outside. So, for these countries an international sim is still a perfect option.

[Nokia1610]

Originally Posted by MATHA531

I do wonder how much the eurotariffs for roaming have cut into the business of the international sim cards....if you're only going to have to pay say 0,19€ to receive calls within the eu, do you really need the international sim card.

The fact is, I expected price would lower or, at least, stay the same in UE right because of the Eurotariff. I like international sims because, in case of need, I can be called without worries. Moreover, it is comfortable to use always the same number, both for UE countries and extra-UE. Last but not least, when I'm abroad I prefer being called only if it's an important matter...and an international number is a very good demarcation for this

Now....well as the song says those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end.....

Right..."we were sure we'd never see an end to it all"!

The only hope now is that the eu gets its way and eventually we get the free reception of calls with an eu sim throughout the eu!

This would be quite useful, but I think we still have to wait to get to the 0€ threshold for incoming calls

Easy roam is another of the Isle of Man sim cards that make you pay a renewal fee every year........to me a downer.

To me too.

So far, I think Travelsim can be the best solution for me.