Best SIM for visitors to Ukraine?

Motel75 · **Best SIM for visitors to Ukraine? -** 10-06-2014, 08:29

I'll be in UA for a few days and will be returning every few months. It's been a while since I was last there, and our UA page is a little out-of-date. I'm looking for a SIM that has:

- Long expiration, preferably extendable by making a call
- Cheap international calls (mainly to the EU and North America)
- Decent internet pricing (and speed)
- Easy to top up outside UA

If there's a good data SIM for use with a USB stick, that would be a second option.

NFH · 11-06-2014, 09:28

All networks except TriMob are 2G-only. I use Kyivstar which has a favourable expiry policy. Effectively you have to make a call every 6 months, but the published rules are much more complicated than that. TriMob expires without periodic top-ups. Because of the lack of 3G and 4G, Ukraine has an abundance of free wifi. Often the first thing that people ask for when sitting down in a restaurant is not the menu, but the wifi password! Also the 2G bandwidth is better than 2G in other countries, except around the main station in Kiev where it's very congested.

Also see the previous thread at http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7186

Motel75 · 11-06-2014, 20:22

Thanks. I assumed the old thread was out of date (no 3G?), but it sounds like it hasn't. So it sounds like I'd be best off with Kyivstar and just relying on Wi-Fi for data.

NFH · 08-07-2014, 15:07

I have an update to Kyivstar's expiry policy. Contrary to what I had previously been told, any balance deduction (not only outgoing calls) suffices to reset the expiry period. Therefore sending a web text for UAH 0.37 every six months is sufficient. After 6 months, they start deducting a UAH 15 non-usage fee, and after 12 months the SIM card expires. Therefore the cost of keeping a Kyivstar SIM card active is UAH 0.37 every six months (€0.05 per year).

Anastasia · 24-03-2015, 10:16

DE: Edeka Mobile, Netzklub, Lidl Mobile; PL: Klucz, T-Mobile; UK: Giffgaff; US: T-Mobile; IT: Vodafone; UA: Kyivstar; FR: Simyo; IL

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	(#1)
Motel75 (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Pioneer Posts: 573 Join Date: 15 Jun 2006 Location: Berlin Country:	Best SIM for visitors to Ukraine? - 10-06-2014, 08:29 I'll be in UA for a few days and will be returning every few months. It's been a while since I was last there, and our UA page is a little out-of-date. I'm looking for a SIM that has: - Long expiration, preferably extendable by making a call - Cheap international calls (mainly to the EU and North America) - Decent internet pricing (and speed) - Easy to top up outside UA If there's a good data SIM for use with a USB stick, that would be a second option. Current DE: Vodafone, Netzklub; PL: Klucz, Virgin; UK: Giffgaff, Vodafone; US: T-Mobile; CA: 7-Eleven; IT: Vodafone; UA: Kyivstar; FR: Bouygues; GR: Vodafone Former DE: Vodafone, T-Mobile, O2, Blauworld, 01051mobile, Solomo, Lycamobile, Simyo, Congstar, Fonic, Edeka Mobile, Lidl Mobile; PL: Heyah, Era, Virgin, Sami Swoi, Orange, POP, iPlus, Carrefour Mova, Telepin Mobi, Play, Lycamobile, T-Mobile; UK: Vodafone, T-Mobile, Virgin; US: T-Mobile, AT&T, Lycamobile; CZ: Vodafone, Oskar; ES: Lebara; GR: Vodafone, Wind; UA: Vodafone; IL: Orange; TR: Turkcell

	(#2)
NFH (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 322 Join Date: 11 Apr 2012 Location: London Country:	11-06-2014, 09:28 All networks except TriMob are 2G-only. I use Kyivstar which has a favourable expiry policy. Effectively you have to make a call every 6 months, but the published rules are much more complicated than that. TriMob expires without periodic top-ups. Because of the lack of 3G and 4G, Ukraine has an abundance of free wifi. Often the first thing that people ask for when sitting down in a restaurant is not the menu, but the wifi password! Also the 2G bandwidth is better than 2G in other countries, except around the main station in Kiev where it's very congested. Also see the previous thread at http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7186

	(#3)
Motel75 (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Pioneer Posts: 573 Join Date: 15 Jun 2006 Location: Berlin Country:	11-06-2014, 20:22 Thanks. I assumed the old thread was out of date (no 3G?), but it sounds like it hasn't. So it sounds like I'd be best off with Kyivstar and just relying on Wi-Fi for data. Current DE: Vodafone, Netzklub; PL: Klucz, Virgin; UK: Giffgaff, Vodafone; US: T-Mobile; CA: 7-Eleven; IT: Vodafone; UA: Kyivstar; FR: Bouygues; GR: Vodafone Former DE: Vodafone, T-Mobile, O2, Blauworld, 01051mobile, Solomo, Lycamobile, Simyo, Congstar, Fonic, Edeka Mobile, Lidl Mobile; PL: Heyah, Era, Virgin, Sami Swoi, Orange, POP, iPlus, Carrefour Mova, Telepin Mobi, Play, Lycamobile, T-Mobile; UK: Vodafone, T-Mobile, Virgin; US: T-Mobile, AT&T, Lycamobile; CZ: Vodafone, Oskar; ES: Lebara; GR: Vodafone, Wind; UA: Vodafone; IL: Orange; TR: Turkcell

	(#4)
NFH (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Expert Posts: 322 Join Date: 11 Apr 2012 Location: London Country:	08-07-2014, 15:07 I have an update to Kyivstar's expiry policy. Contrary to what I had previously been told, any balance deduction (not only outgoing calls) suffices to reset the expiry period. Therefore sending a web text for UAH 0.37 every six months is sufficient. After 6 months, they start deducting a UAH 15 non-usage fee, and after 12 months the SIM card expires. Therefore the cost of keeping a Kyivstar SIM card active is UAH 0.37 every six months (€0.05 per year).

	(#5)
Anastasia (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 1 Join Date: 24 Mar 2015 Country:	24-03-2015, 10:16 DE: Edeka Mobile, Netzklub, Lidl Mobile; PL: Klucz, T-Mobile; UK: Giffgaff; US: T-Mobile; IT: Vodafone; UA: Kyivstar; FR: Simyo; IL smart lover