Need to go easy with the texting

[Northerner]

10p texts abroad? You sure about that one mate?

Well, 10.2p to be precise And yeah, I am with O2... But I am trying to budget now so it is something I am looking at (call costs).

Thanks for the advice Jim. Rizza knows to reply to me on the pinoy sim, I just wish there was a similar sim for me to give to her, making it inclusive in my unlimited text messages Which would be awesome

But I guess not

[JimOttley]

Well, 10.2p to be precise And yeah, I am with O2... But I am trying to budget now so it is something I am looking at (call costs).

Thanks for the advice Jim. Rizza knows to reply to me on the pinoy sim, I just wish there was a similar sim for me to give to her, making it inclusive in my unlimited text messages Which would be awesome

But I guess not

They will always hit you with roaming charges for a UK SIM abroad, the Plug n Talk is the absolute cheapest solution I have found.

What we really need is some serious innovation, development and network investment by the Globe and SMART networks in the Phils.

I'm guessing as I don't know the exact nature of their networks but I would not be surprised if most of the international telephone traffic out of the Phils was not on dedicated cables, I suspect it is being shared with the internet fibre for the most part but I may well be wrong.

Also a few years back the vast majority of IP traffic from the Phils was being routed through undersea cables going round the edge of the Pacific then across America then to Europe. There was a major cable breakage in 2006 that ruined internet bandwidth and phone connections for weeks (still worked but really slow for the net or very hard to get a call placed over the phone network).


Jim

[kenny]

ive seen a few of my mobile phone bills like that i think my biggest was just over one hundred and thirty pounds

[JimOttley]

ive seen a few of my mobile phone bills like that i think my biggest was just over one hundred and thirty pounds

That reminds me a word of warning to everyone, if your network does not automatically block or warn about online 3G/GPRS data access while roaming SWITCH IT OFF when you get to Manila.

I was well aware of data roaming charges and I was well aware of how my GPRS phone at the time behaved in Manila and I was always certain that data was only on if I had specifically requested it.

That was until late December 2007 when I was using a GPS (navigation app) called Mapking which even although it did not need or use it somehow managed to switch the GPRS connection back on.

I woke up on the 31st of December 2007 looking at my phone which had nothing running in Task Manager (Windows Mobile) clocking up 90kbps on spb GPRS monitor. It had been doing that for quite a few hours and the download monitor had it clocked at 167MB sadly this it turned out was not the first time on that trip and my total bill came in at £1600.

Never managed to get out of it despite months of arguments with O2, I can promise you that this was a rogue process of some kind, whether it was the GPS app that had switched on the data or something else, virus, god knows what, fact is the phone was sitting there in a loop nothing running no storage being used just running flat out in GPRS traffic, I've never felt so sick in my life when I looked at those log files. :(

So disable all HSDPA/3G/GPRS functionality of your phone the minute you step off the plane in Manila better still switch to your local phone and turn off your British one immediately you arrive.

This was my twelfth trip by the way, never had a problem before as I was always religiously careful with the phones.


Jim

[Northerner]

That reminds me a word of warning to everyone, if your network does not automatically block or warn about online 3G/GPRS data access while roaming SWITCH IT OFF when you get to Manila.

I was well aware of data roaming charges and I was well aware of how my GPRS phone at the time behaved in Manila and I was always certain that data was only on if I had specifically requested it.

That was until late December 2007 when I was using a GPS (navigation app) called Mapking which even although it did not need or use it somehow managed to switch the GPRS connection back on.

I woke up on the 31st of December 2007 looking at my phone which had nothing running in Task Manager (Windows Mobile) clocking up 90kbps on spb GPRS monitor. It had been doing that for quite a few hours and the download monitor had it clocked at 167MB sadly this it turned out was not the first time on that trip and my total bill came in at £1600.

Never managed to get out of it despite months of arguments with O2, I can promise you that this was a rogue process of some kind, whether it was the GPS app that had switched on the data or something else, virus, god knows what, fact is the phone was sitting there in a loop nothing running no storage being used just running flat out in GPRS traffic, I've never felt so sick in my life when I looked at those log files. :(

So disable all HSDPA/3G/GPRS functionality of your phone the minute you step off the plane in Manila better still switch to your local phone and turn off your British one immediately you arrive.

This was my twelfth trip by the way, never had a problem before as I was always religiously careful with the phones.


Jim

If I got a bill like that, I have no idea what I'd do (after screaming all sorts of things to the poor sap who took my call)

But thanks for the heads up! I'll be carefull if I go over with my blackberry.

[JimOttley]

If I got a bill like that, I have no idea what I'd do (after screaming all sorts of things to the poor sap who took my call)

But thanks for the heads up! I'll be carefull if I go over with my blackberry.

It wasn't the best start to a new year I had ever had, 2008 was pretty desperate year to be honest but we had the wonder of my daughter being born in the middle of the year.

The same daughter that is now 14 months old and saying "hello, hello, hello, hello, hello" down the phone in perfect English with no hint of baby speak actually it was a bit creepy that she didn't sound babyish phones are good even if the call costs a fortune when they let you hear things like that

Jim

[Northerner]

It wasn't the best start to a new year I had ever had, 2008 was pretty desperate year to be honest but we had the wonder of my daughter being born in the middle of the year.

The same daughter that is now 14 months old and saying "hello, hello, hello, hello, hello" down the phone in perfect English with no hint of baby speak actually it was a bit creepy that she didn't sound babyish phones are good even if the call costs a fortune when they let you hear things like that

Jim

I suppose so! Although my experience is limited in comparison to you, I do feel a sense when I hear Rizza over the phone that is not there with messenger. All those verbal nods and sounds which pass on emotions that a few smilies just fail on every time... For LDRs, the good old phone is what is needed...

[Alan]

That reminds me a word of warning to everyone, if your network does not automatically block or warn about online 3G/GPRS data access while roaming SWITCH IT OFF when you get to Manila.

I was well aware of data roaming charges and I was well aware of how my GPRS phone at the time behaved in Manila and I was always certain that data was only on if I had specifically requested it.

That was until late December 2007 when I was using a GPS (navigation app) called Mapking which even although it did not need or use it somehow managed to switch the GPRS connection back on.

I woke up on the 31st of December 2007 looking at my phone which had nothing running in Task Manager (Windows Mobile) clocking up 90kbps on spb GPRS monitor. It had been doing that for quite a few hours and the download monitor had it clocked at 167MB sadly this it turned out was not the first time on that trip and my total bill came in at £1600.

Never managed to get out of it despite months of arguments with O2, I can promise you that this was a rogue process of some kind, whether it was the GPS app that had switched on the data or something else, virus, god knows what, fact is the phone was sitting there in a loop nothing running no storage being used just running flat out in GPRS traffic, I've never felt so sick in my life when I looked at those log files. :(

So disable all HSDPA/3G/GPRS functionality of your phone the minute you step off the plane in Manila better still switch to your local phone and turn off your British one immediately you arrive.

This was my twelfth trip by the way, never had a problem before as I was always religiously careful with the phones.


Jim

Wise words of warning from Jim here!!!

I have heard of, and seen similar stories from people I have met over here.

Get off the plane - take out your UK SIM and shove a SMART SIM in it (P50) - and relax in the knowledge that you are not going to get a nasty surprise from your UK provider.

My experience only cost me £250 - but it still gave ME a shock!!!

BTW - I use Skype for contacting Blighty - but if I am not near my PC then I send a text at, as has been said, P20.

BTW part 2 - If your UK phone is locked and is not operable with a SMART SIM or similar, buy a cheap Nokia or summat over here - expect to pay around £10 - £15 for a decent (oldish) phone. Voila!!! Use your new mobile without any worries - AND - in the LIKELY event that it gets nicked whilst you are on a jeepney - you haven't lost much.

If you are going to bring an expensive mobile over here - PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!! Remember what has been said in previous threads.

Al.