briitsh mobile in philippines

[john sergison]

hello all

having been philippines about 6 times my british mobile with monthly contract has never had a problem making or receiving calls coming into the phill and me using it when there and making calls out of the phil.

and i have also used a phil sim before


but the question is this,
will a british mobile pay as u go tariif be able to be used in the phil to make local calls , receive local calls and also make international, must it also be a triband or will dual band work


we are arguing amoungst ourselves about this question and the moble companys webbages are clear


anyone know so we can settle the argument and collect our winnings

thanks in advance

john

[RickyR]

I have a Vodafone PAYG phone which sort of works in the Philippines. It connects and sometimes works absolutely fine receiving and making calls, and pretty much always can send and receive text messages. However sometimes it decides not to receive or make calls (no idea why, but goes dead when you do either).
I have a Philippines Mobile, so my work get in touch with me on that, or e-mail me!

[john sergison]

hello ricky r
i have only ever had my contract mobile when i have been philippines thats why i am saying it will not work with pay as u go, but it seems maybe i am not fully correct, was your mobile a dual band or a triband bec i think that also may be a reason for not working there

[RickyR]

It's Dual Band, its a Nokia 1650. Very simple basic phone.

[john sergison]

so it sounds like there is no definite 100% answer to our argument.
the mobile may work sometime or not as the case maybe
cheers

[RickyR]

Essentially with the major UK phone providers, on PAYG it should work. But in reality, it can be problematic at times. When I had a contract phone I don't remember having the same problems that I do now.

[Sim11UK]

My Orange PAYG dosen't work full stop.

[Jamesey]

My PAYG on the 3 network doesn't work in the Philippines, but in Hong Kong and the Middle East, it's fine! When I had an Orange contract phone, it always worked in the Philippines, but the roaming charges were extortionate.

You don't need a Tri-Band phone in The Philippines.

But when I visit The Philippines, I just buy a Globe PAYG SIM card as soon as I arrive and use that in an old Nokia phone that I've got. It's very cheap, even for international calls.

[Steve.r]

But when I visit The Philippines, I just buy a Globe PAYG SIM card as soon as I arrive and use that in an old Nokia phone that I've got. It's very cheap, even for international calls.

Me too, much less hassle

[Tawi2]

My T-mobile PAYG phone worked in Pinas for calls back to UK and for TXT messages within pinas,also have a nokia with a roaming smart SIM.

[subseastu]

i used to use a vodafone contract mobile out in the phills with no probs. I think signals can be intermitant out there depending on local geography, weather, day of the week etc but generally I can't remember ever have a problem. But as has been mentioned before normally job number one for me out there is to buy a PAYG sim and use that.

[Terpe]

I also have a different phone to use in Phils and buy a Smart sim card when I arrive.
I still have my regular UK phone on PAYG (Virgin Network) so I can receive any emergency calls, also so I can receive calls from the care home where my dad will be staying for respite. Never had any problems either receiving or making calls. However I did make sure it was completely unlocked and ready for use with any network. This depends where you get the phone sometimes.

Being pedantic, dual band and tri-band only really mean that the phone can operate in two or three of the four bands available globally.

Normal European tri-band phones support the 900, 1800, and 1900 frequency bands.
Therefore they provide complete coverage in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and work on at least one network in most countries in the Americas.

Normal European dual-band phones support the 900 & 1800 frequency bands which is just the same as the same as Philippines.

So both will function.

[mickcant]

[QUOTE=Jamesey;267862
when I visit The Philippines, I just buy a Globe PAYG SIM card as soon as I arrive and use that in an old Nokia phone that I've got. It's very cheap, even for international calls.[/QUOTE]

I use a Virgin PAYG here and also just bought a Globe PAYG SIM card in Manila, the woman in the store said it would not work but it did my phone was a Tri-Band if it does make any difference
Mick.

[grahamw48]

I just buy a Smart Sim card when i get to the Phils too.

[malditako]

shanes uk phone works fine in the phils (O2 network) but because of roaming fees its very expensive to use for calls...just get smart or globe sim card...when i was in phils i used to call my husband using globe sim card it charged me like 8 to 10 pesos per minute and i used textcard to text him which cost me 5 pesos per text compare to globe 15 pesos for the first 160 characters...not sure if it is still the same amount of charges...

[sars_notd_virus]

yeah its so expensive to use UK phone in the Philippines...our network is (three mobile)...he can receive calls from the UK but it also charges him....
we end up using skype to call anyone in the uk , and my husband put credits on it..costs us about 12p per minute

[Dr Graham]

I got my UK Mobile "UNLOCKED" when I went to Phil' the first time, and have used it ever since, buying a new SMART PAYG SIM each time I arrive, and sticking my UK SIM back in when I get home.

BUT ... more and more we are having SERIOUS PROBLEMS with SMART.
My Fiancee lives in Dipolog, and SMART are the main Telecomms provider there, (Mobiles, Landlines and Internet).

It is now not usual for me to Voice Call Stacy, (from the UK), when she has failed to come On-Line at a pre-arranged time, only for SMART to tell me that her CP is "Unattended, or Out of Network Coverage Area" ....... when she is actually sat by her CP, hoping I'd call her, coz she has No Load and the Internet Cafe she is in CAN'T GET AN INTERNET CONNECTION !

Sometimes we'll have a conversation and she'll ask "Why didn't I phone her yesterday ?" ...... when I had actually tried maybe as many as 30 times, and every time SMART would tell me her CP was OFF ......... when it wasn't.

The latest problem is SMART telling me SMS TXT Messages have been Delivered ..... when the haven't !

I could never understand HOW it was possible for TXT Messages to Get Through, when ALL DAY, SMART had been giving me WHITE NOISE, The NU Tone, or "Unattended Messages", whenever I tried to Voice Call the same number.

My UK Mobile Provider won't refund the (Very Considerable) charges, because as far as they are concerned all my Voice Calls and TXT Messages were transmitted from their Network to SMART, OK.

SMART keep "Looking Into Them Problem", but NEVER come up with a solution.

We have now CANCELLED her SMART Bro Home Broadband Contract as the connection was NEVER RELIABLE, often losing connection during Instant Messaging Conversations, and during October last year, she only managed to get an Internet Connection THREE TIMES !!!

Maybe SMART's problem is a Regional one, and Communications are much better in other parts of the Country ?

But before you go blaming your CP for any problems you are having ..... check out the Mobile Operator, and maybe try a different Provider's SIM.