Prepaid SIM Card FAQs

• What is GSM?
• What is a SIM card?
• How do SIM cards work?
• Why prepaid?
• What are the call charges?
• How do I re-charge the SIM once it has been depleted?
• Can I keep my SIM card and use it later?
• Can I use different SIM cards in my phone?
• What happens if the phone is turned off and someone tries to call?
• Will my country specific SIM card work outside of the country of origin?
• Will my country specific SIM card work when I am on my cruise?
• Are there places the international GSM cellular phone will not work inside the service area?
• Can I buy sim cards overseas when I get there?

What is GSM?

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) leads the world as the fastest growing, most reliable and advanced digital technology available in the marketplace today. GSM provides integrated voice mail, high-speed data, fax, paging and short message services capabilities. GSM customers enjoy secure communications, and GSM offers unparalleled call privacy and fraud prevention. As members of the GSM Global Network, GSM subscribers can use their phones at home, across town, across the continent, or around the world (except for with country specific SIM cards). GSM operates on the multiple spectrum frequency bands used around the world - 1900MHZ, which is used in North America and 900MHz and 1800 MHz for other locations. Different mobile phone networks operate at different frequencies, which means that if you wish to use your mobile phone outside your home country, you generally need a handset that supports multiple frequency bands. Make sure that the celluar phone you are interested in is compatible with the GSM band of the country you will use it in. As a general Guideline:

Dual-band - A dual-band phone operates at both the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum. Dual-band works in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and much of South America.

Tri-band - A tri-band phone operates on three frequency bands, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz, allowing you to use it in Europe, Africa, Asia, nearly all of North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Quad-band - A quad-band phone allows you to roam almost anywhere globally. It covers the 850 Mhz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz frequency ranges. Many countries in South America only have 850 MHz GSM service while both 1900 MHZ and 850 MHz GSM services are supported in the USA. 99% of all countries use the GSM standard. WE believe eventually GSM will be the only cell phone standard in the world.

The GSM network provides the best digital wireless voice quality in the world today. For more information about GSM, go to our GSM Cellular Phone FAQs page.

What is a SIM card?

The SIM (Subscriber Identification Module or Subscriber Identity Module) card - a.k.a. "smart card" - holds all of a subscriber's personal information and phone settings. In essence, it is the subscriber's authorization to use the network. It also holds the phone number, personal security key and other data necessary for the handset to function. The card can be switched from phone to phone, letting the new phone receive all calls to the subscriber's number.

How do SIM cards work?

The SIM is inside each handset and functions as its digital brain. The authentication and encryption capabilities of the SIM prevent your phone from being stolen and your calls from being eavesdropped on. The SIM's digital memory, which stores information like your rate plan, phone number and service features, also allows you to easily personalize your service and contains user ID and billing information that can be switched between different phones. So, with your SIM card installed, you can make or receive calls personally even when you're using a borrowed phone. Upgrading your phone is as simple as slipping your SIM card into your new phone.

Why Prepaid?

When prepay or "pay as you go" cellular services were first introduced in Europe, towards the end of 1995, Western European Cellular penetration was just below 6%. It has since climbed above 74%. No one disputes the enormous contribution which "contract free", "commitment free" prepaid cellular services have made to this growth. The fact that over 64% of all cellular users in Western Europe are now connected to prepay plans, is a tangible demonstration of prepay cellular"s impact. Prepaid cellular service lets you to stay connected without any monthly, contractual obligations therefore allowing more flexibility regarding when you will use your phone. It also prevents overusage and therefore is more "worry free" than subscription service. While 64% of all European cell phone users have opted for prepaid cellular service, it is especially convenient for foreigners visiting those markets - whether they intend to stay for one week or six months.

What are the call charges?

Calls are charged by the minute or fraction thereof, depending on the country. The country specific prepaid SIM card comes with a certain amount of call time. This information is available on the web page(s) pertaining to that particular country. For 99% of all our SIM cards, all your incoming calls are free, no matter where people call you in the entire world, whether it's the USA, China, Russia, or Europe. If your SIM card works while roaming outside of the country of origin, as will sometimes be the case, the incoming calls are no longer free and your outgoing calls will cost more than normal. In most cases, you cannot add more talk-time outside the specific country of the SIM card, so before you roam outside of that country, be sure and "top-up" with some extra talk-time vouchers.

How do I re-charge the SIM once it has been depleted?

Please refer to the web page(s) pertaining to that particular country's details regarding recharging your SIM card.

Can I keep my SIM card and use it later?

Yes, but most countries will terminate the SIM number and unused time if you do not charge the card within a certain time limit. Please refer to the web page(s) pertaining to that particular country for specific details.

Can I use different SIM cards in my phone?

All of the cellular phones we rent and sell are unlocked, that is, not "locked in" with any specific provider or SIM card. Therefore, as long as the frequencies are compatible, you can use any SIM with your phone. If you have purchased or rented your handset through another source, particularly one of the major carriers, you will most likely not be able to use a different SIM card in your phone.

What happens if the phone is turned off and someone tries to call?

Most of the country specific prepaid SIM cards have voicemail. Please refer to the web page(s) pertaining to that particular country for further details.

Will my country specific SIM card work outside of the country of origin?

In most cases, your country specific SIM card will only work within the country of origin.

Will my country specific SIM card work when I am on my cruise?

Coverage around Europe is limited to coastal areas and among many of the Greek Isles. When in port, service should be satisfactory. Please confirm whether the electrical service on the ship is European 220v or the US 110v for the charger. If coverage while away from port is critical please call us to help you with a solution. You might consider purchasing a transformer and socket adapters for your cellular phone - we carry these as well. We also recommend that you fully charge your cell phone prior to your depature so that you have immediate access upon arrival. Please make sure that you carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions when first charging your phone.

Are there places the international GSM cellular phone will not work inside the service area?

As with any cellular system, just like in the United States, reception varies as you travel, particularly in rural areas, but service in most European business centers is first-class - usually far superior to cellular service in the US.

Can I buy sim cards overseas when I get there?

Due to new anti-terrorist and anti-drug laws many countries have made buying their sim cards very difficult, even if you're a citizen or resident and in some cases you can only buy them if you such. Terrorists have been using sim cards as detonators in cell phones to blow up people and things, such as the Spain train bombing when they used a Swiss sim card. Therefore countries are now demanding to know exactly and completely all the most personal details of a tourist when trying to buy a sim card. Usually they need:

3 color copies of your passport photo, 2-3 copies of your passport page, your home address and tel. numbers, you family's first and last names and your place of work. In addition come of them require information you likely don't even have on hand.

Also, you'll have to take a taxi ride to a specialized shop and then a taxi back to your hotel. Often it can take 1-2-3-4 hours to complete the purchase depending on how busy the shop it, how expert the salesman is and how their computers are feeling that day.

Often once you arrive you have left out some form or piece of information and you'll have to run around and get it and come back.

On the whole buying your SIM CARD in the USA from a reliable company such as www.planetomni.com means getting your card in the states without any hassle of registration at all. They can even give you your overseas phone number when you place the order. They also ship worldwide in case you need it and/or an unlocked cell phone shipped to where you are. To most popular destinations that means 1-2 day service.

If you're a frequent overseas business traveler, you've likely encountered the frustrations of using a cell phone abroad.

Here is some advice.

Buy Local (Foreign) SIMs in the US or Use an International SIM

The way to save on international cell phone us is to buy a pre-paid SIM card from a phone company in the country you will be visiting. These SIMs can be purchased in the US and local SIMs can sometimes be purchased overseas. Be aware though, that if you buy SIMs overseas there might be residency requirements, you will not get your phone number until you arrive and the instructions will be in the local language. It may actually cost less to buy a sim card in the USA because of needing to go to a special shop but considering you get the number in advance (usually) and the instructions in English, it's worth it.

Before departure, he said, find out whether your phone will work at your destination, and if so, whether you can activate the international roaming access function that would allow you to receive and make calls. However this mean very costly roaming fees and your incoming calls can be costly and always your outgoing calls are expensive.

If the phone is not compatible with local technology, you'll have to consider renting, buying or borrowing a local cell phone or getting one in advance from a company like http://www.planetomni.com in California. They have Factory Unlocked GSM cell phones both to buy International Cell Phones and to rent Cell Phone Rental They ship worldwide and have cellular service for more than 170 countries (there are only 193 countries on earth!). If your phone is compatible, you'll need to decide whether you want to get your phone unlocked so that it can accept a local SIM card -- the ID chip that carries your local phone number. For it to be compatible it must be GSM standard and be of the correct NETWORK BAND for the country you are going to. There are 4 bands, 850/900/1800/1900Mhz. The advantage behind the LOCAL PHONE NUMBER option? With a local phone number you can receive local calls and avoid the $1-$2 per minute international roaming charges you'd otherwise incur with a U.S.-based SIM card. Unlike U.S.-based service, where you pay for both making and receiving calls, in Europe (and most foreign countries) only the calling party pays, However, once you leave the country of the local SIM card, the calls you receive from there will rack up international roaming charges. There are 2 ways to skirt that problem:

#1 is to buy country specific SIM cards for every country you visit, provided that your phone is compatible. Once again http://www.planetomni.com/Prod_SIM.shtml If you try to buy them overseas it can be either impossible or very frustrating and expensive or impossible. The hassle with that option: You have to inform your contacts of your new cell phone number each time since you won't have your foreign cell phone numbers until you buy them. Getting them from www.planetomni.com first means you can have your numbers even at the time you place the order. Just call them direct for more info. 877-327-5076 or from outside the USA 925-686-9945 or email: jd@quantumstar.com.

#2 is to buy a single sim card good for more than one country. That way you give out a single cell phone number but good for between 110 and 160 countries depending on which international sim card you buy. You can see them here: http://www.planetomni.com/Prod_SIM.shtml At least with one of those two your incoming calls while in western Europe will still be free to you, night and day, from every country and phone on earth. Calling the states from all western European countries is a flat rate of US$0.97 per minute, always. Compare that to using the, for example, German country specific sim card at $2.50 per minute and you'll see that sometimes its cheaper to get one of the international sim cards.

Because companies generally foot the bill for business travelers, they may choose to forego the local SIM card option in favor of renting phones or using their own phones and swallowing the international roaming charges. Americans are at a disadvantage when it comes to cell phones overseas, because most of the world uses a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard. While T-Mobile and Cingular use that standard, Verizon and Sprint operate on the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) standard, which is popular in North America but not supported everywhere else. But most carriers lock their GSM phones to their service so they can't be used with other providers and you must also be aware that most American GSM phones don't have the needed foreign networks in them so they won't work overseas anyway.

If you go to the U.K. or Germany or most everywhere in the world, your Sprint or Verizon will not work at all. Consider the battle between GSM and CDMA. The GSM standard outsells the other flavor, the flavor used by Verizon and Sprint, by 4 to 1.

The Japanese anomaly

Travelers heading to Japan face a whole different ballgame.

When you go there, your GSM phone won't work. You have to have a 3G (third generation) phone, which you can get in from http://www.planetomni.com/3G_CELLS_planetomni.shtml. 3G refers to the technology that gives cell phone users the "broadband experience" of a laptop with its high speed and data capacity. While such phones are just starting to come out in the United States, they don't operate on the same frequencies as they do in Japan or Europe. A 3G phone purchased in the United States and taken to Europe would roll onto the networks there fine -- but would operate as a 2G or "second generation" phone there, with limited data capacity. Travelers from Japan or Europe to the United States will find that their 3G phones will roam on Cingular or T-Mobile 2G networks but without the 3G roaming experience they are used to. Here are some fantastic looking new 3G cell phones: http://www.planetomni.com/3G_CELLS_planetomni.shtml

Roaming worldwide Either of the international sim cards linked about work in most of the world's countries.

How Pre-Paid SIMs Work

This is the easiest part. Pre-paid SIMs start with a monetary balance on the account. As you make calls, the charges are deducted from the credit available based on the per-minute rates. Rates will vary depending on the carrier's policies, whether local, to a local cell phone, or international. The rates are included with the SIM card packaging. In almost all European and Western countries, incoming calls are free.

When your call credit gets low, you drop by any convenience store or newspaper stand and buy a little scratch off voucher from the same company as the SIM in your phone. Enter the secret code from the voucher into the phone's automated top-up system, and the voucher's credit is added to your account. It's a free call to check your balance and to add more credit. It's like getting gas in your car and something millions of people around then world do everyday. If you don't want to stop frequently, buy a large denomination card, such as a 50-Euro.

Multi-Country Trips

For trips to more than one country, it is easier to use an international pre-paid SIM card that works in many countries. Planet Omni has an International sim card that gives you free incoming calls all over Europe and it is less than $1.00 a minute for outgoing calls to Europe or the US (when used in Europe). It works in a total of 110+ countries.