Going to UK - Do I get a phone there?

cayenne

I am going over to the UK for a year working and am just wondering should I buy a phone over there with a UK sim or will it work out any cheaper if I call back to Ireland. Suppose it would be cheaper if I'm sending texts or making calls within the UK. Anyone any suggestions, advice please?

BuffyBot

I would - you can pick up pretty cheap pay as you go phones phones that will cost you les than using your Irish mobile - everywhere from the supermarket like Tesco/Asda do thier own PAYG services, as well as the big networks and stores like the Carphone Warehouse.

Plus it's always handier to have a local number to give to people to get in touch with you - friends, employers etc.

culabula

Unless of course you bring a 3IRL mobile with you: free to use in Blighty. Only downside is not having a national number for the Brits, but otherwise perfect for all your MO/MT calls and very useful for your friends and family calling *you*.

Solution? get yourself a 3UK 3pay SIM as well. Provides you with a local number, you get paid for receiving calls and texts and you can add 500MB of internet access per week for 2,50GBP (which itself will be paid for if you receive 50 minutes of calls each week).

tech

you could login into vodafone.ie or o2.ie or whatever to send your free web texts back home to your Irish friends

LordSutch

You dont say what part of the UK you are living in, but if you are in Northern Ireland then texts are much cheaper to the Republic than from Britain!

I travel to Britain at least four times annually for work/ pleasure & recently I purchased a TESCO Nokia mobile just for use when I am in Britain to text & call my British friends within the UK.

Using an Irish Mobile in Britain is suicidal (very Expensive) as I have discovered over the years, as everytime I receive a call from Ireland I get hammered too .............. !

(BUY A UK PHONE) and use it when calling or texting within the UK!

culabula

ArthurF wrote:

You dont say what part of the UK you are living in, but if you are in Northern Ireland then texts are much cheaper to the Republic than from Britain!

!

How exactly does this work?

DesG

ArthurF wrote:

You dont say what part of the UK you are living in, but if you are in Northern Ireland then texts are much cheaper to the Republic than from Britain!

Texts from NI/GB to ROI cost exactly the same on all UK networks.

Cheers, Des.

culabula

Exactly! There is NO SUCH THING as an "NI" mobile or any preferential texts from there to any destination. Nor are (nordies please note) 086/087/085 numbers "your Dublin number".

carrotcake

Before moving to the UK I bought an O2 prepaid SIM card on eBay for £1, and put credit on it as soon as I got there. Get the International Caller Bolt On, and then you can call Ireland for 5p and text for 10p

culabula

Not irish mobiles, though?

carrotcake

25p for mobiles. It's all on the link

LordSutch

I could nearly swear that I heard NI roaming charges were different to the rest of the UK, ie (Britain) ........... But maybe not?

Sorry for any confusion caused ............

culabula

That's for roamers from Irish networks IN the north......not people from the north using UK networks to send to Rest of Ireland mobiles.

In the beginning there were all-Ireland tariffs for roamers to the north, then some of these plans were extended to included GB -but that's another matter.

There is no reciprocal arrangement for British roamers or people in the north using +44 mobiles with regard to Ireland. With the exception of O2 UK's *cringe* "Bolt-on" and 3's magnificent "3 Like Home".

lawhec

If you're on Meteor you could get their special UK tarriff where if you roam on the T-Mobile network calls in the Republic or UK cost 29c set-up fee and then 20c a minute all times landline & mobile. Texts are 20c each, free to receive calls & texts. With the exception of 3's "Like Home" this is a pretty good deal.

You have to opt in, but its free to do so - just go to meteor.ie

Main disadvantage is that the T-Mobile 2G network is shíte, particularly in rural areas.