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Telecommunications The UK has undergone something of a telecommunications revolution over the last ten years. Where once you might have found overloaded, crackly and expensive telephone networks, now you'll find efficient services with helpful operators. Most urban areas have been wired for digital services, cell phones are abundant, and the Internet revolution has taken the UK by storm. Prices are still not cheap but they are heading south under the weight of intense competition. We look forward to the day (and it's coming soon) when all Internet access is free. In the UK mobile phones are
virtually given away, although you will pay handsomely for calls you make. The
good thing about having a mobile phone is that you have the same number no
matter how many times you move. Therefore recruitment consultancies and, more
importantly, your friends are able to stay in touch. GSM works in the UK, as
well as in Europe. Some networks have special rate deals between certain times
of day or on weekends, or banded tariffs depending on how many hours you use.
You may even decide to forgo the BT service and use your mobile exclusively.
These days there are mobile phone outlets on every High Street. Shop around -
the market is fiercely competitive. Because you've travelled from abroad,
retailers may not be able to undertake credit checks. Don't worry. There are
scores of pre-pay cell phone deals available, none of which require credit
checking.
The Networks Four real networks and one
‘quasi’ network currently serve the UK. The four networks are: Vodafone and
BT Cellnet (the original networks) operating on the GSM 900 system, and Orange
and One2One (the new players) who are on the GSM 1800 system. The ‘quasi’
network is Virgin Mobile, who do not have their own licence but ‘piggy back’
on the One2One network.
Pay as you go vs Contract Phone Packages Pioneered in South Africa,
"pay as you go" (PAYG) style mobile phone packages were a revolution
in the industry as it gave the general, not so well off, public, access to the
convenience and security offered by mobile phones. For young travellers that
have just arrived in London, "pay as you go" packages are a cheap and
easy way to get started – and its important to be contactable if you’re
looking for a place to stay and a job. PAYG packages can be bought
at a variety of stores from specialist mobile stores to supermarkets. Do shop
around for the best deal, compare what’s on offer. All the networks offer
different benefits – free voicemail retrieval, all sorts of levels of call
charges etc. Generally the phones offered with these packages are not the
smallest, lightest or trendiest on the market. All phones need to be given a
thorough first charge (sometimes up to 16 hours). Then you need to go through
the initial setup (read the manual). In order to make and receive calls you will
need to purchase PAYG vouchers (generally from the same places that sell the
phones) and ‘load’ them onto the phone by entering the unique number on the
voucher. The vouchers are available in denominations of £10, £20 and £50.
Many of the PAYG packs include one voucher to get you started. Some people stick with PAYG,
as it’s convenient to keep your number – and it gives you a lot of control
over your spending. Once young travellers have
been in London for a while, settled down and found a half-decent job – they
tend to start looking around for a mobile phone with a contract. Once again
there is a wide selection on offer. There are new deals advertised in the press
daily. Sometimes the best deals are offered by merchants who sell phones
exclusively over the phone or on the internet – as they cut out costs and pass
on the savings. Contracts give you less control over spending but do offer far
more competitive rates on monthly charges and call charges. Many contracts also
offer free talktime. Try and get lots of free stuff – like pouches, handsfree
kits, car chargers – as these are quite often included. Be wary of deals where the
phone is supposedly free of charge, as normally the cost of the phone is being
recovered elsewhere – like higher call charges or monthly fees. Contracts also
commit you to paying for, normally, at least a year – so be prepared for the
commitment. Something else to ask about is whether itemised billing is included,
and what it costs. All the mobile service providers prefer to bill you by direct
debit.
Insurance Often, when taking out a
mobile contract, you will be forced into taking out an insurance policy to cover
theft and damage of the phone. This can be quite useful, but it is another
‘hidden’ cost that can cost an extra few pounds a month. Theft, Loss and Damage If your phone is lost or
stolen… It is essential that you place a bar on the line as quickly as possible.
You can contact your service provider or the network in order to do this. You
may wish to contact your local police station and obtain a crime reference
number. If you have an insurance policy please contact them directly for advice
on how to proceed. It is likely that you will need a crime reference number. If you do not have any form of insurance you can give notice on your
contract by contacting your service provider but you will normally be held to
the full term of the contract. If your phone has been damaged, contact your service provider and find
out what they can do to help and if it’s covered by any insurance.
Bringing over a phone from your home country This might be an option, but
do all the research first and ensure that your phone is compatible with the GSM
900 or 1800 networks in the UK, and that your phone is not exclusively ‘locked
on’ to your home network – a somewhat unfair trade practice that makes
networks feel happy about subsidising the cost of your phone when you got it for
free! International Roaming Once you’re really rolling
in cash and are popping into Europe every second weekend, you may want to have
International Roaming activated for your phone. This allows you to use your
phone in other countries that operate on the GSM network (i.e. most European,
African and Australasian countries). This can be really convenient, but
convenience always comes at a price – and the billing for roaming is
complicated and pricy. You can pay multiples of what a call would cost you in
the UK. The other thing to be aware of is incoming calls, with roaming you are
charged to receive calls – because the calling party shouldn’t be penalised
just because you’re holidaying in some exotic destination. Most networks offer
the option of disallowing incoming calls while you’re abroad – and sending
them to voicemail instead.
SMS – Short Message Service This is a hip and funky
service that arrived with the mobile phone revolution. Mobile phone users and
even internet users can send text messages of up to 160 characters long to other
mobile phone users. A small charge is levied – but this is often enough to put
your point across and is cheaper than a voice call. You can Text Message people
internationally for the cost of a local message – which has obvious benefits.
Keying messages in using the abbreviated keyboard on your phone keypad can be a
bit tiresome – so a growing number of websites are offering the ability of
sending messages from the internet, and these messages are free of charge –
even better! Setting your mobile phone up for text messaging can be tricky, ask
your service provider or network for help.
WAP Wireless Application
Protocol is the future of GSM mobile phones. This new technology will enable
your mobile phone to access the internet and give users access to a variety of
simplified websites designed for the WAP platform. Initially this will be useful
for getting directions, booking movie tickets and a bit of online banking –
but more and more businesses are getting in WAP. WAP phones are available now,
but cost more than the standard ones. Technology is moving fast so don’t get
stuck with new, yet old technology.
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