Low cell phone bills: A possible dream?

[mazdamazda]

theveed...

plus 250 yan to your monthly bill. just have it enrolled at a business center.

mahirap mag connect sa libis? hmmm... interesting...

[explorer]

Originally posted by stelvio
its true calls in other countries are very cheap, but they are also charged the same rate for all incoming calls.

people in the US don't mind the incoming call charges because the rate is very cheap. besides, you have the option to accept or reject the call if you think the call is not that important. imagine....a call from the US to Phils. would cost as low as Php 3.50 (USD 0.062) per minute and call within the US would cost you almost nothing.

[pissword]

huwaw... no wonder pwedeng gawin ng sun ang ganyan.. sa hK and US pala ang mura d pa sila lugi

[stelvio]

Originally posted by explorer
people in the US don't mind the incoming call charges because the rate is very cheap. besides, you have the option to accept or reject the call if you think the call is not that important. imagine....a call from the US to Phils. would cost as low as Php 3.50 (USD 0.062) per minute and call within the US would cost you almost nothing.

I don't know where you got those rates, and I'm not very familiar with GSM Providers in the states either, but here's two of AT&T Wireless' (GSM 1900) lowest plans:

Plan $19.99 (P1139.00) Free minutes 45 add'l min $0.45(P25.65)

Plan $29.99 (P1709.43) Free minutes 245 add'l min $0.45
(P25.65)

Texting probably should be unlimited.

In Canada, FIDO 1900 which is the only GSM provider in that country, the cheapest load costs ca$20 (CA$1=P41) calls costs $.40 a minute (arnd 16/min) but evenings and weekdays costs only 5cents a minute. (arnd P2/min)
However if you buy the $30 load, the rate drops to a flat $.15/min (arnd P6.15/min) texting costs $.15 (P6) per text for both available loads, no charge for incoming texts but no free texts like we have here.

Both countries will charge you the same rate regardless of whether the call is outgoing or incoming.

interestingly in canada, if you live in vancouver, your cellular phone will get the same area code as landlines in vancouver (which is 604) so if i'm within the greater vancouver area, i can call you by just dropping a 25cent (uniform rate for all local payphone calls) coin on a payphone and dialing your 7digit number.

[notEworthy27]

would it still all boil down to: more users:better rates?

[Karding]

Originally posted by explorer
besides, you have the option to accept or reject the call if you think the call is not that important.imagine....a call from the US to Phils. would cost as low as Php 3.50 (USD 0.062) per minute and call within the US would cost you almost nothing.

Kahit sa pinas may option to reject the call di ba? So, whats so special about that? Nothing.

Are we still talking about Cellular calls? Because how can you call to the Phils using the cellular issued by the US company? Cingular, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T Wireless, doesnt allow you to call overseas using their cellular service.

stelvio, I dont know where or how did explorer got his number either, Im confused.

Dito kse sa US, monthly packaged deal ang minutes. An example of Cingular GSM US Rate Plan:

Nation 250 anytime minutes is $29.99 w/ night&Weekends of 1000mins in addition to 250 anytime. Add'l minutes is 0.45 cents. Lumalabas na 0.11cents per minute kapag nagamit mo lahat ng 250 anytime mins mo. Mas mag mumura kung gagamitin mo din lahat ng 1000mins mo during the weekend.

250+1000=1250/$29.99 = 0.023cents/minute na lang

Tapos, ang text messaging is additional. 100 text messages in one month costs $2.99. 0.029cents per text message lumalabas.

International Roaming is $1.50/minute. Speaking of which, nagpadala ako sa sister ko ng Cingular SIM CARD and I asked her to use it for text messaging papunta dito sa US. Ginamit pa din ang minutes calling local phone numbers jan sa Pinas. She used 17 minutes, and it cost me an additional $40.00 for those minutes used. :swear: Akala nya Pinas local calls ang ginagawa nya. Sabi ko, kahit nanjan ka sa Pinas at gamit mo ang US SIM CARD ko, international roaming ang charge sakin.

Anyway, incoming or outgoing sa US, both users get charged for text and voice usage. Sa Japan, outgoing lang ang charges. Eto ang mas okay!

[pissword]

sa pinas outgoing lang din naman ang charge... mukhang lumalabas sa US masmahal.. pero yung sinasabi niyo sir carding as long as weekend tatawag mas mura siya, may 1000 minutes free call eh hehe but walang freetext.

[stelvio]

Originally posted by notEworthy27
would it still all boil down to: more users:better rates?

My fearless prediction: Sun Cellular is only using the 24/7 promo to lure Globe and Smart Customers to their fold. Once they reach a certain number of subscribers, they will stop the promo. It wasn't too long ago when globe had unlimited texts too remember? but this resulted in network congestion because some people are like sending 10,000 texts a day. Globe used to have a plan 240 too, but now the lowest is the free text only plan 500. SUN's consumable plan 250 and 500 is still darn good value (w/or w/o 24/7) for the money considering its service and signal level has reached a very satisfactory level (at least from my experience in MM). So I'd say enjoy the country's only 24/7 plan ever while it lasts.

[yebo]

speaking of free text, may stupid question ako. so forgive my stupidity ha.

dami ko na free text credits pero hindi ko naman nagagamit. say i have 1200 free text, then naubusan na load sim ko. i try to text pero di naman pwede, check operator services pa din. so my stupid question is "how does one use the free text credits."

[GlennSter]

yebo: you mean, ubos na ang credit mo, pero may free texts pa?so meaning, tawag ka nang tawag, pero biria mag text? dimo na yata magagamit yun...someone please correct me if im wrong.

OT QUESTIONs (IMPORTANT LANG TALAGA): my parents are going to canada next week, in ontario and in nova scotia. i told them to bring their phones with SMART PREPAID simcard.

1) pano i activate ang roaming?tatawag sa smart? (toll free naman yun diba?)

2) magkano ang carge sa texts? sa calls? kanino ma cha charge?

3) pwede bang iwan nila ang cellphone doon sa canada sa tita ko, then bigyan ko nalang ng load ung tita ko pag ubos na?

TIA.