Cell Phone Rental and Usage

[lcq]

I rented a SIM for my unlocked phone from Vodacom in the airport. I got 1gig data free for a day as a promotion and called home daily, < $40 for 7 days. Data can be had cheap enough, 3G where I was

 

[BRICKBURN]

………………..
Looking into the cell phone rental vs. sim vs. wold phone vs. sat phone??? It is still not simple for people who can remember when you didn't have cell phones.
Thanks in advance

Where are you going?
Usage?
etc.
That changes everything.

 

[Brant Dunn]

Where are you going?
Usage?
etc.
That changes everything.

I'm scheduled to go to the Limpopo Province with Numzaan Safaris.
Looking to make quick calls and send texts back home just to check in with the wife.
Don't know yet if the lodge has internet or cell coverage.
I will check with the outfitter when we get closer to the date.

 

[Royal27]

I'm scheduled to go to the Limpopo Province with Numzaan Safaris.
Looking to make quick calls and send texts back home just to check in with the wife.
Don't know yet if the lodge has internet or cell coverage.
I will check with the outfitter when we get closer to the date.

Surely they at least have WiFi available. I had WiFi in Zimbabwe, in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't fast, and I had to go up to the office to use it, but it was there.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I'm scheduled to go to the Limpopo Province with Numzaan Safaris.
Looking to make quick calls and send texts back home just to check in with the wife.
Don't know yet if the lodge has internet or cell coverage.
I will check with the outfitter when we get closer to the date.

Vodacom has about the best coverage in RSA.
Here's the latest coverage map. Edge coverage all over Limpopo.
http://www.vodacom.co.za/personal/main/coveragemaps

Numzaans main lodge is near Thabazimbi and certainly has edge coverage.

Check your own providers rates against the rental possibilities.
Local rates are much better than anything they offer here in Canada. It is a no brainer for me.

Last trip I bought several pay as you go sim cards for my phone (keeps all my contacts available to me ) and "topped it up" as required. Namibia, Botswana and then borrowed one in RSA.
I also go for extended periods so it is worth it to me.

Good luck.

 

[spike.t]

just remember if you use your phone with your home sim card in and its an iphone or any of that type, then turn off all your data etc receiving facilities as that will run up a massive bill without you even realising......and i mean thousands of dollars!!

 

[BRICKBURN]

just remember if you use your phone with your home sim card in and its an iphone or any of that type, then turn off all your data etc receiving facilities as that will run up a massive bill without you even realising......and i mean thousands of dollars!!

A client had an employee use his smart phone on a holiday in Iceland recently. He used it for Google Maps and a few phone calls. They got a $7000.00 bill.

 

[lcq]

I'm scheduled to go to the Limpopo Province with Numzaan Safaris.
Looking to make quick calls and send texts back home just to check in with the wife.
Don't know yet if the lodge has internet or cell coverage.
I will check with the outfitter when we get closer to the date.

This is what I used to estimate coverage. My outfitter says they have the best coverage.

http://www.vodacom.co.za/personal/main/coveragemaps

 

[lcq]

A client had an employee use his smart phone on a holiday in Iceland recently. He used it for Google Maps and a few phone calls. They got a $7000.00 bill.

remember that imbecile Alberta minister who rang up a $20,000 bill for a week in Poland?

 

[bluey]

I noticed Vodafone had towers near everywhere in southern Africa , when we were travelling around .
I never thought to get my phone switch to world wide roaming before we left .
by the time we cleared our kit (well what came with us on the plane ) and never got to saps , when Telstra rang my number and told me to switch it over immediately . id made two calls , and it must of registered in the network at home .
4 days after we returned I got a txt telling me that while home , I didn't need it anymore , and that unless I was trasvelling again soon , they would like to turn the roaming off .
I also received a txt every time id used 3 gig of data , telling me that it had cost me $3.76 aud,

it was strange , but I had full service as soon as we landed .
we switched world wide roaming on ,with joysies phone aswell , but she had crappy service the whole time we were in gods country .
both the same phones on the same business plans , with the same service provider .
she had crappy service with her big ipad thing aswell.

 

[sierraone]

Cliffy,
I worked in Iraq for 4 1/2 years. I used Iridium, Thuraya and Inmarsat phones while there. They all worked great! There was one brand I can't recall, maybe Globalstar that usually had terrible reception. Unless you have to be on the phone constantly due to business, (which I think would ruin a hunt), rent a phone here in the U.S. before departure. Most of the newer ones will also text and email, but I don't know if all of them do. There was very large booth at DSC last year that sold and rented several brands that would do most anything. Hopefully it will be there again this year. Do your research and good luck.