Using a mobile phone in the USA

[victim311]

I have an old Blackberry mobile phone with a Pay-As-You-Go SIM card. I do not use the phone for accessing the internet I just use it for texting and the occasional call.

In September I will be going on a touring holiday in California. I want to be able to make a couple of local calls and use the phone if there is an emergency. Will I be able to do this with my existing set up? If so, how much will a call cost?

[Cleoriff · Accepted solution]

Hi @victim311 If you have O2 Travel it will cost £4.99 a day for calls text and data

https://www.o2.co.uk/o2travelupdate

To get O2 travel ,if you've got a Pay As You Go sim, text TRAVELON to 21300.

It would certainly much cheaper to use WiFi only. Keep in touch with frienda nad family via messenger, whatsapp or Skype...

If you choose NOT to have O2 travel you will pay International rates. These are the prices for PAYG

http://international.o2.co.uk/internationaltariffs/travelling_abroad#

[victim311]

Thanks for that, Cleoriff.

I'm a bit of a Luddite so I have to ask some questions, I'm afraid.

If I keep my phone as it is with say £10 credit on the existing SIM and simply switch it on when I get off the plane in San Francisco will I be able to use it to either make a local call to a landline or another mobile? How much would this cost me? Or, would I have to get a local SIM card in order to make the call or send a text?

[MI5]

It will cost you either £2.00 per minute to call a landline or mobile or if you have O2 travel it will cost you £4.99 on the day you make the call which gives you 120 mins on that day to use for the £4.99 charge.

[Cleoriff]

Hi @victim311

If you get a local sim you would need to know the cost of that call or text to the UK with the network you are using.

If you use O2 Travel it's £4.99 per day for 120 text and calls. (You say you dont want data so make sure mobile data or data roaming is turned OFF on the phone)

If as you say, you are only going to text, you may want to go for the International/standard rate as thats only 50p a text ....Worthwile if you make less than 10 texts a day

However as I said make full use of WiFi. Make sure friends and family are on Messenger or Whatsapp and you can communicate with them for free over WiFi.

Turn Voicemail off then you won't be receiving calls (Dial 1760 to turn off)

[victim311]

Excellent! I'm clear now. Many thanks.

[darrengf]

@victim311

Just to let you know

Pay As You Go does not have o2 travel for USA. 

You will pay standard rates rates no matter if you activate o2 travel or not. 

O2 Travel on Pay as you go only covers Gurnsey, jersey and a couple of European countries. 

If you have a o2 Monthly Contract then o2 travel does then Apply. 

But o2 Travel as I’ve mentioned does not work in the USA if you are Pay as you go.

Standard rates only and there is no bolt on at all for PAYG in USA on o2. 

As mentioned local sims sims are better. 

You also also mentioned a BlackBerry Device. 

Please be be aware that this may not work in the USA. 

The US networks work on a completely different frequency to Eu and rest of the world. 

2G networks In USA Have been switched of now so 3G networks and 4G networks exist which are different frequencies. 

Let me know now your phone and I will check if it will work.