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Japanesse mobile netwoks - |
sebtek
Joined: Aug 19, 2002
Posts: 34
From: Adelaide, Australia
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I have a few questions about japanesse mobile phones....
1) Can i bring a Australian phone (1800/900mhz GSM) to japan on international roaming?
2) Can i bring one back from japan - even if its TCDMA phone, and then use it here on one of our CDMA networks?
3) If not - can i take my sim card, then buy a phone in japan and stick it in? - and will it work....
4) If not - can i buy a phone in japan - and then send sms's etc to Australia (or the rest of the world) for a resonable price????? (is sms a standard over there?)
5) Apparently land line international phone calls cost a fortune - where could i find prices for mobile phone calls - domestic and international
6) I have heard - that due to the poor land line infrastructure - many people dont have the net at home, and the surf the net/check emails from their phones? Would any old japanesse phone do this? Would they handle (or could i set it to) western characters
answers to any questions - i'll be gratefull
Seb | |
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arnoldc
Joined: Dec 14, 2001
Posts: > 500
From: Philippines
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to answer your questions:
1) no. when i was there last august, i brought with me a satellite phone R190, using ACeS. i only paid 25 US cents for incoming/outgoing per minute. compare that with almost 2 US dollars per minute if i rented a phone using their network. ACeS network spans Australia, so check with your mobile operator if they have it.
2) japan use cdma one (and newer w-cdma on FOMA) on a different frequency. so i doubt if you can use it in your network. my wife's sister brought home three colored jap phones, and now serve as paper weights.
3) jap phones don't use gsm. so no use bringing your sim card.
4) you can rent a phone, albeit at prohibitive costs. and no you can't send sms to gsm networks as jap phones are not on gsm.
5) mobile calls also cost a fortune. check these web site for mobile phone rental and costs http://www.j-mobiler.com/ http://www.jcrcorp.com/ http://www.japanphone.com/ you will find that per minute charge is almost 2 US dollars on top of other fees.
6) newer jap phones subscribed to DoCoMo i-MODE or FOMA or J-Sky, etc. has internet access (CHTML and email) but check with the rental company for exact details, as well as support for western chacters as not all phones have it (more expensive too)
IMO, the most cost-effective communications (voice) solution when in Japan is ACeS network - http://www.acesinternational.com/
Check with Optus, i know that they're an ACeS partner.
[ This Message was edited by: arnoldc on 2002-11-11 05:29 ] |
sebtek
Joined: Aug 19, 2002
Posts: 34
From: Adelaide, Australia
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Thanks a lot for your info.
So are the call rates the same whereever you are in the ACeS network?
I mean - 50c a minute is a lot cheaper the half of the people in Australia pay on their normal GSM or CDMA call plans
The ACeS seems a bit void of that sort of information. Do you reckon if i contact optus they would have info. I mean - optus have their own satalite network - but i think it only covers australia....so i'm not sure if the average sales person would know what i'm talking about....
Any ideas?
Seb
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sebtek
Joined: Aug 19, 2002
Posts: 34
From: Adelaide, Australia
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actually - aces does not cover AU - it stops at indonesia (thats the furthest south)- what a pity. It would have been useful to use it at home after taking it to japan!
its odd - coz i got that from the coverage map on teh aces site, however in other places - it does mention aces working here downunder.
would you have any idea where i can get more info.
a search for aces australia on google gets up nothing worthy. Would i have to get it in Japan?????
Seb |
arnoldc
Joined: Dec 14, 2001
Posts: > 500
From: Philippines
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hi seb,
i lost the brochure that i got from my operator, so i called them and was informed that ACeS do work in Australia. also, here's and excerpt from their website:
"The ACeS satellite has a footprint of 11 million square miles that stretches from Pakistan and India in the west, from Japan and China in the north, to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea in the east, and to Indonesia in the south. A second ACeS satellite which will be launched in the future aims to cover Europe and North Africa."
if Optus does not have them, that is a problem. i don't know if you can get them in japan, i doubt. i can get it readily from my operator though.
[ This Message was edited by: arnoldc on 2002-11-12 10:03 ] | |
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Posted: 2002-11-11 06:01
