Hi Eric,
In regards to your comments:
1) Even Vodafone told me at the beginning of this year that coverage was
not that great and that I am better off sticking to 2G but I think things
are changing. They now claim something like 97 percent, which is less than
the 98 or 99 percent coverage on PDC networks but I guess all that really
matters is whether there is coverage in the places you want to go to. As I
rarely travel into the countryside I don't think its too big of a problem
for me. I'm about to switch so I can let you know!
2) The SMS was a problem with the early handsets. The new Sanyo phone has
conventional Vodafone Live (Sky Mail) service that can be used in both
Japan and in about 10 countries (You can check the precise list on the
Vodafone site) and there is also SMS. I think the SMS roaming has been
extended beyond the UK now. I could also receive SMS in the Netherlands,
from a Dutch phone, even though I couldn't send it. I think this is
something that is expanding as the relevant roaming agreements are put into
place.
3) Roaming is always going to be more expensive that using a local SIM
card. In Vodafone's case, they are much cheaper than Au and you've got to
weigh up the cost savings versus the convenience of using your own phone
and keeping your own number so anyone can reach you rather than just those
people to which you give your temporary number. If you are talking about a
handset rented in Japan, I think they cost between 500 yen and 1,000 yen a
day to rent so, unless you make a lot of calls, you might save money just
by avoiding the handset rental charge.
If anyone is interested I can post my opinions of the V801SA as soon as I
get my hands on one!
Cheers,
Martyn
Eric Bossieux
<eric@tti-jpn.com To: keitai-l@appelsiini.net
> cc: (bcc: Martyn Williams/NEWS SERVICE/IDG)
Subject: (keitai-l) Re: j-Phone new W-CDMA global roaming handset
11/19/2003 15:11
Please respond to
keitai-l
At 5:50 pm +0100 on 14/11/03 you wrote:
> Finally a 3G phone capable of global roaming:
>
> http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/16425.html
Not having a Vodafone account but still holding on to my DDI Pocket
account, I would very much like to change over if the service is all that
great. I've heard the following regarding this "global roaming" service:
1. expensive, poor coverage in Japan
2. No SMS service other than in Japan and then only with Vodafone Japan and
U.K subscribers
3. Roaming to the US for example is outrageously expensive (cheaper just to
have rented a phone at the airport)
So, has anybody actually used this global roaming service by Vodafone?
Since the phones won't be available till Dec, it would be nice to hear how
well the phone actually works overseas. (I've heard that not all SIM cards
are equal, i.e. every card works with your phone)
Still looking for that universal phone number,
---eric
--
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Eric Bossieux eric@tti-jpn.com
Tel/Fax/Voicemail: +81-3-6644-0434
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Received on Thu Nov 20 15:45:03 2003