Mobile Phones in France

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How to stay in touch in France cheaply and easily with a mobile phone

Many a person that has travelled to France can share the horror stories that accompanied them as they planned their trip. Problematic hotel reservations, plane flight schedules, lost passports and the eternal problem of staying in touch with friends, family and business partners at home. With careful planning maintaining communication with people at home can be affordable and trouble free. One only needs to be informed and know exactly what to look out for. Cellular providers can charge exorbitantly high roaming fees for people using their mobile phones abroad. It's not unheard of for a caller to be charged several dollars per minute which can translate into phone bills amounting to several hundred if not thousands of dollars. Sadly this isn't uncommon and many people are shocked to find these large bills waiting for them upon their return.

Using your current mobile phone abroad can also present other hurtles which you will find are not just cost related. Technical issues can also present another problem. In many cases your American mobile phone may simply not be compatible with overseas cellular networks which uses a system called GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). Several of the leading USA based cellular providers use older systems like CDMA which are often not compatible with the overseas GSM networks. While most of these service providers will offer you alternative methods to continue using your phone abroad it won't be without extra fees making an already costly venture even more expensive.

Fortunately countries outside North America have adopted the GSM network as their primary cellular network. Intended as a high bandwidth network the GSM standard has been adopted by most of the worlds mobile phone companies. Even now in America companies such as T-Mobile, Cingular and even AT&T have started adopting this new system. Designed for more than simply transmitting voice calls the digital GSM network was designed to carry data making it ideal for transmitting images, emails, and even video. Even the new Iraqi council has elected to use GSM as their chief means of cellular communication choosing it over more antiquated systems such as CDMA and TDMA both of which are commonly used in the United States. Since 1998 the amount of mobile phones using the GSM network has exploded and it is now estimated to be well over 850 million users worldwide. As of May 2003 over 70% of all mobile phone on Earth operate on the GSM network.

Technical improvements aren't the only saving grace. In most countries the GSM network works primarily using prepaid accounts. This frees the mobile phone user from any obligation to their service provider. No contracts or credit checks are required to setup your service and there are no termination fees if you decide to stop using your service.

To understand how the prepaid system works abroad you must understand the equipment used. First a person must obtain a GSM mobile phone. In fact you may already have one of these if you own a mobile phone from T-Mobile, AT&T, or Cingular. GSM operates on four different megahertz (900/1800 and 850/1900). A GSM phone sold in the United States typically only works on the 850/1900 megahertz singles. In order for these phones to operate overseas they must also include the 900/1800 megahertz singles. Most carriers will call these phones "world phones" otherwise known as tri-band or quad-band. If you're unsure ask your service provider whether your phone will work overseas.

Inside each phone there is a small card usually found behind the battery called a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module card). A SIM card is the central information system for your mobile and contains all the information that controls your phone. Your mobile phones number, talk time, features and any other service included is maintained and controlled through this card. Overseas companies like Orange, Virgin Mobile, and Vodaphone can be found all across Europe selling SIM cards and offering mobile phone service. For the most part all the various companies function the same way. All SIM cards in France and across Europe include unlimited free incoming calls, low rates for outgoing calls and they're usually free of roaming charges as long as you use the SIM card in the country from which it originated. A person that uses a French SIM card outside of France may have to pay for incoming calls and will be subject to additional roaming fees if they make any calls while outside of France. If you venture outside of France and find yourself in a neighboring country like Spain you can still use your mobile phone but your rates will increase. By switching to a Spain SIM card you'd continue to receive free incoming calls and maintain low rates. Just remember that your phone number is controlled by the SIM card. Switching SIM cards means your phone number will change as well.

Most country restrictions prevent tourists and non-residents from purchasing SIM cards inside their borders. Fortunately companies such as Intercontinental Wireless can sell you a French SIM card and provide you with other services like a France phone rental to get yourself setup and ready before you leave on your trip. By purchasing your SIM card in advance not only are you prepared but for most countries you can get your phone number in advance and pass it out to people. France is actually the exception to this rule as you must activate your phone in France in order to receive your French mobile phone number. Remember that if you travel to a neighboring country and change your SIM card the phone number will change as well.

Since SIM cards are prepaid you are required to purchase blocks of talk time in advance. Each SIM card includes a small block of talk time included already. Roughly 5 to 25 euros depending on the brand and promotion at the time. Once you've used up the SIM card it will not allow anymore outgoing calls until you purchase additional talk time. To ensure uninterrupted service you can check your talk time using a special code entered into your keypad. When you're close to running out you can buy more talk time at a local convenience store, tobacco (tabac) shop, or mobile phone store in the form of a Top-Up card.

With each Top-Up card you can uncover your voucher number by scratching off the silver surface not unlike a lottery ticket. Once uncovered follow the directions included with your SIM card or Top-Up card and enter the code into your mobile phone through its keypad. This transfers the new talk time to your phone so you can continue to make outgoing calls. Using this system allows a person to easily control the amount of talk time they use. Purchase as many or as few Top-Up as you need.

Being prepared is the most effective way to save money. By choosing your mobile phone service wisely you'll save money and save yourself from stress. A trip to France is supposed to be something you enjoy. A way to relax.

To purchase or rent a mobile phone for your trip to France visit Intercontinental Wireless.