GPRS Roaming in Spain

[barryuk]

Hi! I use an XDA with Orange SIM in the UK which used to roam on GPRS well, using Movistar, when I am in Spain. Since the new UK upgrade was added a couple of weeks ago in will no longer log on to GPRS in Spain but works fine in the UK. Anyone else had this problem, any ideas? Thanks.

[imordey]

I used my XDA in Gran Canaria with GPRS on Movistar last week. It worked like a dream with an 02 card in it. Put an Orange sim in and it wouldn't work at all!

[Peter Poelman]

I used my XDA in Gran Canaria with GPRS on Movistar last week. It worked like a dream with an 02 card in it. Put an Orange sim in and it wouldn't work at all!

Did you check the roaming rates for GPRS? I would not want to be around you in the couple of weeks after you receive your next phone bill.

[barryuk]

I used my XDA in Gran Canaria with GPRS on Movistar last week. It worked like a dream with an 02 card in it. Put an Orange sim in and it wouldn't work at all!


Exactly the same with me when trying to use with Orange . No I have not received horrific bills from O2 either and I used it for days in Spain over the last threee months on GPRS - sounds a bit like a scare story to me!!

[Peter Poelman]

According to this (http://www.o2.co.uk/business/productsservices/mobileservices/travelling/using/gprs.html), O2-UK's GPRS roaming rates are either 7.05 or 21.15 Pounds per MB (!), depending on the provider. And according to the list (http://www.o2.co.uk/business/productsservices/mobileservices/travelling/using/gprsnets/0,,600,00.html), Telefonica/MOVISTAR is in the 21.15 UK Pounds per MB category.

Either you'll be lucky because the billing is still a mess (wouldn't surprise me), or you have been screwed. I still remember the time I brought a tri-band phone to the US, and came home to find the roaming rates were USD 6 per minute for calls within the US, and something like USD 10 per minute for international.

Rule 1 for GPRS roaming: do not use it until the prices come down. Linking up through a regular GSM data-call can be an order of magnitude cheaper, especially if your ISP has a dialin number in the country you're in.

[derekcfoley]

Is it me or does anyone agree that GPRS costs are way too high?

Lets face it, using a dial-up modem on a land line is a damn site cheaper, and in these days of broadband, the charges should be 10megs for 50p, not £5-£10!

And that goes for normal use, not just roaming!