Using the D2G globally

[steveh0]

Has anyone used the Verizon D2G in Europe, Australia or NZ? I'd like to know how expensive the data and voice is, if I go thru Verizon, or the process of obtaining non-VZ SIM cards.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Gasai Yuno]

Try checking the article at Global capabilities - The DROID Wiki — should give you a basic idea of this.

 

[silver6054]

Try checking the article at Global capabilities - The DROID Wiki — should give you a basic idea of this.

Yes, that it a useful page. In summary though, data is really expensive if you use the Vodafone SIM. The only real advantages are:

a) you get to keep your US number while out of the country
b) you don't need to get multiple SIMs if you are going to several countries (although some other third-party SIMs also work in many regions)

So what does "really expensive" mean? Here are the current rates (also linked from Gasai's page above).

Canada and Mexico: 75MB for $30 per month, or 200MB for $100 per month, with overage at $2.05 per MB (Canada) and $5.12 per MB (Mexico)

Caribbean & Europe: 25MB for $30 per month, or 70MB for $100 per month, with overage at $5.12 per MB

Everywhere else, no plan, just $20.48 per MB.


If you turn off data everywhere and use Wifi, you MIGHT be able to stay within these limits (but 25MB is very low!). Foreign SIMs are generally MUCH cheaper, I get 25MB per DAY for about $4.50 per month in the UK for a pure PAYG SIM, and with 30 day contracts there are much better deals.


Same applies to calls. VZ charges around $1.29 per minute from Australia and much of Europe, with a value plan (where you pay a few dollars per month) this reduces to $0.99 per minute. I can make calls to the US from the UK for 6cents per minute (or 12 cents to other UK numbers, yes, it is cheaper to call the US than call the UK!)

So, the cheapest thing to do is to get the phone unlocked and use local SIMs. Regional/International SIMs are generally cheaper than the VZ rates, but are more expensive than SIMs for individual countries.

 

[Matveh]

I'm using my D2G in South Korea. I am still on a global unlimited data plan, but Verizon informs me they'll change me to something capped soon. They quoted the global data portion of my plan with a 250MB cap at about $30.00/mo. Couldn't hurt to ask about that.

 

[ab325]

I use the droid 2 global in the czech republic. The best thing to do is to get a local sim card (vodafone). I use a prepaid card, where local calls and texts cost a few cents per minute. I have an unlimited data plan (first 100 mb is at max speed), which comes out to around $7/month. To get the data to work, I had to use the vodafone site to tell it I had a moto milestone. It then auto configured my phone to work.

 

[ab325]

Also, the only problem I have is that the USSD codes do not work. They worked on a touch pro2 I used before this, but they wont work on this phone. It can be a problem if I dont keep track of my usage.

 

[Shadez]

Here's some info that may help ... verizonwireless.com/international