Best way to prevent unintentional charges overseas
February 8, 2010 10:55 AM Subscribe
I am going to Japan for a week. Love to bring my Nexus One but wanna make sure I do not end up with $$$$ bill. In the same time, I want have the phone on to use it with Wifi networks and perhaps the GPS.
As a follow up question, if there a way I can buy a SIM in Japan that would provide me with an unlimited data for that week?
What are my options?
My GSM quad band Blackberry Curve wouldn't work in Japan. I think your only cell phone option is to buy a Japanese phone.
posted by Long Way To Go at 11:20 AM on February 8, 2010
posted by Long Way To Go at 11:20 AM on February 8, 2010
Response by poster: I know they do not use GSM. N1 is a 3G based phone and planty of that there. Tmobile tells me that Softbank supports their frequencies in Japan.
posted by mchmarny at 11:20 AM on February 8, 2010
posted by mchmarny at 11:20 AM on February 8, 2010
From what I remember, Softbank only sells prepaid SIMs to residents. Since you're there for only a week, you might be SOL. Back in the day you could rent phones/SIMs at Narita but the rates approached what you'd pay roaming on T-mobile.
posted by birdherder at 11:42 AM on February 8, 2010
posted by birdherder at 11:42 AM on February 8, 2010
Bear in mind, Wi-fi doesn't really exist here. Seemingly, the majority of Japanese people use their cellphones for just about everything web-related, and the three major carriers all have an unlimited data plan, the need for it hasn't caught on. In rare cases, you can find it, but it's not really worth it to spend large chunks of your time trying to find it.
Just a couple examples: the cheap hotel I stayed in this summer near Chicago? Free wifi. The nice, spendy hotel my wife and I stayed at near a business park near Tokyo? Paid internet access through an in-room ethernet cable. McDonald's has wifi, but only for the Nintendo DS.
In other words, if you're going to be using your phone, you'll be racking up roaming charges.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:07 PM on February 8, 2010
Just a couple examples: the cheap hotel I stayed in this summer near Chicago? Free wifi. The nice, spendy hotel my wife and I stayed at near a business park near Tokyo? Paid internet access through an in-room ethernet cable. McDonald's has wifi, but only for the Nintendo DS.
In other words, if you're going to be using your phone, you'll be racking up roaming charges.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:07 PM on February 8, 2010
Response by poster: The hotel I am staying at has supposedly six areas with wifi enabled: lobby, terrace, coffee shop etc. We will see how it works out.
posted by mchmarny at 3:52 PM on February 8, 2010
posted by mchmarny at 3:52 PM on February 8, 2010
MeFite armage may be a good person to ask.
I've been summoned!
The Nexus One supports WCDMA 2100 MHz, so you can use it on NTT DoCoMo or SoftBank. (However, you will not be able to use it in the so-called "FOMA Plus" area, since that requires 800 MHz capability.) As a result, you'll be limited to 384kbps (I've heard possible as low as 128kbps) downstream speeds on either carrier.
Mind you, this is all moot if your phone is SIM-locked, since you'll be unable to insert a Japanese USIM card and expect it to work.
The other big problem is that since you'll only be here for a week, you'll have to rent a SIM card, and they may not let you do it if you're using a Nexus One:
DoCoMo will rent you a phone and SIM card together, but they do not rent SIM cards alone.
The reason why Japanese carriers don't sell prepaid SIM cards as they do in other parts of the world is due to a law passed in 2005 and implemented in April 2006: the "Act on Identification, etc. by Mobile Voice Communications Carriers of their Subscribers, etc. and for Prevention of Improper Use of Mobile Voice Communications Services." As a result of the identification requirements and penalties if someone transfers the phone, carriers don't sell prepaid phones/SIMs to non-residents.
My advice to you is this: unless you absolutely have to have data access via your Nexus One, are willing to put up with slow speeds, and don't mind paying through the nose for service, then rent a SIM card and use your phone on SoftBank. Otherwise, just rent a regular phone and put up with just using it to talk (you can access the Internet with the various rental phones here, but it will be oriented towards Japanese mobile users with limited English) while using your Nexus One in areas with WiFi access.
posted by armage at 7:14 PM on February 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've been summoned!
The Nexus One supports WCDMA 2100 MHz, so you can use it on NTT DoCoMo or SoftBank. (However, you will not be able to use it in the so-called "FOMA Plus" area, since that requires 800 MHz capability.) As a result, you'll be limited to 384kbps (I've heard possible as low as 128kbps) downstream speeds on either carrier.
Mind you, this is all moot if your phone is SIM-locked, since you'll be unable to insert a Japanese USIM card and expect it to work.
The other big problem is that since you'll only be here for a week, you'll have to rent a SIM card, and they may not let you do it if you're using a Nexus One:
We cannot rent the 3G SIM card to users of certain handset models or certain smartphones. A Smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities, often with PC-like functionality such as e-mail, Internet, e-book reader capabilities and etcData access is also ridiculously expensive:
Please note that the data access is unlimited with the 3G rental SIM Card and you will be billed 0.32Yen/128byte each time the phone connects to the Internet, i.e. Internet sync, GPS functions, downloading messages from mail server, and etc.Since you won't be able to purchase a data plan, you'll have to pay per packet (IOW per 128 bytes).
DoCoMo will rent you a phone and SIM card together, but they do not rent SIM cards alone.
The reason why Japanese carriers don't sell prepaid SIM cards as they do in other parts of the world is due to a law passed in 2005 and implemented in April 2006: the "Act on Identification, etc. by Mobile Voice Communications Carriers of their Subscribers, etc. and for Prevention of Improper Use of Mobile Voice Communications Services." As a result of the identification requirements and penalties if someone transfers the phone, carriers don't sell prepaid phones/SIMs to non-residents.
My advice to you is this: unless you absolutely have to have data access via your Nexus One, are willing to put up with slow speeds, and don't mind paying through the nose for service, then rent a SIM card and use your phone on SoftBank. Otherwise, just rent a regular phone and put up with just using it to talk (you can access the Internet with the various rental phones here, but it will be oriented towards Japanese mobile users with limited English) while using your Nexus One in areas with WiFi access.
posted by armage at 7:14 PM on February 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
As a result, you'll be limited to 384kbps (I've heard possible as low as 128kbps) downstream speeds on either carrier.
Sorry, I mistyped -- you'll be limited to those speeds on DoCoMo. SoftBank only uses the 2.0 GHz range so speeds should be as fast as 7.2 Mbps downstream and 1.4 Mbps upstream (since the Nexus One supports HSDPA/HSUPA).
posted by armage at 7:24 PM on February 8, 2010
Sorry, I mistyped -- you'll be limited to those speeds on DoCoMo. SoftBank only uses the 2.0 GHz range so speeds should be as fast as 7.2 Mbps downstream and 1.4 Mbps upstream (since the Nexus One supports HSDPA/HSUPA).
posted by armage at 7:24 PM on February 8, 2010
I'm being told by my friend that you should go here: http://www.jcrcorp.com/mobile/mobile_rental_simcard.htm
posted by holympus at 8:11 AM on February 9, 2010
posted by holympus at 8:11 AM on February 9, 2010
From holympus' link:
Also, this anecdote may be of interest. (It's aimed at subscribers, not prepaid or rental users.)
posted by armage at 7:16 PM on February 9, 2010
The Unlimited Data Package allows you to connect to NTT DoCoMo's 7.2Mbps HIGH SPEED 3G FOMA Network.As I mentioned above, since this service would be through NTT DoCoMo, you will be limited to speeds of 384 kbps downstream. Please be aware of this before choosing a provider.
Also, this anecdote may be of interest. (It's aimed at subscribers, not prepaid or rental users.)
posted by armage at 7:16 PM on February 9, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kickingtheground at 11:17 AM on February 8, 2010