How to avoid mobile phone 'bill shock' this summer
switching your network sim card for a global or local sim using websites such as etiroam.com and etifone.com . A global sim card will work across a number of countries so is particularly good for frequent travellers or backpackers, while a local sim will only work in one country. You can buy these before you travel, but you might need to get your phone unlocked by your operator so you can switch cards. Most global and local sims cost somewhere between £15 and £30 and come loaded with differing amounts of call credit, which you can top up by credit or debit card at any time. For those travelling to South Africa for the World Cup, for example, 0044"s South African local sim costs £29.99 and gives you ZAR 55 (about £5) of credit. After that, local calls cost 10p a minute off-peak, calls to the UK are 63p a minute, while texts to the UK are 15p. This compares with the standard pay-as-you-go rates on Orange where charges for local calls within South Africa and to the UK are £1.45 a minute and texts are 50p a message. Buying a local or global sim will mean you temporarily have a new phone number, so you will need to make sure people know this before you go.Â