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Posts: 402

Shifu

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Q: Using local SIM card outside of city - roaming fees?

Last one, I promise. 

 

Anyone know how much the roaming fees for text/talk and (most importantly) data are for a basic China Mobile SIM card when used outside of the local city (Beijing in this case)? I've heard that its cheaper to text than talk when traveling outside of the local city, but I haven't heard anything about data usage. I'd like to be able to access my maps app while I'm going around China this summer, but I'm worried that i'll burn through my prepaid minutes faster that way. Everything I've found online is for international use only. Also, just to clarify, but a prepaid card can be used for any local number in the China Mobile network, right?

 

Final question, if there are massive fees for using data, is it practical to switch my plan to one of those nationwide coverage plans if I only plan to use it for a few weeks? I'm not sure how flexible they are, and I don't really have the vocabulary to inquire at my local shop. Thanks for your help once again!

 

10 years 43 weeks ago in  Transport & Travel - China

 
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Posts: 9631

Emperor

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I have a China Mobile Sim with 200Mb data per month and some talk time as well as it is open ofr international service I have never seen any spikes in cost when my phone has been out of town, so I doubt it is a high extra cost. I would typically use my phone the same or more when out of town. 

 

Don't worry about not being able to communicate with the people at China Mobile. The times I have tried so, with skilled Chinese speaking help, they cannot really answer anything anyway. When I asked for a USB Stick for data traffic they told me to go to China Unicom (China Unicom suggested going to China Mobile) 

Scandinavian:

you might be able to find details about your subscription if you log on to China Mobile and find this page (you need to enter your phone number, get a password sent etc. to get to this page) http://www.10086.cn/fee/rate/rate_details.jsp

 

You can also find how many loyalty points you have, if you have enough you will be able to order a present from China Mobile, such as a water boiler, subscription to a womens magazine etc. I think the points gathering runs from Jan 1 to Jan 1, so mid-year is perhaps not the optimum time to get a loyalty rewards points present. 

10 years 43 weeks ago
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NiceBrice:

Haha. Thanks I'll check that out. I could always use another subscription to a Chinese women's magazine.

10 years 43 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

actually we got a pretty decent steamer last year (for putting on a gas burner and then steam stuff) 

10 years 43 weeks ago
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10 years 43 weeks ago
 
Posts: 210

Governor

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As far as I understood from my wife, there are no roaming charges for data with china mobile.

On another note, why don't you get a GPS application where you can download the maps? I use that all the time when traveling other countries.

NiceBrice:

is there a GPS based one for iPhone? I'm still pretty new to the smartphone game.

10 years 43 weeks ago
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mikael84:

I am not familier with iPhone, but I assume there is. Try browsing the store or google for a while. Both my Android and windows phones has it, so I will be surprised if iPhone doesn't.

10 years 43 weeks ago
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Posts: 5732

Emperor

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outside jinan and in the same province, calls are .3 rmb, outside shandong, to beijing .5 rmb

local are .1 rmb.

never use the data or text.

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10 years 43 weeks ago
 
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