80
votes
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I suspect my cellular carrier may be breaking the EU free roaming directive. What can I do about it?
No, your carrier is not breaking the policy : https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/internet-telecoms/mobile-roaming-costs/index_en.htm
Here are the relevant parts :
The limit is calculated ...
- 646
78
votes
Accepted
How can AT&T charge me to use WiFi while I'm abroad?
AT&T can't charge you to use WiFi. From the page you linked to, that's talking about a service where you connect to WiFi somewhere (like an airport) that you might normally have to pay for, and ...
- 37.6k
76
votes
Accepted
How to call a number from another country while I'm in another country myself?
Or can I just dial +92... as usual?
Yes. Although it is the + prefix that's the "magic" here. It is short hand for the outbound international dialling code for whatever country you are dialling from. ...
- 1,296
61
votes
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How do I call a 6-digit Australian phone number with a US-based mobile phone?
Where are you getting the "1100" code from? That might be your problem.
USA, Canada, and other countries in country code "1" use "011" as the international dialing ...
- 1,744
60
votes
Accepted
Does the European number for emergencies (112) really work in Germany?
Difficult to say. The 112 emergency dispatcher should be able to connect you with the police, even if you also can call the police directly on the number 110. Perhaps the operator did not consider a ...
- 53.6k
47
votes
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Did the UK lift the requirement for registering SIM cards?
No (because there was no such requirement in the first place). You have never been required to register SIM cards in the UK. There is a trend towards this measure in other European countries, but ...
- 14.7k
47
votes
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TSA asking to see cell phone
When you are randomly selected for additional screening (which is a core part of TSA PreCheck as well as TSA procedures in general), the additional screening applies to you and all of your possessions....
- 118k
46
votes
Accepted
Risk of not turning Airplane Mode on, on a mobile device while in the air?
From my experience, you shouldn't worry too much and most likely your partner was not the only one on board who didn't put their phone into Airplane Mode.
The question "what could have happened?" Not ...
- 1,147
43
votes
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Is there a way to keep my SIM card but use my phone in Japan besides international roaming?
There's a fourth option: get a phone that supports two SIM cards. This is increasingly common, especially with the advent of downloadable e-SIMs that don't require a physical SIM card slot. It's ...
- 98.7k
40
votes
Risk of not turning Airplane Mode on, on a mobile device while in the air?
Tests have shown that the average commercial flight has around 40 cell phones still active. Obviously, there is no impact (aside from your battery being badly drained).
Most experts agree that there ...
- 28.5k
39
votes
Does the European number for emergencies (112) really work in Germany?
Yes, 112 works quite well in Germany, but there are differences to other countries.
There are two main emergency numbers in Germany.
The Police (Polizei)
To call the police, dial 110. It's usually ...
- 4,785
32
votes
Accepted
Can I use a personal satellite phone/Internet connection as a passenger in a plane?
Technical Aspects
The key part of the quote about pilots leaving the sat phone on the dash is the 'dash' part. The dash is under a glass surface, which is almost completely transparent to RF signals ...
- 13.2k
31
votes
Why does my phone enable camera shutter sounds whenever I insert an Indian SIM?
This happens with Korean SIM cards too, so I suspect this is a similar case: in Korea there have been too many upskirt photos scandals, and the government imposed a shutter sound when photos are taken,...
- 1,259
31
votes
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What is the standard UK SIM card size?
Most likely it will be a SIM that can be a range of sizes (depending on how it is popped out).
I would be surprised if you couldn't find one that fit at least a micro SIM slot.
For example EE (https:...
- 4,494
29
votes
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Why are satellite phones strictly banned in India?
The use of satellite phones violates the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the The Indian Wireless Telegraph Act, 1933, the Indian Penal Code, and the Foreigners Order of 1948. The Government of India ...
- 1,750
29
votes
Accepted
How to 'save' my U.S. mobile phone number over a year of inactivity (out of US)
Create a Google Voice account and get a number from them. Then use the option within Google Voice to port existing number to your Google Voice account. I believe there is a small (maybe $10-$20) ...
- 9,441
28
votes
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Texting someone who is out of the country?
If you send a text or make a call to a US number, you'll pay whatever you normally pay to send a text or make a call to a US number. It does not matter whether the phone associated with that number is ...
- 85.7k
27
votes
How to call a number from another country while I'm in another country myself?
You can just dial as usual, just like you would to call him at home, and the call will go through. But you'll be charged for an international call, however your cell phone plan handles international ...
- 85.7k
27
votes
How to ensure two-factor availability when traveling?
You are right to be worried: text message (SMS) delivery is best effort only. When traveling internationally, they are all too frequently delivered late or never, and there is really no way around ...
- 98.7k
26
votes
How do I call a 6-digit Australian phone number with a US-based mobile phone?
To dial a number in another country, you first dial the international access code for your country, then the code for the country you're calling, then the actual phone number, usually omitting the ...
- 2,253
26
votes
How do I call a 6-digit Australian phone number with a US-based mobile phone?
13xxxx is a "magic" number.
For instance, calling 131 888 will ring the nearest Domino's Pizza (to your location in Australia). Your number will presumably reach the nearest Kia dealer.
From ...
25
votes
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Is there a possibility to preserve an unused Indian mobile number for a period of time?
You can use the number indefinitely for a few $/€/£ every year. Just create an online account on the network provider's website and top-up ccassionally.
I have Jio and I top up online with ₹1699 ...
- 2,240
23
votes
Accepted
Temporary SIM card while visiting US
Cell provider employee here... I'm not gonna recommend our services, so I guess that makes this not a disclaimer? Also, edited as a result of noticing your link to your phone radios...
Your best bet ...
- 526
23
votes
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Using a European (GSM) cell phone in the US
Many years ago, it was highly unlikely that a European cell / mobile phone would work in the US.
More recently, but still quite long ago, your phone might work if it supported the US bands.
In ...
- 6,461
22
votes
Does the European number for emergencies (112) really work in Germany?
Speaking as a (retired) mobile network planner, "dialling" 112 on a mobile with or without a SIM should not actually "dial". It invokes the emergency communications service (which is independent of ...
- 321
21
votes
Accepted
Why does my phone enable camera shutter sounds whenever I insert an Indian SIM?
I can't find any evidence of any law in India that mandates a camera shutter sound. Indeed in this bug fix for the Oneplus 5, the shutter sound in silent mode in India was fixed:
https://forums....
- 28.4k
20
votes
Accepted
How can I find the cheapest prepaid SIM card for a given country or multiple countries at a time?
Your best bet is to check the massively useful website called "Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki". They have an article on pretty much every country in the world and it's kept relatively up to date ...
- 82.2k
19
votes
Is there such a thing as a European SIM card?
A lot has changed on the European cell phone market since this question was asked 2.5 years ago and the other answers are pretty much all outdated.
Since June 15th 2017, EU roaming regulations ...
- 53.6k
19
votes
Getting a SIM for a foreign phone in the US
The two keywords you're after are "pay-as-you-go" and "bring your own device".
The clerks at any retail shop of any cellular carrier will be well-acquainted with both terms. Yours ...
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