mobile phone data subscription..

[evershine]

Hi, anyone knows how 3G/3.5G data plan works?  I looked through singtel mobile website i still cannot figure out which is for which.

Basically i am looking for a voice plan and one that can make use of 3G/3.5G occasionally to access email/internet.

Does any of the phone device can generate an alarm/message or prompt you when you exceed the limit of the data usage?

Thanks

[hwchoy]

if you want to do that, then sign for the iSomething Value plan at $56 per month. get the 16GB iPhone and sell it for SGD1,200. see www.mobilesquare.com.sg then use the plan with your own phone. I think the cap is 1GB download.

the Starhub plan is $36 for the datapack value plan which is $10 per month with "free" $30 of data but the whole package cap at $36 unlimited download.

[Michael]

if you dont mind switching SIM cards once in a while, just sign up to broadband on mobile it is like only ten bucks a month and you got speeds from 1mbps to 3mbps with a max 50gb download cap a month. so you can surf internet and check mail on your mobile phone   

[hwchoy]

you are more likely to lose the damn sim 

[evershine]

Sorry i should have mentioned i am going for Singtel mobile plan.

Thank u.. i c now... so must switch SIM cards !!  can't the phone have 2 slots 1 for data and 1 for voice or 2 in 1 !  looks like choice is quite limited. 

Won't go for what hwchoy suggested... $56 a month plus voice would be about $70+. 

I guess i will settle for just wifi..

[Michael]

well that Broadband on Mobile sim card can be put into this USB dongle, which you can plug into your computer and surf the net wirelessly from anywhere.

so that's a bonus too

[Kwanon]

i'm using plain 3.5G GPRS..1 hour of ebuddy $1, checking email 10 cents/time.

[hwchoy]

Sorry i should have mentioned i am going for Singtel mobile plan.

Thank u.. i c now... so must switch SIM cards !!  can't the phone have 2 slots 1 for data and 1 for voice or 2 in 1 !  looks like choice is quite limited. 

Won't go for what hwchoy suggested... $56 a month plus voice would be about $70+. 

I guess i will settle for just wifi..

singtel $56 plan is voice + data.

[hwchoy]

i'm using plain 3.5G GPRS..1 hour of ebuddy $1, checking email 10 cents/time.

GPRS is not 3.5G, its the data extension of good old GSM or somethings called 2.5G, both GPRS and EDGE. 3.5G refers to things like HSPA (HSUPA/HSDPA).

[evershine]

Ordered nokia e71, corporate discount for mobile 3/3.5G data (1 Mbps) $8 (normal $22) for 50G per month usage. Voice - classic plan with discount. Total approx $35+. 

Almost wanted to order Samsung Omnia but my experience with win mobile turns me off and higher power consumption with bigger screen n etc...

So settle with lower quality music output and lower quality screen display for better keyboard e71 (suit my small hand n prefer qwerty ) and longer talk time.

thanks for the notes..n suggestion... clear up my understanding abt data/voice on mobile thingy when i talk to the singtel.

[hwchoy]

actually I was surprised how nice and slim the e71 is. I had two that I sold to finance the iphone and N96. would have kept it otherwise.

[evershine]

hwchoy, great good to hear that... i was deciding between e66 and e71.  then this morning i look thru the newspaper and saw it was relatively cheaper and felt under utilize the subsidy we get for corporate purchase. I tried to IM you just 1 hr before buying but i guess my IM got problem or you were busy.  The iphone is way too expensive...

[hwchoy]

I saw, was away from my desk 

[victor]

I paid $68 for my HTC diamond, Batt life is 2.5 days of average usage. Have a full Opera browser that can view Java pages and even do internet banking.

[evershine]

i was considering htc diamond too... the offer present to us - $138 for htc and $198 for Omnia. $0 for e71. Any plan.

i am going to try out the mobile vpn on e71 to ipsec tunnel into my office. Also need to find out any telnet or ssh application i can install on e71 so i can do simple troubleshooting if required. 

i think we can actually bridge or use the mobile phone 3G as a "modem" or bridge the notebook and to the 3G phone so we can surf without having to use the dongle?

I paid $68 for my HTC diamond, Batt life is 2.5 days of average usage. Have a full Opera browser that can view Java pages and even do internet banking.