I will in Co Kerry, Ireland for about 2 weeks from next week.
There is no access to a landline and I wil need to get online on a
dialup 1890 ISP number via GSM cellular for 3-5 hours a day.

In the past I have been roaming with my pay monthly contract UK O2 SIM
- initially this seemed surprisingly inexpensive, eg:

07 February 2003 16:08:15 1890927171 IRL 01:02:45 2.27
01 May 2003 00:58:46 1890927171 IRL 01:42:25 0.79
26 April 2003 21:17:33 1890927171 IRL 00:55:35 0.42

but now, the rate seems to have gone up

24 May 2003 21:03:28 3531890927171 IRL 00:35:02 15.00
24 May 2003 21:48:28 3531890927171 IRL 00:37:05 15.85

I queried the big different with O2 UK but all they said was the
correct rate is now 50p per minute. I thought it might be which
network I was roaming with that caused the difference, but they said
this was not the case and that the rate was the same whatever Irish
network I was roaming on. If anyone knows any different please let me
know!

In any case, I believe it may now be less expensive if I picked up a
Irish SIM and used this instead?

So my question is, which prepaid SIM should I go for, bearing in mind:

1. Coverage in Co Kerry (near Castlegregory)
2. Needs to support GSM Data
3. Easy Top-Up (voucher?)

I believe there are three possibilities, Vodafone, Meteor and O2.

Thanks for any help you can give!

Chris

Chris Tay <chris@tay.org> writes
>I will in Co Kerry, Ireland for about 2 weeks from next week.
>There is no access to a landline and I wil need to get online on a
>dialup 1890 ISP number via GSM cellular for 3-5 hours a day.
>
[...]
>In any case, I believe it may now be less expensive if I picked up a
>Irish SIM and used this instead?
>
>So my question is, which prepaid SIM should I go for, bearing in mind:
>
>1. Coverage in Co Kerry (near Castlegregory)
>2. Needs to support GSM Data
>3. Easy Top-Up (voucher?)

1. TBH, you are best placed to check to see if coverage is acceptable
when you get to Castlegregory. Do a manual network search with your
phone and log onto each network in turn; O2-IRL (may be shown as
Digifone), Vodafone IRL (may be shown as Eircell) and Meteor. Then see
what the signal level is like.

2. All three networks support it. I know for definite that Meteor PAYG
does, never used the other two.

3. All three have easy top-up.

Cost of 1890 calls;
Meteor AnyTime/LeisureTime; 15c/min at all times.
Vodafone Ready to Go; 50c/min peak, 15c/min off-peak - with a 3c min
call charge.
O2 Speakeasy NightOwl/EarlyBird; 30c/min peak, 23c/min off-peak.

So in terms of costs, Meteor wins hands down - but being the newest
network, coverage may be an issue. Otherwise, if you can restrict
yourself to off-peak usage, then go for Vodafone - being the oldest
network, coverage should be better.

--
Dave

Dave <news.reply.0703@dv-8.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<ZURXxqTv7WB$EwOi@dv-8.demon.co.uk>...
> Chris Tay <chris@tay.org> writes
> >I will in Co Kerry, Ireland for about 2 weeks from next week.
> >There is no access to a landline and I wil need to get online on a
> >dialup 1890 ISP number via GSM cellular for 3-5 hours a day.
> >
> [...]
> >In any case, I believe it may now be less expensive if I picked up a
> >Irish SIM and used this instead?
> >
> >So my question is, which prepaid SIM should I go for, bearing in mind:
> >
> >1. Coverage in Co Kerry (near Castlegregory)
> >2. Needs to support GSM Data
> >3. Easy Top-Up (voucher?)
>
> 1. TBH, you are best placed to check to see if coverage is acceptable
> when you get to Castlegregory. Do a manual network search with your
> phone and log onto each network in turn; O2-IRL (may be shown as
> Digifone), Vodafone IRL (may be shown as Eircell) and Meteor. Then see
> what the signal level is like.
>
> 2. All three networks support it. I know for definite that Meteor PAYG
> does, never used the other two.
>
> 3. All three have easy top-up.
>
> Cost of 1890 calls;
> Meteor AnyTime/LeisureTime; 15c/min at all times.
> Vodafone Ready to Go; 50c/min peak, 15c/min off-peak - with a 3c min
> call charge.
> O2 Speakeasy NightOwl/EarlyBird; 30c/min peak, 23c/min off-peak.
>
> So in terms of costs, Meteor wins hands down - but being the newest
> network, coverage may be an issue. Otherwise, if you can restrict
> yourself to off-peak usage, then go for Vodafone - being the oldest
> network, coverage should be better.

Thanks Dave. I will see if the people who are renting out the bungalow
to us have any idea about the network coverage.

I have been thinking of another idea, I have a handset that support
GPRS (Ericsson T39m)

I looked at Vodafone IE and they support GPRS on PAYG at 2c/kB.

I can't find the info on GPRS for 02 - they seem to support it on
their pay monthly but not sure if they support it on their PAYG.

Meteor do not seem to support GPRS at all (no mention of it on their
web site).

Anyone has experience with GPRS usage in Ireland?

How difficult would it be for me to set GPRS up? Are there any
tutorials or info links about? Can Vodafone send me a "message" to set
things up?

I am used to dialing to a local IE ISP (1890 no) using normal GSM via
bluetooth to my laptop (which works great).

How would costs compare between GPRS and GSM? I spend most of the time
online receiving and sending email, and once a day download and
uploading files (via FTP)c. 10Mb down, 10Mb up. I would also use it
for VPN and Remote Desktop Access (Terminal Services) for about 3
hours a day.

What about HSCD - Vodafone website mentions this but there isn't much
info on it. I have a Nokia 6210 which supports HSCD. Would this be
another option?

TIA.

Chris

Chris Tay <chris@tay.org> writes

>I can't find the info on GPRS for 02 - they seem to support it on
>their pay monthly but not sure if they support it on their PAYG.

They do, it costs 3c/Kb on Speakeasy.

>Meteor do not seem to support GPRS at all (no mention of it on their
>web site).

No. And they appear to have no idea if/when they are going to do it.

>How would costs compare between GPRS and GSM? I spend most of the time
>online receiving and sending email, and once a day download and
>uploading files (via FTP)c. 10Mb down, 10Mb up. I would also use it
>for VPN and Remote Desktop Access (Terminal Services) for about 3
>hours a day.

Well, GPRS at 2c/kb on Vodafone Ready to Go would cost you eur40.96 in
total for your 10Mb up & 10Mb down. The same would cost eur61.44 on O2
Speakeasy.

3 hours dialup to 1890 on Meteor at 15c/min would cost you eur27.00

>What about HSCD - Vodafone website mentions this but there isn't much
>info on it. I have a Nokia 6210 which supports HSCD. Would this be
>another option?

I found some info in the Business section of their website;
http://www.vodafone.ie/workonthemove...scsd/index.jsp

"A normal voice call is allocated 1 slot, where a HSD call can achieve
as many a 4. Despite this there is no extra charge for HSD, all calls
are charged at the rate of one slot. The cost of calls is based on
Vodafone's current voice tariffs."

This would give you a theoretical best connection of 43.2k one way and
14.4k the other. But being as it's in the business section, I couldn't
say if this applies to PAYG.

AFAIAA, Meteor don't support HSCSD - a 14.4k connection is the best you
can expect.

--
Dave

Dave <news.reply.0703@dv-8.demon.co.uk> wrote in message

> Well, GPRS at 2c/kb on Vodafone Ready to Go would cost you eur40.96 in
> total for your 10Mb up & 10Mb down. The same would cost eur61.44 on O2
> Speakeasy.
>
> 3 hours dialup to 1890 on Meteor at 15c/min would cost you eur27.00

Looks like the better idea (less expensive way to do it) would be to
stay on GSM and perhaps remote in to my terminal back home (which is
on ADSL) to do the file transfers.

> >What about HSCD - Vodafone website mentions this but there isn't much
> >info on it. I have a Nokia 6210 which supports HSCD. Would this be
> >another option?
>
> I found some info in the Business section of their website;
> http://www.vodafone.ie/workonthemove...scsd/index.jsp
>
> "A normal voice call is allocated 1 slot, where a HSD call can achieve
> as many a 4. Despite this there is no extra charge for HSD, all calls
> are charged at the rate of one slot. The cost of calls is based on
> Vodafone's current voice tariffs."
>
> This would give you a theoretical best connection of 43.2k one way and
> 14.4k the other. But being as it's in the business section, I couldn't
> say if this applies to PAYG.
>
> AFAIAA, Meteor don't support HSCSD - a 14.4k connection is the best you
> can expect.

I thought the best you could do on GSM was 9.6k? I have never been
able to get 14.4k.

The vodafone site also states:
"Your Vodafone sim card needs to be enabled for HSD on the Vodafone
network. This can be done by popping into your local Vodafone store
or simply calling 1907."

I will probably give it a try when I am over. I will be in Limerick a
few days first before moving on to Co Kerry, and I see there is a
Vodafone shop in Limerick (as well as a Meteor store). I may get both
SIMs and see how it goes.

Thanks again for your help.

Chris

Dave <news.reply.0703@dv-8.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<KgoTswfKuxB$Ewe8@dv-8.demon.co.uk>...

> >How would costs compare between GPRS and GSM? I spend most of the time
> >online receiving and sending email, and once a day download and
> >uploading files (via FTP)c. 10Mb down, 10Mb up. I would also use it
> >for VPN and Remote Desktop Access (Terminal Services) for about 3
> >hours a day.
>
> Well, GPRS at 2c/kb on Vodafone Ready to Go would cost you eur40.96 in
> total for your 10Mb up & 10Mb down. The same would cost eur61.44 on O2
> Speakeasy.
>
> 3 hours dialup to 1890 on Meteor at 15c/min would cost you eur27.00

One further question - Re Remote Desktop Access (Terminal Services) -
I will be using this to do invoicing (entering customer data into an
accounts program) -

Any idea which would be less expensive in this case? GSM or GPRS? I am
not sure how much data is transferred on a remote desktop access
connection - but I would imagine it would be minimal? and therefore
GPRS is the less expensive option?

Anyone with experience of this?

Chris