Comparison of SIM only plans - Part 2

[Beepbeep8]

Does not even have pay as you roam?

Nope. Just to receive incoming call and sms. If u pick up the call, you will be charge. What I do is to let it be a missed call and return the call using WhatApps data call.

 

[boonkang]

TLDR (too long don't read).

For Singtel, unless you explicitly allow data roaming in My Singtel app, you will not be allowed to roam at all.

DUH this is obviously in place because there have been many cases of people staying in woodlands etc accidentally roaming to malaysia networks and being charged exhorbitant pay per mb data roaming.

So yes unless you explicitly allow roaming in your telco's app AND phone setting, you will be automatically cut off.

Much effort to underline and bold so much text.

Although that might have been the practice donkey years ago, my current Singtel plan has roaming turned off by default, and so has every single MVNO I've encountered so far. Even my iPhone has roaming data off by default for as far back as I can remember. We live in the present, therefore only present practices matter.

Haiz,

Having a default settings in the telco app or phone -- doesn't mean that the setting cannot change. Haha...

Have you ever meet people -- whererby after an overseas trip, the person forget to disable the roaming setting in the telco app?

I have -- more than once.

And in many of such cases, the person would mostly likely forget to disable the roaming setting in BOTH the telco app & the phone.

Then what?

Yes,
We're back to square one (i.e. "the practice donkey years ago"). Haha..

***
If you need to go overseas & have roaming usage -- you HAVE to enable roaming in both the app & the phone.

This goes without saying, yes?

Having done the above (enable roaming in both the app & the phone), most big 3 telcos' plans will not block your roaming usage...

* Despite you may not have any roaming quota in your telco plan.
* Despite you not buying any specific roaming plan in advance.
+ Bill you later / next month for your roaming usage.

Yes?

If you forget to disable roaming settings after an overseas trip -- the next time your phone roam (whether accidentally or otherwise)...

Most big 3 telcos' plans -- will not block your (accidentally or otherwise) roaming usage...

* Despite you may not have any roaming quota in your telco plan.
* Despite you not buying any specific roaming plan in advance.
+ Bill you later / next month for your roaming usage.

Yes?

This is my point in the previous post.

Having a roaming setting in the telco app or phone does not invalidate the point in my previous post. Haha..

***
If you want to talk about trying to eliminate or prevent accidental/unwanted roaming charges -- this is a separate discussion...which may be possible if all telco plans adopt most MVNOs' style:

* No roaming usage allowed unless roaming quota is included in your telco plan.
* No roaming usage allowed unless you buy/pay roaming plan(s) in advance.
* Roaming usage is immediately cut off once the roaming plan is expired or the roaming quota is used up.
* You never need to be billed later / next month for your roaming uage.

The above style of (many/most) MVNOs' approach -- when it comes to roaming -- has been around for some time already.

This (many/most) MVNOs' approach to roaming usage -- can prevent roaming -- even if you forget to disable the roaming setting in the phone or telco app.

This (many/most) MVNOs' approach to roaming usage -- helps a lot to eliminate or prevent accidental/unwanted roaming charges.

Yet the big 3 telcos' style of billing you for roaming charges later / next month -- still exists.

***
There are telco like SIMBA -- which uses a hybrid approach to roaming usage:

As long as you enable roaming, SIMBA will not block your roaming usage in any supported country:

* Despite you may not have any roaming quota in your telco plan -- for that particular country.
* Despite you not buying any specific roaming plan in advance.

BUT SIMBA never need to bill you later / next month -- because your roaming charges are deducted from your SIMBA wallet -- on a pay-as-you-use (PAYU) basis.

Just like the big 3 telcos' style of billing you for roaming charges later / next month, SIMBA's hybrid approach does not fully (100%) eliminate unwanted/accidental roaming charges -- unless you have no money (i.e. $0) in your SIMBA wallet.

 

[zzxxzzxx]

For Singtel, unless you explicitly allow data roaming in My Singtel app, you will not be allowed to roam at all.

DUH this is obviously in place because there have been many cases of people staying in woodlands etc accidentally roaming to malaysia networks and being charged exhorbitant pay per mb data roaming.

So yes unless you explicitly allow roaming in your telco's app AND phone setting, you will be automatically cut off.

DATA Roaming and ROAMING (Voice/SMS & Data) are 2 parts one have to understand clearly.

Anyway the current users. All lump Roaming with DATA. As it's the basic thing they need.
Supposedly if the future Telco Plans only have bundled DATA without Talktime and SMS. Most won't really be bothered, if all services uses WhatsApp or Data Calls.

So ya. All 3 big Telco supports Roaming by Default with their Pay-As-You Roam (Voice/SMS/Data) option auto activated, unless you chose to opt out during sign-up or later in the App.

Sometimes when people switch Telco or phones, I have to explain to them To Have ROAMING Activated if the Telco supports.
So they can be contacted via Voice/SMS, or be able to use their OTP for banking services.

Then they keep saying, I don't want to incur Roaming Charges (for Data).
I have to explicitly tell them IF the Data Roaming option is (physically) off on their mobile phone settings, they will not have DATA Roaming, but still able to receive Voice/SMS.

But answering voice calls (for MOST TELCO) need to pay (at least for Simba, answering calls are free in their roaming partners)
And incoming SMS are all FREE.
So cancel incoming calls and use other method to contact the caller.
(That's another explanation I need to go thru)...... WhatsApp call on Wifi or your prepaid DATA roaming.... Etc etc etc....

A whole 10 years series of information (or lack of) from normal consumers.

 

[Ulupandan]

DATA Roaming and ROAMING (Voice/SMS & Data) are 2 parts one have to understand clearly.

Anyway the current users. All lump Roaming with DATA. As it's the basic thing they need.
Supposedly if the future Telco Plans only have bundled DATA without Talktime and SMS. Most won't really be bothered, if all services uses WhatsApp or Data Calls.

So ya. All 3 big Telco supports Roaming by Default with their Pay-As-You Roam (Voice/SMS/Data) option auto activated, unless you chose to opt out during sign-up or later in the App.

Sometimes when people switch Telco or phones, I have to explain to them To Have ROAMING Activated if the Telco supports.
So they can be contacted via Voice/SMS, or be able to use their OTP for banking services.

Then they keep saying, I don't want to incur Roaming Charges (for Data).
I have to explicitly tell them IF the Data Roaming option is (physically) off on their mobile phone settings, they will not have DATA Roaming, but still able to receive Voice/SMS.

But answering voice calls (for MOST TELCO) need to pay (at least for Simba, answering calls are free in their roaming partners)
And incoming SMS are all FREE.
So cancel incoming calls and use other method to contact the caller.
(That's another explanation I need to go thru)...... WhatsApp call on Wifi or your prepaid DATA roaming.... Etc etc etc....

A whole 10 years series of information (or lack of) from normal consumers.

(at least for Simba, answering calls are free in their roaming partners)

may i know how this works for SIMBA users? do you mean that if we are connected to anyone of SIMBA listed roaming partners when we are overseas , for any incoming call to our phone with SIMBA SIM card, SIMBA will not charge us or deduct the balances in our wallet? is this understanding correct? TIA

 

[hereiam7788]

Nope. Just to receive incoming call and sms. If u pick up the call, you will be charge. What I do is to let it be a missed call and return the call using WhatApps data call.

this is called pay as u roam what. u are providing with roaming service that u can receive and make calls while overseas or send and receive sms but all the usages will be charged.

 

[zzxxzzxx]

(at least for Simba, answering calls are free in their roaming partners)

may i know how this works for SIMBA users? do you mean that if we are connected to anyone of SIMBA listed roaming partners when we are overseas , for any incoming call to our phone with SIMBA SIM card, SIMBA will not charge us or deduct the balances in our wallet? is this understanding correct? TIA

Simba Roaming FAQ

IF your phone is able to call out and receive incoming calls without using SIMBA VOICE App. Then you can continue to do that within Up To the 57 countries that your plan, without incurring any charges.

(Only Singapore numbers. Mobile numbers unlimited in/out. Resident number outgoing limited by the free minutes.)

Else if your phone needs to use the SIMBA VOICE App, you will need to carry on using that..... Most newer Samsun/Apple already supports Simba 4G voice. And most Xiaomi can work (by enabling VoLTE)

 

[shortbirdlonghair]

Will zero1 4g be better than vivifi 4g? Feel that vivifi has gotten worse.

 

[crystalnox]

Will zero1 4g be better than vivifi 4g? Feel that vivifi has gotten worse.

Unlikely.

 

[Beepbeep8]

this is called pay as u roam what. u are providing with roaming service that u can receive and make calls while overseas or send and receive sms but all the usages will be charged.

Incoming sms will not be charge eg bank OTP if u need to do banking transactions overseas. If u notice the moment u cross MY custom, there are many scam SMSes and so far I not been charged for those SMSes.

For incoming call, just let it ring without answering will not be charge as well.

 

[hereiam7788]

Incoming sms will not be charge as eg bank OTP if u need to do banking transactions overseas.

For incoming call, just let it ring without answering will not be charge as well.

Incoming sms is always free even roaming.

this pay as you roam service has always been around before MVNOs are even out.

 

[Beepbeep8]

Incoming sms is always free even roaming.

this pay as you roam service has always been around before MVNOs are even out.

Conclusion, currently for my Zero1 (ex jumbo plan) and MyRepublic,
(1) Can I receive sms and incoming call without subscribing roaming service overseas?
Answer: Yes
(2) Will I be charge when I receive sms overseas?
Answer: No
(3) Will I be charge when I receive incoming call overseas and I do not pick up?
Answer: No
(4) Will I be charge when I pick up incoming call when I'm overseas?
Answer: Yes

 

[crystalnox]

Conclusion, currently for my Zero1 and MyRepublic,
(1) Can I receive sms and incoming call without subscribing roaming service overseas?
Answer: Yes
(2) Will I be charge when I receive sms overseas?
Answer: No
(3) Will I be charge when I receive incoming call overseas and I do not pick up?
Answer: No
(4) Will I be charge when I pick up incoming call when I'm overseas?
Answer: Yes

Add vivifi to the supported list too,
https://help.vivifi.me/hc/en-us/articles/360027379213-Guide-to-Voice-Call-when-you-roam
https://support.zero1.sg/kb/a215/what-are-the-roaming-voice-and-sms-rates.aspx
https://support.myrepublic.com.sg/h...le-Roaming-IDD-and-International-SMS-Services
https://www.circles.life/sg/rates-roaming-others/

Not available for giga, GOMO and Changi mobile so avoid those if you need to make calls overseas. They only support incoming sms and data roaming.

 

[Beepbeep8]

Add vivifi to the supported list too,
https://help.vivifi.me/hc/en-us/articles/360027379213-Guide-to-Voice-Call-when-you-roam
https://support.zero1.sg/kb/a215/what-are-the-roaming-voice-and-sms-rates.aspx
https://support.myrepublic.com.sg/h...le-Roaming-IDD-and-International-SMS-Services
https://www.circles.life/sg/rates-roaming-others/

Not available for giga, GOMO and Changi mobile so avoid those if you need to make calls overseas. They only support incoming sms and data roaming.

Agreed, esp those who need sms OTP from bank while overseas, choose the provider wisely

 

[keenklee]

DATA Roaming and ROAMING (Voice/SMS & Data) are 2 parts one have to understand clearly.

Anyway the current users. All lump Roaming with DATA. As it's the basic thing they need.
Supposedly if the future Telco Plans only have bundled DATA without Talktime and SMS. Most won't really be bothered, if all services uses WhatsApp or Data Calls.

So ya. All 3 big Telco supports Roaming by Default with their Pay-As-You Roam (Voice/SMS/Data) option auto activated, unless you chose to opt out during sign-up or later in the App.

Sometimes when people switch Telco or phones, I have to explain to them To Have ROAMING Activated if the Telco supports.
So they can be contacted via Voice/SMS, or be able to use their OTP for banking services.

Then they keep saying, I don't want to incur Roaming Charges (for Data).
I have to explicitly tell them IF the Data Roaming option is (physically) off on their mobile phone settings, they will not have DATA Roaming, but still able to receive Voice/SMS.

But answering voice calls (for MOST TELCO) need to pay (at least for Simba, answering calls are free in their roaming partners)
And incoming SMS are all FREE.
So cancel incoming calls and use other method to contact the caller.
(That's another explanation I need to go thru)...... WhatsApp call on Wifi or your prepaid DATA roaming.... Etc etc etc....

A whole 10 years series of information (or lack of) from normal consumers.

IMHO.
Thank you for this post. I went to "update" myself on how the Pay-As-U-Roam ( Singtel ) works.
Here is my understanding.

By default, Pay-As-U-Roam is "a pre-requisite add-ons to enable overseas mobile network connectivity" and voice/sms/data are enabled and if no plans are subscribed, they charged a significantly higher price.

To disable data roaming, can either use

My Singtel app > Roaming > Manage Roaming Add-Ons > Settings > Off to disable
or
*101# > Reply 2 to disable

I did not manage to follow using the MySingtel app but the *101# is more straight forward. Anyone has any luck with the MySingtel App option?

When I travel overseas, I will need voice for urgent matters and SMS for OTP.
I am planning a mini project trying to figure out how to redirect voice via VoIP and SMS. Then I can probably permanently not use Pay-As-U-Roam !

In additional, "off the data" in the mobile could be useless last time because besides 3G, there is GPRS which I think also part of data. As we moved to 4G, while the setting might work, not sure if diable data will affect VoLTE voice and also SMS. Perhaps all the telco will be like TPG because of limitations, to have a lot roaming partners with some free data, voice and SMS.

Here is the link for more information on Singtel.
https://www.singtel.com/content/dam...s-services/mobile/roaming/pdf/RoamingTnCs.pdf

 

[crystalnox]

Agreed, esp those who need sms OTP from bank while overseas, choose the provider wisely

Wait a sec, incoming sms overseas is supported on all plans right? I'm quite sure I still received otp smses while overseas on giga.

The exception is if you cheap out and subscribe to a budget provider like heya which has zero roaming.

 

[crystalnox]

DATA Roaming and ROAMING (Voice/SMS & Data) are 2 parts one have to understand clearly.

Anyway the current users. All lump Roaming with DATA. As it's the basic thing they need.
Supposedly if the future Telco Plans only have bundled DATA without Talktime and SMS. Most won't really be bothered, if all services uses WhatsApp or Data Calls.

So ya. All 3 big Telco supports Roaming by Default with their Pay-As-You Roam (Voice/SMS/Data) option auto activated, unless you chose to opt out during sign-up or later in the App.

Sometimes when people switch Telco or phones, I have to explain to them To Have ROAMING Activated if the Telco supports.
So they can be contacted via Voice/SMS, or be able to use their OTP for banking services.

Then they keep saying, I don't want to incur Roaming Charges (for Data).
I have to explicitly tell them IF the Data Roaming option is (physically) off on their mobile phone settings, they will not have DATA Roaming, but still able to receive Voice/SMS.

But answering voice calls (for MOST TELCO) need to pay (at least for Simba, answering calls are free in their roaming partners)
And incoming SMS are all FREE.
So cancel incoming calls and use other method to contact the caller.
(That's another explanation I need to go thru)...... WhatsApp call on Wifi or your prepaid DATA roaming.... Etc etc etc....

A whole 10 years series of information (or lack of) from normal consumers.

This is why GOMO and giga are a godsend for the elderly, young and/or uninformed. No matter what they cluelessly toggle on their phone, they won't be charged more than what their plan costs upfront.

Incoming calls overseas and they try to answer? Denied.
Trying to make a call back to sg while overseas? Denied.
Accidentally replied to a OTP sms overseas? Denied.
Trying to use roaming data without having subscribed to a plan before hand? Denied.

 

[keenklee]

Wait a sec, incoming sms overseas is supported on all plans right? I'm quite sure I still received otp smses while overseas on giga.

The exception is if you cheap out and subscribe to a budget provider like heya which has zero roaming.

IMHO.
The significant CON for Heya.SG.

 

[SibehHL]

Conclusion, currently for MyRepublic,

(4) Will I be charge when I pick up incoming call when I'm overseas?
Answer: Yes

Just to add, for those interested can read up on using MyR Talk App;

https://myrepublic.net/sg/mobile/roaming/talk/
"What do calls cost using MyRepublic Talk?

Incoming Calls
Deducted from talktime included with MyRepublic Mobile plans. If no minutes remaining, cost is 5¢ per minute."

 

[shortbirdlonghair]

This is why GOMO and giga are a godsend for the elderly, young and/or uninformed. No matter what they cluelessly toggle on their phone, they won't be charged more than what their plan costs upfront.

Incoming calls overseas and they try to answer? Denied.
Trying to make a call back to sg while overseas? Denied.
Accidentally replied to a OTP sms overseas? Denied.
Trying to use roaming data without having subscribed to a plan before hand? Denied.

Can gomo and giga receive sms otp when overseas?

Besides these 2, which others fulfil all the above?

 

[keemmeng]

Would like to ask for opinions if u have to choose between Zero1 Starter (6GB premium to unlimited usable data)@$7/mth and SIMBA 100GB @ $10/mth, which is a better option?


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