Travelling Overseas for Three Months - What Options for Mobile Plan?

danield on 29/12/2021 - 15:51
Last edited 30/12/2021 - 10:09 by 1 other user

So looking for some advice and what options exist as I have zero experience with mobile plans, as for the last 15 years I've just had a work phone for both business and personal. After finishing my employment earlier in the month and needing to keep my number I jumped on the Coles 365 day Double data plan deal posted on OzB. The issue now is that we are planning to go overseas for three months and the plan doesn't have any Global roaming options.

So as far as I see it my options are:

1) Leave it as is and pick up a SIM card overseas.
Issue- this effectively make my phone number un-contactable, so I'm screwed if I need to get onto a service like the bank that requires SMS verification, Does WhatsApp still receive messages in the scenario?

2) Get a new cheap pre-paid that I can port my number to.
Issue - If if Port my number, do I kill the current Coles deal and lose all my data, or can I port it back to this SIM once returning to Australia

3) Leave my SIM in an old phone in AUS, and get a new SIM and forward the number.
Issue - I won't be receiving the SMS on the phone overseas.

If anyone can help with what would be the best way to deal with this.

Edit: So my current SIM has the following remaining - so while switching to ALDI $15 would be a no brainer, I'm concerned about forfeiting a lot of data that I already paid for.
334 Days remaining -> 108.6GB Data

Also, I am absolutely not interested in making phone calls, its only to make sure I am contactable from home and not being locked out of banks or crypto exchanges requiring some kind of SMS identification. So my main question at the moment is, can I port out and then back into the Coles SIM (sounds doubtful)

Mobile

Comments

  • Benoffie on 29/12/2021 - 16:21
    +1

    Grab a cheap SIM when overseas - global roaming is stupid that long term.

    Either tell people your new number or have someone check it here?

  • jizmo on 29/12/2021 - 16:21
    -1

    Aldi $15 yearly top up again following year you don't lose the $15 I've never had problems with SMS or caller ID when roaming.
    Sign up with powervoip use the app $10 USD topup to start account. Calls back to Australia 4 cent connection fee and .007 per minute.
    1/2 hour call will cost about 30cents USD

    • danield on 29/12/2021 - 18:28

      So are you suggesting that I just forfeit the remainder of my current plan?

      • jizmo on 29/12/2021 - 18:56

        Not with that much value on the plan but then if you get stuck over there you might just.
        Aldi sim are $5 don't know how long that's good for before you need to add $10 more.
        Change MyGov and bank details temporally to aldi new number. Revert when you get back and make sure you activate roaming before you leave. Some banks need to know as well like ING

  • thatonethere on 29/12/2021 - 18:29

    If you have a reasonable modern phone look at getting an esim. They live side by side your physical SIM card as they are virtual. I did this in Europe and it was handy for the family.

    One gotcha for no global roaming on your current number is if your bank wants to contact you by voice or do sms confirmation of purchases
    . Then you won’t receive them.as you have realised. The bank isn’t likely to contact your throwaway international number.

    • danield on 29/12/2021 - 18:47

      Thanks, Ill have a close look at eSIM.

      Yes the bank and funds access is my greatest concern, I also funds in crypto, that may be needed for funds etc.. I honestly cannot be sure who or when an SMS authentication might be required but I know it could turn into a real nightmare trying to sort things out on the go.

  • danield on 29/12/2021 - 18:43

    So just a thought - Is it possible to port my existing plan (334 Days remaining -> 108.6GB Data) to a new number and then port my main number to a new one like Aldi?

    • Webber000 on 30/12/2021 - 12:11

      No. Woolworths mobile staff are known to try hard to help so potentially may have tried cancelling and refunding you or something - but I've never heard coles doing anything and they certainly wouldn't be required to. If you port out you loose everything and you won't get it back if you join again later.

  • Islund on 29/12/2021 - 18:55

    Some banks (ING I use) offer whatsapp or skype verification.

    Best to pick up a portable wife dongle or hub in your destination country and use that for your whatapp/skype.

    • quick-dry on 29/12/2021 - 19:46
      +2

      I think one problem with planning to pick up a portable wife at the destination is if OP already has a non-portable wife at home, or is already bringing a portable one with them - that sort of duplication seems like a lot of expense. Also, OP is concerned about telecommunications issues, and I've heard there can be some serious technical difficulties encountered if the two versions interact somehow. It sounds good in theory, but in practice…

      • danield on 29/12/2021 - 22:53

        Yeah, spot on. I'll be taking my own portable wife… and not compatible with any that can be picked up at the destination.

  • Gratt on 29/12/2021 - 19:07
    +1

    Google message app may be your friend. It should allow you to leave a phone in Australia with your Sim on it and provided it remains connected to the internet it will allow you to send and receive messages from anywhere in the world.

    https://support.google.com/messages/answer/7611075?hl=en

    • danield on 29/12/2021 - 19:20

      Great, this is looking very promising. Leave the current SIM in the old mobile at home in Aus and be able to pickup any SMS. Maybe a ALDI one that I can forward the calls to with Global Roaming before leaving, and a local SIM in the dual slot when there.

  • quick-dry on 29/12/2021 - 19:39

    I'd suggest switching all the 2FA codes you can from being SMS to using an Authenticator style code - I use "Authy". It's easy, syncs between all my devices and cuts down on the number of times I have to get SMS codes.

    Do you actually need "global roaming" on the SIM? as in, do you have to reply to the SMS codes via SMS, or are they just sending you the code? IME it is all one way traffic - they send code to you, you enter it in the app/website/etc. Most SIMS don't even need to have an active plan to receive SMS, you just can't send.

    I'm going o/s for 3 months soon too (unless another variant locks the world up again), my plan is to convert my regular SIM to eSIM, and then use a physical local SIM for the country I'm in.

  • poohduck on 29/12/2021 - 20:59

    I'm guessing you're not doing a lot of countries; it would be much easier and simpler if you acknowledged where you will be. There are bound to be elegant solutions for that country. Not all countries are the same.

    • danield on 29/12/2021 - 23:05

      The country is Japan, however its not really relevant as getting a number and SIM over there is not a problem, I'm concerned with my local number and current plan and how that is affected.
      Usually having global roaming means we don't have to rely on getting a local SIM activated, as often we just need to locate each others location in a shopping centre or something, so a simple txt or whatsapp message is often sufficient. Most of our time will be spent at home with well covered wi-fi.

      • poohduck on 30/12/2021 - 11:42

        If you're travelling, I think you'll be using your phone and mobile internet quite a bit. I'm not one of those people tied to a phone every second; I keep mine in my pack. I found that I just needed to look up for accommodation, transport, atm locations - lots of things. Although that was 3rd world travelling. Is your phone dual sim? That would be awesome.

      • Webber000 on 30/12/2021 - 12:15

        https://willmyphonework.net/
        Japan and USA use different frequencies to the rest of the world so people sometimes find their phone won't work because it doesn't have the chips inside to get the signal in those countries. You will need to know the REGION VARIANT (gsmarena.com can help) because an iPhone 12 sold in oz has different chips inside to an iPhone 12 sold in Japan etc.

  • Iangh on 30/12/2021 - 10:43
    +1

    Get a Australian DID from a voip provider. I use Siptalk and Maxotel, another option is Crazytel as they are also mentioned favourably on Whirlpool. Check them out on WP. Enable DID on phone, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grandstrea…. Set your phone to permanently forward calls to your Australian DID. Wherever you have internet it will go live and ring. If no internet it will take a voicemail and email it you. Don't know whether any of them can receive SMS.

    • danield on 01/01/2022 - 18:57

      Trying to understand this DID concept a bit more, research time is limited, so appreciate if you can elaborate a bit more.
      From what I can tell, I would get a new mobile DID for about $8 per month.
      I would then forward my current number to the new DID, and then while overseas, I leave my phone connected in Aus, thus picking up the Calls\SMS forwarded to the DID. Is this about right?

      I have an old phone that I can leave plugged in no issues, so might look deeper into this tonight.

      • Iangh on 01/01/2022 - 21:09
        +1

        It's not a mobile number but a landline number. You can take your pick of city. For example, I have two Aus for Melbourne, 1 UK Liverpool and 2 US (LA and NY). Choose a supplier from the three I mentioned, get your new Australian landline number and set up on your mobile using GSWave (a lot of people on WP use GSWave so if you get stuck plenty of help available). In the mobile settings before you go set permanent forwarding to your new Aus DID, don't need to leave phone on. When you look you will see phone is currently set to divert to voicemail; you're changing it to divert to new DID. Test to see working properly by taking SIM out, phone mobile # and, if working, new landline number will ring using GSwave on mobile. If you don't answer, it goes to new DID's voicemail, which will be emailed to you (ensure you have set your email in Voip provider's setting).

        I'm not sure if any of them do SMS forwarding, ask on WP, https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/125, to see if any do. But I think nowadays you have to go with a virtual mobile number, such as https://crazytel.com.au/virtual-mobile-numbers/ at $7.95. Note, their normal landline DID is 36c/month, but no SMS, if you go via WP special offer, https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/thread/9n1j1mkq#r1.

        • danield on 01/01/2022 - 22:40

          Thanks, for the quick update, me head still spinning trying to get a grasp of it over on Whirlpool. Your explanation above helped a lot to get a clearer picture of it.

  • danield on 05/01/2022 - 23:30
    +1

    Thanks All for the helpful Advice. I ended up grabbing the ALDI $5 SIM and forwarded my original number that's being left behind in an old phone. Using the in-built Microsoft "your phone" app to sync the SMS to the computer. This should be enough to make sure I can receive phone calls and verification SMS from my original number, and then the ALDI with International roaming will get my by for the times I'm not on home wifi and inbetween local SIMS in Japan.

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