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Cell phone usage while in Afghanistan
10/28/2011 9:40:33 PM
I apologize if this is the wrong thread, and if so mods feel free to move.
I will be leaving for Afghanistan next week to work as a civilian contractor. I have heard many contractors take their cell phones with them. Is it worthwhile to take my android phone with me? I have an ATT phone, and was told to just buy a afghan sim card and put it in the phone when I get in country. Is this the best option I have, and what are the normal rates for a sim card? I would appreciate any input.
I will be leaving for Afghanistan next week to work as a civilian contractor. I have heard many contractors take their cell phones with them. Is it worthwhile to take my android phone with me? I have an ATT phone, and was told to just buy a afghan sim card and put it in the phone when I get in country. Is this the best option I have, and what are the normal rates for a sim card? I would appreciate any input.
10/28/2011 9:51:36 PM
Normally you have to have a unlocked cell phone to use a different SIM card in it. I usually buy mine off of Amazon. You might be able to jail break your current phone. I don't know.
10/28/2011 9:54:11 PM
Make sure it's a quad-band, unlocked phone. If so, it will work just fine. Data may or may not work –– I don't know, it's been a while since I was there, they were just deploying GPRS when I was there.
You can buy a Roshan or AWCC sim and put it in your phone when you get there.
You can buy a Roshan or AWCC sim and put it in your phone when you get there.
10/28/2011 9:54:13 PM
i had to do this for my dad over in bahrain. he had a tmobile blackberry, we bought an unlock code for 5 bucks off the net (ebay worked well, actually) and over there you put in the sim card, simple as pie
10/28/2011 9:59:02 PM
I plan to take a Samsung Galaxy S II, if I were to take a BlackBerry would I be able to use the BB messenger on whatever afghan sim card without having to pay international txts fees?
10/28/2011 10:01:45 PM
Originally Posted By txstateguy:
I plan to take a Samsung Galaxy S II, if I were to take a BlackBerry would I be able to use the BB messenger on whatever afghan sim card without having to pay international txts fees?
I plan to take a Samsung Galaxy S II, if I were to take a BlackBerry would I be able to use the BB messenger on whatever afghan sim card without having to pay international txts fees?
In theory, yes, if you purchase that service.
I'm not convinced I would rely on it.
http://roshan.af/Roshan/Personal/Products_Services/Connect/BlackBerry/Pricing.aspx
10/28/2011 10:06:47 PM
Don't take or use your own cell phone. There are plenty of crappy phones here to buy and use as throw away phones when your done. They will get all dicked up with sand/dust and general use unless you will be in a comfy hotel or some crap. Get here; buy crappy Nokia, buy sim card and buy minutes credits. I would not use my personal equipment here if you value it. Does your company not provide you with a phone?? 
Damn I thought mine was cheap
I've been using a basic phone purchased here and been fine for the most part (actually have a couple of them). You are not going to get any great signal or solid connection to be walking around crackberry messaging. If you need a phone buy a phone to use as a phone. If you need a computer to send messaging then go to the internet when you can get to it.
Again, I will resonate that I would suggest not using your own phone as an insurance policy. Too many stories here of guys leaving phones on and data roaming charges eating their asses up to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. You can get an OK phone for around $50 bucks, a Sim card or around $5 and 'credits' for around $12 bucks per 500 credits.
Depending on the carrier and card (we like to think of them as Lotto Scratch Off Cards, because you have to scratch off the....nevermind) you will get decent use out of the card but its hit or miss. I had about a card about a month ago that lasted me all of about 12 -15 phone calls here in country, local calls on the order of a minute or 2 each call. The most recent card I've been using is not even halfway spent and I've made ump-teen calls both to the U.S. and in country and still have well over 300 credits on it. So again, your luck will vary. Lots of guys use Roshan, but I 've had decent luck with AWCC and MTN.
This is my recommendation in an effort to:
1. NOT dick up your own phone
2. NOT dick up your phone bill/carrier with high costs
3. be able to walk away from it with no strings attached
eta:
Credits (because they don't sell minutes) should be the same price no matter where you buy them or from what carrier
Damn I thought mine was cheap
I've been using a basic phone purchased here and been fine for the most part (actually have a couple of them). You are not going to get any great signal or solid connection to be walking around crackberry messaging. If you need a phone buy a phone to use as a phone. If you need a computer to send messaging then go to the internet when you can get to it.
Again, I will resonate that I would suggest not using your own phone as an insurance policy. Too many stories here of guys leaving phones on and data roaming charges eating their asses up to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. You can get an OK phone for around $50 bucks, a Sim card or around $5 and 'credits' for around $12 bucks per 500 credits.
Depending on the carrier and card (we like to think of them as Lotto Scratch Off Cards, because you have to scratch off the....nevermind) you will get decent use out of the card but its hit or miss. I had about a card about a month ago that lasted me all of about 12 -15 phone calls here in country, local calls on the order of a minute or 2 each call. The most recent card I've been using is not even halfway spent and I've made ump-teen calls both to the U.S. and in country and still have well over 300 credits on it. So again, your luck will vary. Lots of guys use Roshan, but I 've had decent luck with AWCC and MTN.
This is my recommendation in an effort to:
1. NOT dick up your own phone
2. NOT dick up your phone bill/carrier with high costs
3. be able to walk away from it with no strings attached
eta:
Credits (because they don't sell minutes) should be the same price no matter where you buy them or from what carrier
10/28/2011 10:14:05 PM
I brought my AT&T cell phone with me, an older Samsung touchscreen. It worked perfectly with a Roshan sim card. Keep it as clean as possible. Be prepared to dial 079 as this is the begining of most of the phones there. Don't be suckered by the jackasses selling minutes. Hagle with them and get LARGE quantities for cheaper
10/28/2011 10:33:57 PM
Originally Posted By quijanos:
Don't take or use your own cell phone. There are plenty of crappy phones here to buy and use as throw away phones when your done. They will get all dicked up with sand/dust and general use unless you will be in a comfy hotel or some crap. Get here; buy crappy Nokia, buy sim card and buy minutes credits. I would not use my personal equipment here if you value it. Does your company not provide you with a phone?? Damn I thought mine was cheap
I've been using a basic phone purchased here and been fine for the most part (actually have a couple of them). You are not going to get any great signal or solid connection to be walking around crackberry messaging. If you need a phone buy a phone to use as a phone. If you need a computer to send messaging then go to the internet when you can get to it.
Again, I will resonate that I would suggest not using your own phone as an insurance policy. Too many stories here of guys leaving phones on and data roaming charges eating their asses up to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. You can get an OK phone for around $50 bucks, a Sim card or around $5 and 'credits' for around $12 bucks per 500 credits.
Depending on the carrier and card (we like to think of them as Lotto Scratch Off Cards, because you have to scratch off the....nevermind) you will get decent use out of the card but its hit or miss. I had about a card about a month ago that lasted me all of about 12 -15 phone calls here in country, local calls on the order of a minute or 2 each call. The most recent card I've been using is not even halfway spent and I've made ump-teen calls both to the U.S. and in country and still have well over 300 credits on it. So again, your luck will vary. Lots of guys use Roshan, but I 've had decent luck with AWCC and MTN.
This is my recommendation in an effort to:
1. NOT dick up your own phone
2. NOT dick up your phone bill/carrier with high costs
3. be able to walk away from it with no strings attached
eta:
Credits (because they don't sell minutes) should be the same price no matter where you buy them or from what carrier
Don't take or use your own cell phone. There are plenty of crappy phones here to buy and use as throw away phones when your done. They will get all dicked up with sand/dust and general use unless you will be in a comfy hotel or some crap. Get here; buy crappy Nokia, buy sim card and buy minutes credits. I would not use my personal equipment here if you value it. Does your company not provide you with a phone??
Damn I thought mine was cheap
I've been using a basic phone purchased here and been fine for the most part (actually have a couple of them). You are not going to get any great signal or solid connection to be walking around crackberry messaging. If you need a phone buy a phone to use as a phone. If you need a computer to send messaging then go to the internet when you can get to it.
Again, I will resonate that I would suggest not using your own phone as an insurance policy. Too many stories here of guys leaving phones on and data roaming charges eating their asses up to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. You can get an OK phone for around $50 bucks, a Sim card or around $5 and 'credits' for around $12 bucks per 500 credits.
Depending on the carrier and card (we like to think of them as Lotto Scratch Off Cards, because you have to scratch off the....nevermind) you will get decent use out of the card but its hit or miss. I had about a card about a month ago that lasted me all of about 12 -15 phone calls here in country, local calls on the order of a minute or 2 each call. The most recent card I've been using is not even halfway spent and I've made ump-teen calls both to the U.S. and in country and still have well over 300 credits on it. So again, your luck will vary. Lots of guys use Roshan, but I 've had decent luck with AWCC and MTN.
This is my recommendation in an effort to:
1. NOT dick up your own phone
2. NOT dick up your phone bill/carrier with high costs
3. be able to walk away from it with no strings attached
eta:
Credits (because they don't sell minutes) should be the same price no matter where you buy them or from what carrier
Thanks, I appreciate your advice. Another question, one would not get the high costs of international data if I were to not have the US sim card in the phone, or can you get hit with the high costs even with an afghan sim?
10/28/2011 10:36:39 PM
Originally Posted By txstateguy:
Thanks, I appreciate your advice. Another question, one would not get the high costs of international data if I were to not have the US sim card in the phone, or can you get hit with the high costs even with an afghan sim?
Originally Posted By quijanos:
Don't take or use your own cell phone. There are plenty of crappy phones here to buy and use as throw away phones when your done. They will get all dicked up with sand/dust and general use unless you will be in a comfy hotel or some crap. Get here; buy crappy Nokia, buy sim card and buy minutes credits. I would not use my personal equipment here if you value it. Does your company not provide you with a phone?? Damn I thought mine was cheap
I've been using a basic phone purchased here and been fine for the most part (actually have a couple of them). You are not going to get any great signal or solid connection to be walking around crackberry messaging. If you need a phone buy a phone to use as a phone. If you need a computer to send messaging then go to the internet when you can get to it.
Again, I will resonate that I would suggest not using your own phone as an insurance policy. Too many stories here of guys leaving phones on and data roaming charges eating their asses up to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. You can get an OK phone for around $50 bucks, a Sim card or around $5 and 'credits' for around $12 bucks per 500 credits.
Depending on the carrier and card (we like to think of them as Lotto Scratch Off Cards, because you have to scratch off the....nevermind) you will get decent use out of the card but its hit or miss. I had about a card about a month ago that lasted me all of about 12 -15 phone calls here in country, local calls on the order of a minute or 2 each call. The most recent card I've been using is not even halfway spent and I've made ump-teen calls both to the U.S. and in country and still have well over 300 credits on it. So again, your luck will vary. Lots of guys use Roshan, but I 've had decent luck with AWCC and MTN.
This is my recommendation in an effort to:
1. NOT dick up your own phone
2. NOT dick up your phone bill/carrier with high costs
3. be able to walk away from it with no strings attached
eta:
Credits (because they don't sell minutes) should be the same price no matter where you buy them or from what carrier
Don't take or use your own cell phone. There are plenty of crappy phones here to buy and use as throw away phones when your done. They will get all dicked up with sand/dust and general use unless you will be in a comfy hotel or some crap. Get here; buy crappy Nokia, buy sim card and buy minutes credits. I would not use my personal equipment here if you value it. Does your company not provide you with a phone??
Damn I thought mine was cheap
I've been using a basic phone purchased here and been fine for the most part (actually have a couple of them). You are not going to get any great signal or solid connection to be walking around crackberry messaging. If you need a phone buy a phone to use as a phone. If you need a computer to send messaging then go to the internet when you can get to it.
Again, I will resonate that I would suggest not using your own phone as an insurance policy. Too many stories here of guys leaving phones on and data roaming charges eating their asses up to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. You can get an OK phone for around $50 bucks, a Sim card or around $5 and 'credits' for around $12 bucks per 500 credits.
Depending on the carrier and card (we like to think of them as Lotto Scratch Off Cards, because you have to scratch off the....nevermind) you will get decent use out of the card but its hit or miss. I had about a card about a month ago that lasted me all of about 12 -15 phone calls here in country, local calls on the order of a minute or 2 each call. The most recent card I've been using is not even halfway spent and I've made ump-teen calls both to the U.S. and in country and still have well over 300 credits on it. So again, your luck will vary. Lots of guys use Roshan, but I 've had decent luck with AWCC and MTN.
This is my recommendation in an effort to:
1. NOT dick up your own phone
2. NOT dick up your phone bill/carrier with high costs
3. be able to walk away from it with no strings attached
eta:
Credits (because they don't sell minutes) should be the same price no matter where you buy them or from what carrier
Thanks, I appreciate your advice. Another question, one would not get the high costs of international data if I were to not have the US sim card in the phone, or can you get hit with the high costs even with an afghan sim?
As long as your (GSM only) phone is unlocked, and you pull the sim before you leave the states, you don't run any risk of getting hit with those charges.
When you put a SIM from over there into your phone, that's the network you're on, and if you're prepaid all you're worried about is when your card runs out of credits, and then you just replenish them.
I used an iphone, along with a bunch of others (including local phones) over there.
10/29/2011 3:25:42 AM
Originally Posted By txstateguy:
Thanks, I appreciate your advice. Another question, one would not get the high costs of international data if I were to not have the US sim card in the phone, or can you get hit with the high costs even with an afghan sim?
Originally Posted By quijanos:
Don't take or use your own cell phone. There are plenty of crappy phones here to buy and use as throw away phones when your done. They will get all dicked up with sand/dust and general use unless you will be in a comfy hotel or some crap. Get here; buy crappy Nokia, buy sim card and buy minutes credits. I would not use my personal equipment here if you value it. Does your company not provide you with a phone?? Damn I thought mine was cheap
I've been using a basic phone purchased here and been fine for the most part (actually have a couple of them). You are not going to get any great signal or solid connection to be walking around crackberry messaging. If you need a phone buy a phone to use as a phone. If you need a computer to send messaging then go to the internet when you can get to it.
Again, I will resonate that I would suggest not using your own phone as an insurance policy. Too many stories here of guys leaving phones on and data roaming charges eating their asses up to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. You can get an OK phone for around $50 bucks, a Sim card or around $5 and 'credits' for around $12 bucks per 500 credits.
Depending on the carrier and card (we like to think of them as Lotto Scratch Off Cards, because you have to scratch off the....nevermind) you will get decent use out of the card but its hit or miss. I had about a card about a month ago that lasted me all of about 12 -15 phone calls here in country, local calls on the order of a minute or 2 each call. The most recent card I've been using is not even halfway spent and I've made ump-teen calls both to the U.S. and in country and still have well over 300 credits on it. So again, your luck will vary. Lots of guys use Roshan, but I 've had decent luck with AWCC and MTN.
This is my recommendation in an effort to:
1. NOT dick up your own phone
2. NOT dick up your phone bill/carrier with high costs
3. be able to walk away from it with no strings attached
eta:
Credits (because they don't sell minutes) should be the same price no matter where you buy them or from what carrier
Don't take or use your own cell phone. There are plenty of crappy phones here to buy and use as throw away phones when your done. They will get all dicked up with sand/dust and general use unless you will be in a comfy hotel or some crap. Get here; buy crappy Nokia, buy sim card and buy minutes credits. I would not use my personal equipment here if you value it. Does your company not provide you with a phone??
Damn I thought mine was cheap
I've been using a basic phone purchased here and been fine for the most part (actually have a couple of them). You are not going to get any great signal or solid connection to be walking around crackberry messaging. If you need a phone buy a phone to use as a phone. If you need a computer to send messaging then go to the internet when you can get to it.
Again, I will resonate that I would suggest not using your own phone as an insurance policy. Too many stories here of guys leaving phones on and data roaming charges eating their asses up to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. You can get an OK phone for around $50 bucks, a Sim card or around $5 and 'credits' for around $12 bucks per 500 credits.
Depending on the carrier and card (we like to think of them as Lotto Scratch Off Cards, because you have to scratch off the....nevermind) you will get decent use out of the card but its hit or miss. I had about a card about a month ago that lasted me all of about 12 -15 phone calls here in country, local calls on the order of a minute or 2 each call. The most recent card I've been using is not even halfway spent and I've made ump-teen calls both to the U.S. and in country and still have well over 300 credits on it. So again, your luck will vary. Lots of guys use Roshan, but I 've had decent luck with AWCC and MTN.
This is my recommendation in an effort to:
1. NOT dick up your own phone
2. NOT dick up your phone bill/carrier with high costs
3. be able to walk away from it with no strings attached
eta:
Credits (because they don't sell minutes) should be the same price no matter where you buy them or from what carrier
Thanks, I appreciate your advice. Another question, one would not get the high costs of international data if I were to not have the US sim card in the phone, or can you get hit with the high costs even with an afghan sim?
On pre-paid phone cards (credits) and if you are referring to SMS or texting then YES, texting is costly. Its not bad going out but receiving texts from the US is more expensive. Or are you referring to googling the internet?
Please state what your intended use is for the phone and I will try to respond accordingly with what information I can offer
10/29/2011 12:52:34 PM
I have always bought a El Cheapo phone when I got in country (usually 30-40 bucks) and bought credit as needed. When I leave and know I will not rotate back I just simply hand it off to someone taking my place. Don't have to worry about breaking a "nice" phone and if it gets broke / lost you really ain't a whole lot. YMMV.
