Is GPRS Wireless Internet Service available in China?

Is GPRS Wireless Internet Service available in China?
Jun 22, 2007 16:00	#11
BENCE8810 Points: Join Date: Jun 17, 2007 Status: Offline	Hi Got my second email from Pandasim.com, looks like she isnt promising much about the GPRS coverage, although she doesnt say anything concrete about how it is, so I guess I will only find out by experience? She does say though that in Cities the GPRS is stable, so at least when I am touring the cities, I can be connected. If you see an idiot sitting on a staircase at the Forbidden City with a Laptop on his lap in early October, chances are that its me :) Here is the email for reference, hope it helps: ############################### Dear Benedek: >Could you add up all the costs for me that I would need to pay? I will need the SIM card, and lets >say the 250RMB package looks good. $29(sim card) + $33 (package)=$62 plus tax >Is there a way I can check how much have I used up? If for some reason I run out, is there a way >to recharge it? Like I get a coupon at a local store, scratch the numbers and upcharge it? Yes, by text message "YECX" sending to 021-10086 you can check your balance, but most of them are in Chinese, we have recharge service which we can check the balance for you and when it drops to $4, we will add more airtime for you. It is very convenient and essential for international travlers. Or you can buy from local store, make sure you have right type of recharge card. Since you are first time travelers, I do not encourage you to buy by yourself. Let us know when you will be in China and we will take care of left. >Can you arrange shipping to Hungary? It would be paid by my company, so I would need some >Invoice to prove them the cost. Yes, we can send to Hungry with 5-7 business day and it cost $15 for shipping. If you can pick it up from China hotel it will free of charge for shipping. Every single order we have invoice. >Also, can you tell me the GPRS coverage in China? My trip starts in Guangzhou then on train to >Xian, then to Beijing, and back to Guangzhou – Hong Kong. I need the GPRS on the train the >most, as I might need to do some heavy working there. We use China Mobile card which covers 99.9% in China, GPRS has coverage in Guangzhou, Xian and Beijing. But during train, it may miss some spots. >Another thing came to mind, once I left China, I can just discard the SIM card? There is no >obligation with the Pre Paid card I imagine, yes, you can throw it away. When you place order please make sure you order $32 airtime and put note you need 2GB GPRS ####################################### Cheers Ben

Jun 22, 2007 16:00

#11

BENCE8810
Points:
Join Date: Jun 17, 2007
Status: Offline

Hi

Got my second email from Pandasim.com, looks like she isnt promising much about the GPRS coverage, although she doesnt say anything concrete about how it is, so I guess I will only find out by experience? She does say though that in Cities the GPRS is stable, so at least when I am touring the cities, I can be connected. If you see an idiot sitting on a staircase at the Forbidden City with a Laptop on his lap in early October, chances are that its me :)

Here is the email for reference, hope it helps:

###############################

Dear Benedek:

>Could you add up all the costs for me that I would need to pay? I will need the SIM card, and lets >say the 250RMB package looks good.

$29(sim card) + $33 (package)=$62 plus tax

>Is there a way I can check how much have I used up? If for some reason I run out, is there a way >to recharge it? Like I get a coupon at a local store, scratch the numbers and upcharge it?

Yes, by text message "YECX" sending to 021-10086 you can check your balance, but most of them are in Chinese, we have recharge service which we can check the balance for you and when it drops to $4, we will add more airtime for you. It is very convenient and essential for international travlers. Or you can buy from local store, make sure you have right type of recharge card. Since you are first time travelers, I do not encourage you to buy by yourself. Let us know when you will be in China and we will take care of left.

>Can you arrange shipping to Hungary? It would be paid by my company, so I would need some >Invoice to prove them the cost.

Yes, we can send to Hungry with 5-7 business day and it cost $15 for shipping. If you can pick it up from China hotel it will free of charge for shipping. Every single order we have invoice.

>Also, can you tell me the GPRS coverage in China? My trip starts in Guangzhou then on train to >Xian, then to Beijing, and back to Guangzhou – Hong Kong. I need the GPRS on the train the >most, as I might need to do some heavy working there.

We use China Mobile card which covers 99.9% in China, GPRS has coverage in Guangzhou, Xian and Beijing. But during train, it may miss some spots.

>Another thing came to mind, once I left China, I can just discard the SIM card? There is no >obligation with the Pre Paid card I imagine,

yes, you can throw it away.

When you place order please make sure you order $32 airtime and put note you need 2GB GPRS

#######################################

Cheers

Ben

Jun 23, 2007 23:33

#12

BETWEENUS21
Points:
Join Date: Jul 10, 2006
Status: Offline

hi Ben - as for GPRS in rural areas - or for that matter even standard signal will be expected to be weak in the rural areas and even out of coverage but however not to be despair as from Guangzhou to HK u will be able to be connected and the signal strength is faily good - but of course like anywhere in the world - when u can pass from one cell to another - there is a chance of yr line dropping and esp whilst on a train and travelling n being handed over from cell to cell. Ams not sure what u get from pandism is corrrect or not - but since u mentioned earlier u r starting from guangzhou city - just drop into one of the many china mobile retail shops and they can advised u on the prepaid and sim card and the amount - most of the larger shops may have someone who can speak some english - however broken it maybe - but enough to understand. During yr train travels u can always "save" whatever u have and then only log on and send it out when the train reaches a city station or nearing a city - as u do not need to be online throughout yr train journey as that would also be not feasible bec of costs too.

Jun 24, 2007 01:37

#13

BENCE8810
Points:
Join Date: Jun 17, 2007
Status: Offline

Hi Betweenus

You are absolutely right. I can just get my job done when I am nearing a city, or in a city.

The only problem that my work requires me to connect to servers and do work on them, so it isnt like sending emails, etc. However, the time while we are staying on a station, or nearing the city, staying at the station and leaving the city should give me enough time to accomplish most everything.

I can only leave my office for so long (3 weeks nearly) if I promise to always be available :)

Anyways, this already looks good. Do you happen to know how much am I overcharged for buying it through pandasim.com and not through the actual shop?

I guess the calling and GPRS rates are the same, just the initial purchase might be overcharged.

Thanks

Ben

Aug 29, 2007 09:46

#14

BENCE8810
Points:
Join Date: Jun 17, 2007
Status: Offline

Hi

Its been a while, and I got further into my investigation, and on top of that, I now have my SIM card, etc.

I found a very nice company, china-mobile-phones and they have the GPRS enabled SIM with top up cards, etc.

http://www.china-mobile-phones.com/China-gprs-enabled-sim-card.html

The person assisting me was Harry, and he was very decent, and replied to all of my funky geeky questions with pretty much all positive answers. The end result was the following:

I paid $135,85USD and I got the following:

GPRS Enabled China Mobile SIM card for $35
6x $16 Top Up card for $96
Shipping to Hungary for $3,85

Shipping took 2 weeks and the Sim card came in a small white envelope with English Instructions. I have those scanned, so I can make it available for anyone. Basically what I paid for is the following:

SIM card with $96USD charged on it already. From this, $60USD is for a 2GB GPRS usage plan, and the rest $36USD is for calls. The GPRS plan is a monthly pre-paid plan, which works until the 30th or 31st of the month you activated it in. In my case, I will enter China on the 30th of September, so if I want to blow 60USD in a matter of 24 hours, I can just activate the plan, but since I don't want to do that, I will only activate it on the 1st of October, so it can last for the 10 days during my journey. I guess from my Ironic sentence you already see that the plan isn't very flexible, and its actually not valid for 30 or 31 days, but till the end of the given month.

Harry was very nice, he gave me his Cell number to which I just need to SMS my request to enable it, and I will be good to go.

Call rates are the following with the sim:

- Local calls in the same city is US$0.09 per minute; long distance or incoming calls is $0.17 per minute; call to Hungary with IP code is $0.71 per minute.

I am pretty pleased right now, but of course the real test will be once I am in China and using the service.

Cheers

Ben

Aug 29, 2007 09:52

#15

BENCE8810
Points:
Join Date: Jun 17, 2007
Status: Offline

Forgot to add, that Pandasim.com didnt get back to my emails anymore from this point on so I had to drop them as a possibility, even though their prices were better. Maybe you will have a different experience, but I sent them at least 3 reminder emails for getting back to me, but no response from that point on what so ever.

I asked pandasim to provide me with their Bank Account number for a Wire Transfer, as I cannot pay by a simple credit card, since my company doesnt allow this, and I wanted them paying for it, since I will be doing work with the GPRS plan.

China-mobile-phones had a Pay with Paypal option, which my company allowed, so I was able to pay them with it, and they sent the card to my company's address with Registered mail for under 4USD. You have got to admit, thats a great deal.

Anyways, just wanted to clear up my sudden post, since reading back, it didnt make sense why all of a sudden I sound so thrilled by a much more expensive option.

Cheers

Ben

Aug 30, 2007 22:56	#16
DYLAN0428 Points: Join Date: Aug 30, 2007 Status: Offline	cdma is available in most place gprs is available in most place edge is available in some citis you'd better buy the service of whole month with no limit,both time and download you'd better ask chinese friend for help,not only custom care,most chinese don't speak english :)

Sep 2, 2007 17:16	#17
ROGERINCA Points: Join Date: Jun 28, 2005 Status: Offline	On my last trip to Guangzhou, mid July to early August, I saw many signs all over the city announcing that GPRS was now here/available !! I use the more common GSM system on my quad-band phone (850-900-1800-1900, which works terrific in Southern China. I think you will be ok. Also, there are Enlish speaking agents at most of the larger stores, such as China Mobile.

Sep 20, 2007 10:54	#18
APAULT Points: Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Status: Offline	There are very few English speaking staff in China Mobile stores... I know this for certain. Take a friend with you.

Oct 2, 2007 07:22	#19
GUEST07164	Dear Sir / ?Madam, I'm very glad to little about your company all the same I'm looking for company who can supply us some wireless equipments and the give a short training on one of my client already we are I.T comapany in Africa Ghana, if we find you then I will give you the necessary things involvements

Jun 17, 2009 08:16	#20
SIDDHARTA Points: Join Date: Jun 17, 2009 Status: Offline	Anyone tried using GPRS with a Macintosh in China?

Page 2 of 3 < Previous Next > Page:

Post a Reply to: Is GPRS Wireless Internet Service available in China?