Cell phone use
Apr 14th, 2007 | 02:24 PM
#4
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,271
Likes: 0
Daka...
It's typical of the attitude of some who don't have a clue...yes it's cheaper to call out with a calling card...but what about receiving calls 24/7 while on the go..or making restaurant reservations when no public phone is available or what if you're in a car and have some trouble...this business that phone cards can completely replace cell phones is of course nonsense but of course it has to do with what you want the phone for.
Now as to your question...the phone itself can be set to give its menus in English...you will have to consult the instruction book that ocmes with the phone how to set the language of the phone itself....
France is a very proud country and has always touted the center place they feel French should have in the world. About 5 years ago, I got an Orange FR sim card and at first, I was able to set the voice menus to English. But for some reason, that ability was taken away by Orange FR. Whether SFR and some of the other French mobile carriers allow the voice menus to be in English is problematic. You might try www.prepaidgsm.net go to the forum on Europe and pose the question...there might be somebody from France there who knows the answer about SFR and others...I can tell you, however, Orange FR does not allow English in its voice menus...but the person who sells you the sim will probably assist you in understand how to set up voicemail and other things even if you can't read French.
(Interesting in some other countries, as a matter of course, you can set the voice menus to English...I know Vodafone DE and Vodafone NL allow voice menus in English, all the UK carriers allow voice menus in English (surprise surprise) as do Irish carriers.
It's typical of the attitude of some who don't have a clue...yes it's cheaper to call out with a calling card...but what about receiving calls 24/7 while on the go..or making restaurant reservations when no public phone is available or what if you're in a car and have some trouble...this business that phone cards can completely replace cell phones is of course nonsense but of course it has to do with what you want the phone for.
Now as to your question...the phone itself can be set to give its menus in English...you will have to consult the instruction book that ocmes with the phone how to set the language of the phone itself....
France is a very proud country and has always touted the center place they feel French should have in the world. About 5 years ago, I got an Orange FR sim card and at first, I was able to set the voice menus to English. But for some reason, that ability was taken away by Orange FR. Whether SFR and some of the other French mobile carriers allow the voice menus to be in English is problematic. You might try www.prepaidgsm.net go to the forum on Europe and pose the question...there might be somebody from France there who knows the answer about SFR and others...I can tell you, however, Orange FR does not allow English in its voice menus...but the person who sells you the sim will probably assist you in understand how to set up voicemail and other things even if you can't read French.
(Interesting in some other countries, as a matter of course, you can set the voice menus to English...I know Vodafone DE and Vodafone NL allow voice menus in English, all the UK carriers allow voice menus in English (surprise surprise) as do Irish carriers.
Apr 14th, 2007 | 02:29 PM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,271
Likes: 0
One other suggestion although timing mahy be a problem...
The eu is in the process of regulating roaming rates on European sim cards..it is very possible this may be in effect by this summer.
The current proposal includes receiving of calls throughout all of Western Europe with any sim card from any eu country (such as the UK) at 0,15€/minute so it may well be that you can use a phone card to call out, get say a UK sim (where we now the voice menus will be English and quite frankly the competition in the UK is so great that UK sim cards cost next to nothing if not nothing) and receive calls via the UK sim card while in France and call out using a calling card.
However, some of the telecoms in Europe have very influential friends (lobbying works very well in the UK too) and are fighting this very sensible proposal. So you will have to stay tuned to see just what happens.
The eu is in the process of regulating roaming rates on European sim cards..it is very possible this may be in effect by this summer.
The current proposal includes receiving of calls throughout all of Western Europe with any sim card from any eu country (such as the UK) at 0,15€/minute so it may well be that you can use a phone card to call out, get say a UK sim (where we now the voice menus will be English and quite frankly the competition in the UK is so great that UK sim cards cost next to nothing if not nothing) and receive calls via the UK sim card while in France and call out using a calling card.
However, some of the telecoms in Europe have very influential friends (lobbying works very well in the UK too) and are fighting this very sensible proposal. So you will have to stay tuned to see just what happens.
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