| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
redcattam
Joined: 12 Aug 2010
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 11:29 am Post subject: cell phones/internet/etc?? |
 |
|
i browsed to see if there is already a thread about this but didn't find one-
Can anyone suggest the best way to do cell phone service in korea- (home country is usa)? bring my own ? get a plan there?
also, any estimates about what internet and utilities cost/,onth?
thanks |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
fugitive chicken
Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Location: Bucheon
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 4:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
get a phone here. Your American phone won't work here. Plans are cheap, mine is about 30k won ($35) a month or a basic plan. You need your ARC card to get a phone, so you will likely be phoneless your first couple of weeks here. I also highly suggest going with a Korean. When I first got here, I tried it on my own and none of the phone stores would help me.
Internet is cheap. I pay also 25k won for good fast internet. Also have a Korean set it up...
Utilities depend on the building, my average is 100k won ($115) a month, it goes up in the winter and summer months but can be down to 80k a month in the spring and fall. It depends on if you get an old building and how much energy it sucks to keep it comfortable.
The cost of living here is very cheap, so no worries, utilities is basically an unnoticible chunk of your salary. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
crisdean
Joined: 04 Feb 2010
Location: Seoul Special City
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 6:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| fugitive chicken wrote: |
| You need your ARC card to get a phone, |
Lies all lies
contrary to popular belief you do not need an ARC card to get a phone, you can get a pay as you go phone through the FreeT service with just your passport. However, if you're the type to use your phone all the time, a proper phone plan is probably a better option. If you're like me and only use your phone for short calls FreeT can be a cheaper option (I usually pay about 10,000 won, less than $10, a month.) Finding a phone shop that deals with FreeT can be a pain in the... as that there really aren't many of them, but you can put money on the phone through ATM's at the bank so you should only ever need to go once. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
teacherbunny
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 4:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
Just wondering if there is any call plans on the card phones there?
In the UK we have call plans where you top up �10 and get a certain amount of free texts and unlimited internet on the phone.
how much does the net usually cost when you access it on your phone? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
redcattam
Joined: 12 Aug 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:29 am Post subject: cell phones-more info? |
|
|
Thanks for the feedback.
I do want a plan that will give me media time and some texting.
Any idea if i should buy a phone (blackberry, likely) here in the US and then get a SIM card in Korea and some sort of plan there,
or if i should buy the phone IN korea?
Any ideas at all if phone prices are similar in US and Korea, and if plans are similar costs as well?
Thanks! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
| crisdean wrote: |
| fugitive chicken wrote: |
| You need your ARC card to get a phone, |
Lies all lies
contrary to popular belief you do not need an ARC card to get a phone, you can get a pay as you go phone through the FreeT service with just your passport. However, if you're the type to use your phone all the time, a proper phone plan is probably a better option. If you're like me and only use your phone for short calls FreeT can be a cheaper option (I usually pay about 10,000 won, less than $10, a month.) Finding a phone shop that deals with FreeT can be a pain in the... as that there really aren't many of them, but you can put money on the phone through ATM's at the bank so you should only ever need to go once. |
I've heard you can show up to the Hamilton and there's a place on the first floor that will give you a used prepaid phone for 10,000. My buddies who did that plan lived in Yongin, however, and had the problem where they would run out of minutes on a Friday and couldn't buy top up cards outside of Itaewon on a weekend or something to that effect, which could be a major inconvenience. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:52 am Post subject: Re: cell phones-more info? |
|
|
| redcattam wrote: |
Thanks for the feedback.
I do want a plan that will give me media time and some texting.
Any idea if i should buy a phone (blackberry, likely) here in the US and then get a SIM card in Korea and some sort of plan there,
or if i should buy the phone IN korea?
Any ideas at all if phone prices are similar in US and Korea, and if plans are similar costs as well?
Thanks! |
Pretty sure Korean phones will never work outside of Korea and you can never use a non-Korean phone on a Korean plan. I think the SIM cards are different. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
laguna
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 8:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
| fugitive chicken wrote: |
get a phone here. Your American phone won't work here. Plans are cheap, mine is about 30k won ($35) a month or a basic plan. You need your ARC card to get a phone, so you will likely be phoneless your first couple of weeks here. I also highly suggest going with a Korean. When I first got here, I tried it on my own and none of the phone stores would help me.
Internet is cheap. I pay also 25k won for good fast internet. Also have a Korean set it up...
Utilities depend on the building, my average is 100k won ($115) a month, it goes up in the winter and summer months but can be down to 80k a month in the spring and fall. It depends on if you get an old building and how much energy it sucks to keep it comfortable.
The cost of living here is very cheap, so no worries, utilities is basically an unnoticible chunk of your salary. |
your conversions are backwards, the current rate is 1194KRW to 1USD |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
