cell phone for short term (2 mo)

[umax]

hello again,

are there any cell phone providers in Uzb that support GSM/GPRS 850/1800/1900 networks?

also, is it at all possible to get any cell phone for just 2 month?
how much it is going to cost?
can i buy pre-loaded SIM-card?

thanks you!

[G]

there are plenty of them.
1. Uzdunrobita
2. Daewoo
3. Coscom

The best one is Uzdunrobita!

[Крейсер]

umax,

- Providers: GSM 900/1800
- phone for two months: it is impossible to rent unless you rent it from an expensive hotel - but then it is a rip off.
- Buying a used phone in Uzb isn't the greatest idea unless your friend is a dealer. Here are some prices as of january 2004: used ericson (old model) $30, used nokia 3310 - $50, new motorolla T193 - $80-90.

My advice: buy an unlocked used tri-band GSM in the US on craigslist.org or ebay.com. or buy a locked one and unlock it here (in uzb it will cost ~$20 to unlock and they can screw up the phone).

SIM Card: many providers do not charge connection fee these days but require a deposit equal to approximately $30-40. So you can connect your phone for approximately $50 (which includes your deposit that can be used). Minimum balance before they turn off the service is ~$10. I suggest that you get a new SIM.

Also there is a good secondary market for SIM cards. there you can purchase a sim with no deposit. you can try that but the phone number will be a used one, i.e. not under your name and who knows what dangers can that bring. to change the title on an account will cost $10-20.

hope that helps.

Vamos a Tashkent!

PS Uzdunrobita is good if you'll travel to the regions. In Tashkent, the highest quality provider is Unitel (but more expensive but has sms and email). Uzmacom has a great price on free incoming calls: $30 and all incoming calls are free. Buztel has cheaper prices but poor service as I've heard.

Also there is a VIP package (almost all providers) for around $75 per month, all phonecalls are free.

[umax]

thanks a lot,

looks like my Nokia 6200 can be used there (and yes, i unlocked it already)
also, it sounds like i should be able to get the SIM card from local provider

what is still unclear is if i have to sign up for a long term contract, or can just pay for the SIM card and use the dollars i have there...


thanks anyways!

[Крейсер]

there is no such a thing as a long term contract. in some way, all SIMs in Uzbekistan are pre-paid. you put a deposit and it eats up your deposit during the month. in order to keep your phone active you need to deposit more at the end of the month. if you don't want the service, you disconnect it and you will not pay anything. (in any case, if you don't deposit money in advance they will shut your phone off).

C