Another Question for Australians
My current mobile phone is Quad-Band, so I've been told that it should still be able to send/receive signals in Australia and consequently am planning on just getting a new SIM card for it rather than buying a whole new phone when I'm out there.
The trouble is that I don't want the bother of a contract and instead would like what we in the UK call Pay As You Go - you get the SIM card and top it up periodically with credit. PAYG is popular with people who really can't afford to over-spend on mobile usage (because once the credit is used up you can't make any more calls, there is no overdraft) or people who don't use their phone often enough to get the most out of a monthly contract.
My question: what's the Australian equivalent of this? My brief attempts at research have led me to believe that PAYG doesn't exist in Australia or is called something different. I've also stumbled across 'Caps' and I have no idea what that means, though I suspect it might be a contract thing. (On a related note: you guys buy mobile phones from a guy calling himself 'Crazy John'? Really?)
Second question: what are the main networks in Australia? I've heard mention of Telstra and Vodofone, and got the impression that the former is the largest. Bearing in mind my intention to travel around a lot, being on a network with lots of coverage would be good - which is my best bet?
Third question: assuming top-up SIM cards exist, how easy are they to get ahold of? In the UK it's pretty easy to shop around and even play companies off each other a little bit, to the extent that the SIM card will most likely be free and may even have some credit pre-loaded onto it because the networks are so desperate to attract new customers.
Lastly: can people name some major mobile phone retailers that I can visit either online or in person once I get to Australia? In the UK, most networks (e.g. O2, Vodafone, T-Mobile, 3) have their own shops and in addition there are some third-party mobile phone retailers (e.g. Carphone Warehouse) that sell phones for a range of networks. So far my Australian research has only turned up Crazy John's, and I refuse to believe the dude has a monopoly on the whole market. ;)
As always, many thanks to everyone who answers these questions or has answered previous ones - you've all been incredibly helpful and have helped set my mind at ease about the trip! The excitement is slowly building up although every now and then I get hit with a slightly panicky "what if I don't find a job and end up with no money? Aaaah!" feeling. It's a bit weird to know I'll be setting out with little to guarantee my success except the vague feeling that it'll all work out okay somehow. :-/
The trouble is that I don't want the bother of a contract and instead would like what we in the UK call Pay As You Go - you get the SIM card and top it up periodically with credit. PAYG is popular with people who really can't afford to over-spend on mobile usage (because once the credit is used up you can't make any more calls, there is no overdraft) or people who don't use their phone often enough to get the most out of a monthly contract.
My question: what's the Australian equivalent of this? My brief attempts at research have led me to believe that PAYG doesn't exist in Australia or is called something different. I've also stumbled across 'Caps' and I have no idea what that means, though I suspect it might be a contract thing. (On a related note: you guys buy mobile phones from a guy calling himself 'Crazy John'? Really?)
Second question: what are the main networks in Australia? I've heard mention of Telstra and Vodofone, and got the impression that the former is the largest. Bearing in mind my intention to travel around a lot, being on a network with lots of coverage would be good - which is my best bet?
Third question: assuming top-up SIM cards exist, how easy are they to get ahold of? In the UK it's pretty easy to shop around and even play companies off each other a little bit, to the extent that the SIM card will most likely be free and may even have some credit pre-loaded onto it because the networks are so desperate to attract new customers.
Lastly: can people name some major mobile phone retailers that I can visit either online or in person once I get to Australia? In the UK, most networks (e.g. O2, Vodafone, T-Mobile, 3) have their own shops and in addition there are some third-party mobile phone retailers (e.g. Carphone Warehouse) that sell phones for a range of networks. So far my Australian research has only turned up Crazy John's, and I refuse to believe the dude has a monopoly on the whole market. ;)
As always, many thanks to everyone who answers these questions or has answered previous ones - you've all been incredibly helpful and have helped set my mind at ease about the trip! The excitement is slowly building up although every now and then I get hit with a slightly panicky "what if I don't find a job and end up with no money? Aaaah!" feeling. It's a bit weird to know I'll be setting out with little to guarantee my success except the vague feeling that it'll all work out okay somehow. :-/