[tigerlily]

Here in the states, we have gotten rid of our landline and just use our mobiles because it's so much cheaper. But I noticed someone mentioning that they had to pay 25 cents whenever they wanted to check their voicemail in NZ. How expensive are cell phones? Do they have any of the call your partner for free sort of plans?

On landlines, what is the very most basic plan that you can get? Here we have a cable modem for internet. Is it possible to get internet that way in NZ?

thanks all.

[wanderingoregonian]

HI there,

Mobile phones are priced very differently here. Calling is expensive and no one wants to receive chatty calls on their mobile, so most people text. Texting is cheap, and I've really come to like it. There are plenty of times where calling would be rude, but stepping aside to text is okay. For example, we'll be out at dinner and someone will ask "why didn't we invite Bob" and we'll just text him... if he's busy, he'll ignore the text, if not, maybe he'll join us. Its also way easier to check text messages than voice mail. Best of all, its also a very easy way to send reminders to family members at the grocery store because it becomes a handheld grocery list!

I know one company has a a best mate plan that is heavily advertized.. text, call, video phone with your best mate all you want for $5 / month extra. I reckon it probably is not attached to the most brillant plan, but I haven't done any research.

There are also pay as you go plans.. we have one on OH's mobile. When we run out, we can just pop into a store and put more money on via the eftpos card. Money seems to fly over the wires here, a bit disconcerting at times, but sometimes its really convenient.

We have a land line plus fast interent - I did none of the research on that one, but see that the bill is around 80/month. part of it is for OH's business from home though, so you likely can get a better deal.

I'm sure some others here have more detailed information..

[jen]

On landlines, what is the very most basic plan that you can get? Here we have a cable modem for internet. Is it possible to get internet that way in NZ?
thanks all.

Hi tigerlily,

We don't have a landline - we use our mobiles and have a cable internet/digital TV package through TelstraClear for $95/month. That gets us about 30 TV channels and 10 GB traffic/month on the internet.

Mobile seems more expensive here than in the states & I am trying to get used to texting, as wanderingoregonian says it is VERY common (I never sent a text before I moved here & I felt like a fossil trying to figure it out). Your choices for mobile service are vodafone or telecom - there are TONS (or heaps!) of different plans; you could check out the plans online & maybe get an idea of what it would cost to have service like you have now:

http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,8748,200863-1005,00.html?link=rdt

http://www.vodafone.co.nz/

I guess I'm settling in a bit - I don't say "my cell phone" any more, I remember it's "my mobile" . I think that and saying "postie" for postman are the first kiwienglish I've started to use regularly. I still can't say I'm "keen on" doing something without feeling like I'm trying too hard :)


Jen

[wanderingoregonian]

Jen.. I actually see people write "keen" in clinical reports here... as in "the student was keen to try to use the computer to type" or "the family was keen to try a communication device at home" it looks funny to me, but now I think it actually is a good verb for it. When I moved back to the states from australia it took me months to switch back from mobile to cell phone!

[wilson182]

I am on contract with vodafone, and I have 200 minutes and 200 texts a month to any other vodafone. OH is also on vodafone, and that means basically I can call him for "free". The basic plan cost to $35 plus GST. They do other similar packages depending on your call usage, BUT it is only to other vodafones. In the UK we had a smiliar thing, but it was across any network.

[constablechuck]

The pricing for mobile phones is far different here than in the U.S., both Telecom and Vodafone designed their pricing so that if you get a discount for one service then the price for other services goes up, so basically if they can't get you coming then they will get you when your going, one good thing is that incoming calls to your mobile are free, however the person that's calling you is paying steep fees even if their calling from a landline.

If you normally talk to one person on your mobile then the Vodafone Best Mates program is a cheap way to go, my wife pays $6 a month and can call my Vodafone Mobile as much and as long as she wants for free, if I need to talk to her I just call and hang up after a few rings so she then calls me and it's free for both of us, we spend about $10 a month for credits on our Mobiles.

[tigerlily]

Thanks all, that's good news that there are some work arounds for the high prices. I think I have a love/hate relationship with my cell/mobile I'm remembering fondly the days without it!