Phone card:

First of all, please note that the common mobile phone model in the UK is 3G WCDMA. Currently, the 4G network has also been launched (but the signal coverage is very limited), so domestic non-mobile /Telecom customized mobile phones (TD or CDMA network) can usually be used normally here (China Unicom mobile phones, Hong Kong version of parallel-imported Apple, etc.).

Then explain a concept: Pay as you go, to put it bluntly, it means to use as much as you charge. In China, it is called a prepayment user. Usually, everyone uses this type of mobile phone card. In addition to Pay as you go, there are also agreement users, that is, those who pay a fixed monthly fee to enjoy specific services, similar to domestic packages that charge phone bills and get a mobile phone. The characteristic is that a mobile phone is provided at the beginning, but the monthly rent is very expensive, and the term of many agreements has been modified to two years. Students who come to study for a master's degree with a one-year Tier 4 visa cannot apply.

Due to the opening up of the telecommunications market, there are many large and small telecommunications operators in the UK, unlike China where there are only three big ones. However, the operators here are also divided into two categories. One is large companies, such as O2 and EE (the merger of the original Orange and T-Mobile, which is the largest operator in the UK), 3 (subsidiary of Li Ka-shing and Hutchison Whampoa) companies), Vodafone, T-Mobile (Deutsche Telekom), etc.; one type is small companies relying on the networks of large companies (the virtual operators currently being promoted in China), such as Giffgaff (a wholly-owned subsidiary of O2), Lycamobile, Delight, Lebara, CTEcelbiz (UK subsidiary of China Telecom), etc.

Relatively speaking, the network coverage of large companies is relatively comprehensive and the signal is relatively stable (British Telecom network construction is relatively backward compared to that in China. Even in London, there is no signal indoors in many places, or the signal is very weak. Weak, there is no signal at subway stations and on the subway), but the tariff will be much more expensive. Small companies depend on the network they rely on. For example, the O2 network used by Giffgaff and the EE network used by CTExcelbiz are relatively high-quality communication networks. Small companies rent the networks of large companies because the rent is far less than the funds for construction and maintenance. High, so this type of small company can provide lower prices while ensuring the same network coverage and signal quality.

As for the issue of wireless network, free Wi-Fi coverage is provided in the school. As long as you register in the school, you can get the user name and password. It is worth noting that this set of user name and password is available in universities in all EU countries. It can be used universally. The author personally tested it in the University of Manchester and Cambridge, and my classmates tested it in France and Spain. Therefore, students need to weigh the demand for 3G traffic of mobile phone cards themselves.

Regarding obtaining a mobile phone card, it is recommended that everyone can apply for it for free on the official website (excluding phone charges) or purchase it on Taobao (including phone charges) before departure. It will usually be delivered to you within a week. . If you live in a dormitory after coming to the UK, you can also fill in the dormitory address on the official website and apply for free.

As for the one-card dual-number function of CTExcelbiz, let me explain it. It is equivalent to one of your mobile phone cards having two numbers (a main number, UK number, and a secondary number, China, for answering domestic calls. No.), local British students can call your British number, and domestic relatives and friends can call your Chinese number. It is free for you to answer the call, and for those who call you, they only need to pay the local call fee. That’s all.

In addition, mobile phone cards such as Lycamobile, Delight, Lebara, etc. are also sold in small shops around the school. Since there are fewer people using them and the services and networks are uneven, we will not introduce them here.