Does anyone have any experience with these? The absolutely ridiculous internet service at the FOB where my hubby is makes all contact nearly impossible. He pays $60 a month for wireless service in his chu, then spends nearly every minute of his free time (which he has very little of) trying to get a connection. So he's about to give up and get an Iraqi cell phone, but neither of us have a clue what the charges will be like for him to call me or me to call him.

He's almost ready to turn on his US cell phone and start calling me on that. I nearly died when I asked AT&T what the charges would be for that! We use iPhones so I don't think he can just stick a different sim card in his phone.

Anyway, does anyone have an experience with this? We heard it'll be somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 for him to establish service, but that's about all we've heard.

Thanks in advance!

I google cell phone in iraq there it seemed you can buy or rent a sat phone and looks to be one of the cheapest things to go with hope that helps

Djen....is he able to get off the FOB and/or have access to some vendors?
If he can, have him pick up one of their cells---the 'pay as you go'/disposable kind. He can get a different SIM card and purchase minutes on the phone.
We did 2 different things while Bobby was out last time. He bought a cell off one of the outgoing guys, then bought minutes for that phone. Meanwhile I got long-distance minutes purchased for him every payday. I think it cost us about $200/mo--if that. --remember that nasty tornado that ripped thru my town and all that from 5 years ago that I told y'all about?? Never would have been able to call Bobby and talk to him without that phone...lol...was a lifesaver.

He asked me to send him his old Razr phone. Would that work if he plugs an Iraq sim card into it? It is an unlocked phone so could use any of the US carriers, and I'm fairly sure it has GSM 900 capability (I bought the phone off ebay so there's no documentation).

Btw, BAW, still can't figure out how to email you lol.

I think it would actually...only one way to find out though..

Djen, you gotta be my friend first!

DONT turn on your contract cell ohone you will be hit up the ass for roaming charges!!

get him to pay a pay as you go phone (one you buy minutes for) and us that that way it doesnt cost for incoming calls and doesnt cost to have the phone on.

german ones work and uk ones work and i have none a few us ones work must be tri or quad band generally to pick p a signal.

dont us ones where you have the contract for you will be charged out the but for it (girl i konw just paid 5000 on her husbands phone for a month just for a few quick phone calls her calling and roaming charges)

Ouch! Ok, pay-as-you-go phones it is! Thanks for the advice

BAW: I got a friend request from you in my email, and I accepted it. But after that, nothing is changed. It says I don't have priviledges to use the private messaging, or the private forums or whatever.

Here, I don't mind putting this out there: djensenalaska@yahoo.com

Email me!

the pay as you go phones that dont charge for incoming calls are definately the way to go-then get a good international calling card-i used telestial-it was pretty reasonable. Just be aware that cell coverage is not gonna be much better than internet-depending on where he is-and you will be come intimately familiar with the arabic for "the number you are calling is switched off or has traveled outside the coverage area"