Keeping In Contact
For most students studying abroad one of the key concerns when they first arrive is ensuring that they are in regular contact with home. This page will assist with the options available to those staying in the UK.
Phones
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL CALLS IN THE UK ARE CHARGEABLE
Staying in a Hotel
If you are on a short-term academic programme you may be staying in a hotel. You should always be aware that the cost of calling from your hotel rooms is going to be a lot higher than you would expect. You are far better off purchasing a phone card and using a public phone box. Remember, many hotels although they do not charge for incoming calls, will charge for all outgoing calls, including those using a freephone access number.
Apartment Phones
If you are staying in one of our apartments then it is likely that you will have a telephone provided for your use. This phone will accept incoming calls at no cost, and you will be able to make outgoing calls using your Pogolink account, which offers cheap calls back to the USA. If there are any problems with your phones, you should ring our Customer Services line on 0800 183 9955.
Payphones
Most of the telephone numbers in the London area begin with a prefix of 020 7 (central) or 020 8 (outside areas) although there is now 020 3 which is for both Central and outer London. You have to dial all the numbers along with the area code e.g. if you are in a 020 7 phone area and wish to dial Anglo American, you still need to dial 020 7 and then the rest of the number – 580 9922.
Outgoing phone calls, including local ones, are charged per minute dependant on the time of day. Phone booths accept coins, credit cards and calling cards. If you are paying with coins, you should first pick up the receiver, put in 20p minimum (for local calls) and dial the number. The phone will displays how much money is left – add more coins before being cut off (you will hear a beeping noise first). No change is given for unused time, so don’t use 50p or £1 coins unless you plan to be on the line for long. If you want to make another call don’t hang up between calls, press the Next Call button.
There are a number of different phone cards on the market which you can use to call home, and they are widely available from off licence shops and post office’s, remember to ask for the best rate.
Mobile (cell) phones
Many students who visit the UK, whether for short or long term programmes, use mobiles to stay in touch with friends and family from home, as well as for emergency whilst in the UK. You can purchase a phone, a UK SIM card and a pay-as-you go plan from any other mobile service provider (Orange, Vodaphone, O2, T-Mobile, Three and Virgin, just to name a few). Remember that on mobiles, incoming calls are free. You only pay for the calls your make, not the calls you receive.
When purchasing a phone you might want to consider what network your fellow students are using. For example, if you have a friend on Orange, and you are on Vodaphone, then the cross-network charge could be as much as 50p per minute, whereas if you were on the same network you would only be looking at 10p per minute. It is a good idea to shop around for the best deal, as there are many mobile phone networks on the market to choose from!
Sometimes mobiles from home will also operate in the UK. Also, a few US providers (including Cingular, AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile) also allow their customers to use their mobiles and pre-existing service in the UK. However, this tends to be very expensive, as customers are generally charged a high per minute rate on top of their regular plan.
A cheaper, and the best alternative is to suspend your mobile phone service (some, but not all, service providers will allow this), buy a UK SIM card and simply put it into your US mobile. This option only works if your mobile operates on a GSM network AND has a removable SIM card. Depending on the phone, you may need to unlock it before putting in the new SIM card. Contact your US service provider to find out how.
The Carphone Warehouse is a good place to get your mobile phone and sim card from. Here you can compare service providers, as they deal with many networks. There are also lots of deals and the latest promotions available. Look at the following website for more information. www.carphonewarehouse.com
Internet
For the majority of students Internet access is key to living abroad. All of the Anglo owned apartment buildings offer wireless Internet access. If you are having classes at the Anglo American Study Centre then you will have wireless Internet access throughout the building. Please ensure that your drivers are fully up-to-date, and that you have the latest virus software and Windows/Mac updates downloaded. If your computer does not have the latest software downloaded you may have problems accessing the Internet.
If you do not have Internet access or where you are studying then fear not, there are plenty of internet cafes located around London. You can find them all over the place, offering access for as little as £1.00 per hour.