# Landline phone



## Sean2008 (Sep 9, 2008)

Is it necessary to get a landline phone in Dubai or a mobile is enough?


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## bubble_boy (May 28, 2008)

Mobile should be enough. Landline calls locally though it free, and the payment for the line is something like 17 dhs per month iinm. Normally places we get food delivered from already have our address from our landline number so, it's just a matter of ordering. Also great for when your holding on a long time to govenrment offices and du or taxis.


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

bubbles said:


> taxis.




Also your work may give you a mobile so you might not need to get one yourself either. It's worth getting an ahlan (3 month visitor) sim when you first get here to find your accommodation, then you won't get harassed on your normal phone by any wierdos who you might find yourself in contact with.


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> Also your work may give you a mobile so you might not need to get one yourself either. It's worth getting an ahlan (3 month visitor) sim when you first get here to find your accommodation, then you won't get harassed on your normal phone by any wierdos who you might find yourself in contact with.


It's also much cheaper for family and friends to call you and vice versa on your landline.


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

flossie said:


> It's also much cheaper for family and friends to call you and vice versa on your landline.


Or if you are planning on getting the Internet in your house set your family & friends up with Skype before you go - they can then call you for free.

PM me for more details


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> Or if you are planning on getting the Internet in your house set your family & friends up with Skype before you go - they can then call you for free.
> 
> PM me for more details


Yes, if it's computer to computer. And let's face it, if you have a father who only turns his computer on the check the horse racing results, phoning is much easier.


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

flossie said:


> Yes, if it's computer to computer. And let's face it, if you have a father who only turns his computer on the check the horse racing results, phoning is much easier.


The mobile phone company '3' back in the UK now do a standard pay as you go GSM mobile with free Skype to Skype calls as long as you keep it topped up every so often.

...and it's only 40 quid (Welcome to Pay As You Go > Shop)

Call quality has been excellent so far (me on laptop, other person on mobile)

I don't know whether Oz do a similar thing though.


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> The mobile phone company '3' back in the UK now do a standard pay as you go GSM mobile with free Skype to Skype calls as long as you keep it topped up every so often.
> 
> ...and it's only 40 quid (Welcome to Pay As You Go > Shop)
> 
> ...


Hmm, not sure if they do. To be honest, more worried about how much it cost to ring them than how much it costs them to ring me. 

I have a daughter in high school. It is of vital importance that she can talk hours of crap to her friends for free. So that's something else to consider if you're thinking about a landline. Then again, there seems to be alot of footloose and fancy free single people on this forum. Half your luck, I say.


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## Gaza (Sep 22, 2008)

flossie said:


> It's also much cheaper for family and friends to call you and vice versa on your landline.


In the UK Welcome to call18866.co.uk! charge 16p per minute to a landline and 17p per minute to a mobile.


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Gaza said:


> In the UK Welcome to call18866.co.uk! charge 16p per minute to a landline and 17p per minute to a mobile.


Skype Out 1.7p to call UAE mobiles and Vice Versa to UK mobiles


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## gnomes (Sep 8, 2008)

Landline is generally cheaper for calling abroad, so may be worth it for you. Skype out is the best but call quality is very poor as du and Etisalat insert jitters in their network. From the UK calling UAE I found bestminutes.com was very good. Illegal phone cards are availble here in the market but I havent found any yet. Also dont go for visitor or ahlan, just go for a simple prepay sim card and i would recommend you go with Etisalat.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

I use Skype to call my friends and the call quality is very good. When you first arrive, you will only be able to get an Ahlan sim card until you get your residency visa!


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## gnomes (Sep 8, 2008)

Maz25,thats not true, I got mine by just giving them copy of passport and entry stamp


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

gnomes said:


> Maz25,thats not true, I got mine by just giving them copy of passport and entry stamp


She's always giving duff info 

I think they will only give you an ahlan sim if you don't have a passport at all as a form of ID, that's what happened to me.

I would go against the above advice about Ahlan cards and would get one as well as a normal sim. When you get here you will be ringing up people to arrange to view apartments, talk to letting agents, and hire car companies. Best they have a temporary number than you be bombarded with sales calls for the rest of your time here.


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## gnomes (Sep 8, 2008)

Thats 1 thing you dont have to worry about here. You wont get bombarded with any sales calls. Its the other way round here, if you want something YOU have to chase people even though you may be a client. Never expect them to call you back.


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## sara81 (Aug 21, 2008)

From everything I have read here, I understand that as long as you have skype downloaded on your laptop before you get to Dubai, it will work fine. So I have it downloaded but will I still be able to add credit for skype out while I am in Dubai? Or should I just add a whole load to it now in case I cant access the credit page?


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

sara81 said:


> From everything I have read here, I understand that as long as you have skype downloaded on your laptop before you get to Dubai, it will work fine. So I have it downloaded but will I still be able to add credit for skype out while I am in Dubai? Or should I just add a whole load to it now in case I cant access the credit page?



You will only be able to use Skype computer to computer, not to ring a phone. It's another Dubai money making exercise.


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## sara81 (Aug 21, 2008)

oh no  so how does crazy mazy do it?


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

sara81 said:


> oh no  so how does crazy mazy do it?


Don't know. He must know something I don't?? Maybe he will share?

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Display...file=data/theuae/2008/june/theuae_june104.xml


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

gnomes said:


> Maz25,thats not true, I got mine by just giving them copy of passport and entry stamp


You must be a lucky person then as everyone I know got asked for a copy of their residence visa before they could apply for a prepaid or monthly SIM card! It makes sense really as no mobile phone company wants a visitor to take out a monthly contract and then do a runner at the end of their holidays, without paying the bills. Not sure about the logic behind the rules for the prepaid account but then again, that's Dubai! I'm due to get another SIM card (upgrade my current visitor's SIM), so will post again when I have managed to do it and let everyone know what documentation you need!

Ahlan is like the prepaid SIM - the only difference is that it's only valid for 3 months unless you choose to convert it to a prepaid or post paid account after your initial 3 months is up!


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## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

flossie said:


> Don't know. He must know something I don't?? Maybe he will share?
> 
> Khaleej Times Online - du moves to block 'PC-to-phone,' 'phone-to-PC' calls with Skype


I have just made a call to my brother's UK Mobile (he's on Orange) from Skype on my laptop. He thought I was odd but he was crystal clear.

Have been sending texts from it since I got here too, and I have only ever topped Skype up whilst being out here.

PM me for details, with IT where there is a will, there is ALWAYS a way


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

sara81 said:


> From everything I have read here, I understand that as long as you have skype downloaded on your laptop before you get to Dubai, it will work fine. So I have it downloaded but will I still be able to add credit for skype out while I am in Dubai? Or should I just add a whole load to it now in case I cant access the credit page?


There are still certain places in Dubai where you can still download Skype. My Skype stopped working after I arrived so I deleted it and downloaded the latest version!


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## flossie (Jun 9, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> I have just made a call to my brother's UK Mobile (he's on Orange) from Skype on my laptop. He thought I was odd but he was crystal clear.
> 
> Have been sending texts from it since I got here too, and I have only ever topped Skype up whilst being out here.
> 
> PM me for details, with IT where there is a will, there is ALWAYS a way


Ah. I think I see.


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## mauizio (Sep 22, 2008)

hi there

i am moving in dubai soon.... the 5 th of oct.
what do i need to have internet at home???
and one more thing 
can u tell me if is better for me to have a pay as u go or a contract for my mobile
i am pretty sure i am not going to use it a lot....i ll be working most o my time
Thanks
Maurizio


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

mauizio said:


> hi there
> 
> i am moving in dubai soon.... the 5 th of oct.
> what do i need to have internet at home???
> ...


Hope this helps!


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## Lenochka (Apr 19, 2008)

I also got simple prepaid Card...and only had to show a copy of the passport.
Residency Visa is in progress....takes forever now as Ramadan/EID holidays slow everything down considerably....

Enjoy the holidays
Lenochka


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## qwert97 (Jun 2, 2008)

I have got one DU prepaid and one Etisalat SIm card when I was still on visit visa.

Skype works great (with Video). I also top up my Skype account in Canada and I can call local phones in Canada from my Skype here. Absolutely crystal clear reception. 

Sometimes I do have problems with skype and at that time I use VPN service and then it works fine.


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## mauizio (Sep 22, 2008)

do u know if is difficult to have a land line...

Thanks


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## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

flossie said:


> Hmm, not sure if they do. To be honest, more worried about how much it cost to ring them than how much it costs them to ring me.
> 
> I have a daughter in high school. It is of vital importance that she can talk hours of crap to her friends for free. So that's something else to consider if you're thinking about a landline. Then again, there seems to be alot of footloose and fancy free single people on this forum. Half your luck, I say.


Yes I think they do I was, still am with 3 and you buy there phone too nice ittle mobile phone with skype. I didn't get one but my daughter did. Must have been the first phone I didn't have to foot the bill for.


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## qwert97 (Jun 2, 2008)

macca_24 said:


> Yes I think they do I was, still am with 3 and you buy there phone too nice ittle mobile phone with skype. I didn't get one but my daughter did. Must have been the first phone I didn't have to foot the bill for.


I have an iphone and recently Skype released an iphone version of the skype, So you can make calls from Starbucks (connect to Wifi and call another skpe). Just a thought!


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## Gaza (Sep 22, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> Skype Out 1.7p to call UAE mobiles and Vice Versa to UK mobiles


I can't see where you are getting these costs. The Skype website gives very different figures:-

United Arab Emirates - Dubai £ 0.176 
United Arab Emirates - Mobile £ 0.171 

United Kingdom - Mobile - Hutchison3G - £ 0.166 
United Kingdom - Mobile - O2 - £ 0.166 
United Kingdom - Mobile - Orange -£ 0.166 
United Kingdom - Mobile - Others - £ 0.166 
United Kingdom - Mobile - Tmobile - £ 0.166 
United Kingdom - Mobile - Vodafone - £ 0.166


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