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Best phone deals?


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I am currently using Les Minutes to make calls while here in France, mainly to make calls within France on land lines and mobiles as well as calling the UK. I know they have a connection charge but I ran out of time while on a long call yesterday and it didn't seem to add up and appears to be expensive.

Can anyone here recommend a good low cost phone service?

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Hi Cheryla,

 

Note you now have Broadband.  Who do you use?? We are desperate to  get this but there seem to be so many companies out there offering so many different things and unfortunately my French is VERY basic!!

 

Fiona

 

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Fiona

It is not really very complicated to get broadand in France.

Step 1 - find out if it is available on your telephone line go to www.degrouptest.com and enter your telephone number in the box then press 'démarrer le test' this will give you a chart of the various offers available on your line. Look in the box on the right 'Eligibilité France Télécom'. In the list "IP ADSL 512" etc if they say 'possible' in a green box then you can get broadband. If they all say 'impossible' in a red box then you can't get broadband.

Let us know what it says when you do the test, then we can progress...

hope that helps

Danny

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Hi Danny,

 

Did the test and it read IP ADSL512 - Possible also IP ADSL1024R - Possible.  The rest of the list was impossible. 

Does this mean that I can get either/or and is this the speed they are talking about?? 

It's not only my French that is very basic - but computer technology and me don't seem to go hand in hand!!

 

Thanks for your help

 

Fiona

 

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Well we use our broadband connection quite a lot now, but if we just want to use the ordinary FT landline, we use a system called France Monde. You buy a card at the Post Office - either €7.50 or €15 is good to start - the way the system works is explained with the card. We find it to be very cheap. If you enter the code into the 'phones' memory, it's also very easy to use.

If it was just me I think it would last a couple of years, but my other half seems to make better use of it!!

Tim

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[quote user="Fiona"]

Hi Danny,

Did the test and it read IP ADSL512 - Possible also IP ADSL1024R - Possible.  The rest of the list was impossible. 

Does this mean that I can get either/or and is this the speed they are talking about?? 

It's not only my French that is very basic - but computer technology and me don't seem to go hand in hand!!

Thanks for your help

Fiona

[/quote]

OK, from your reply,  it suggests the line is eligible - albeit at pretty basic broadband speeds. It is still way quicker than dial up and it is always on and you can use the phone at the same time as the computer etc.

On the same page you will see the various companies who offer broadband. Orange, Neuf, Free, Alice are the major ones. Click on each logo to go to the home page of each supplier and enter (again) your tel number to see exactly what is offfered by the various companies.

I am guessing from your reply that you will be offered something like 1 meg or 512 k in zone non degroupé. This means that basic broadband will be offered by some (Neuf and Orange) at around 24 euros p/m. You will need a broadband modem/router to use with these deals.

The other offer you might get is an all in one deal offered by all for 30 euros eith Free and 35 with the rest. Orange's charges are a bit more complicated/expensive than the rest. Free is the cheapest. Orange's unlimited tel calls are not as extensive ie (no UK! unless you pay extra)
With this kind of deal you get broadband, wifi (wireless) modem and cables and stuff all supplied and most importantly unlimited telephone calls to many countries through a phone plugged in to the modem. If you use the tel a lot this might be very useful. There are other options too but this is how the basic packages work. For all these, you will still need to pay for the FT phone line.

There are other charges and various conditions to all the companies offers but this should give you a good idea of where to start

I await your next question ...!

regards

Danny

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Cheryla, thank you for the Telerabais tip, I will have to give them a try.

Danny, it is such a shame we didn't have all of the offers you mentioned when we got broadband with Orange under a year ago. I think it is probably too late to get one of the telephone deals. When we first signed up we tried the livebox but had all sorts of problems with it, decided to take it back and exchange it for an ordinary modem. So, unfortunately we have no wifi. I do use Skype but I much prefer using the phone and not having to use the headphones and be tied to the computer every time I need to make a call.

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Hi Danny,

 

From the Free page, it says I am able to have IPADSL 1216 wth Freebox 4.  Do you think this is a good way to go??

Also, I know it is French (but how I so wish they could have an English Version), but how do I go about getting it?  Do I just fill in on the web (the bits I can understand) and they send the modem etc out? 

What is really scary though is if they do (and I can't understand the French written word) - where do I go from there?  I know most instruction booklets are in all sorts of languages but I wonder if this one would be.

Otherwise, can I get you tied to your computer during the installation process to assist?????????????

Regards

Fiona

 

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We have our broadband with Neuf for €34,90 a month which includes free phone calls (including to the UK). We no longer pay anything to France Telecom.

It was easy to set up and it works well, although of couse if there's a power cut the phone wouldn't work, but most power cuts only last a short time.

Cheryl

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hi we have had a holiday home for two years and as yet have not got a phone line, we have a phone point in the house so there has been one in the past , we would also like internet access, our french is not brilliant yet, but we are trying very hard to lean, any help with getting the process started ( getting a phone) would be greatly recieved.

Judith

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Fiona

I don't think there is really a great deal of difference between all the providers. From all reports, they are all as bad as each other at rectifying any problems.

If you want to go with Free then you sign up on the www.free.fr page. Start by entering your number again, it will come up with the next page where it tells you what you can expect, mine says this "Vous bénéficiez d'une des offres proposées ci dessous Freebox (adsl non dégroupé) 2432 kbps"

Underneath this you should have two boxes to choose from. One labelled "Freebox non dégroupé" and the other "Freebox only"

Freebox non dégroupé means you choose broadband and keep the FT line and continue to pay FT 15 euros p/m
Freebox only means you can choose (if it is offered) to stop having the FT line altogether and save the 15 euros p/m. This means that all phone calls will be carried by Free and all calls through the modem to the 49 countries will be free but any other calls which fall outside of this are not free. It means that for whatever reason the broadband or modem is not working ( working on the adsl line, dodgy modem, no electricity etc) you will have no phone.
Personally, I don't fancy this although Cheryla seems quite happy with this. It might seem different if the modem goes wonky and you really need to speak to the plumber or doctor or whoever or they really need to contact you! It would mean contacting the Internet company to get the modem exchanged and that could take a while...That seems the worst situation I can imagine with this set up. I feel it is worth paying the extra 180 euros a year to keep the FT line but it is up to you. If you choose this you can keep your predent number and it will be used by Free "portabilite de numero".

After you choose one or the other, you go to the next page fill in your details, then the next page, bank details then it gets confirmed on line and you will get sent the equipment and the line will be activated (normally)within a couple of weeks. If you want a wireless service (i.e computer not connected by cable to the modem) then you will have to ask Free for an extra wireless card  -27euros- which slots in to the box. You will need a wireless enabled computer too.

All of the other companies work in a similar way but Free is really the cheapest. I have been with Club Internet for a year with no real problems. It is about to be sold to Neuf Telecom... 

All of the ISPs in France have everything in French (of course!) except for one called www.teleconnect.fr  which is aimed at expats (in English) but the telephone service is not as comprehensive as Free. There are conditions to all the companies deals. With Free there is no fixed term contract but if you want to cancel before a certain time there is a fee to pay ( which goes down to zero as time progresses) .

I hope that helps. don't worry about the French - the more you try, the more you will learn. I know it is hard but there are plenty people here to help with things you don't understand. Sorry if I have missed anything.

Regards

Danny

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Judith

first, go to the nearest France telecom shop and ask to get a phone line set up. You might be lucky with an English speaker there. If not, can someone accompany you ? It may be possible to get a line through one of the internet companies but it is probably easier in the FT shop.

After that you can get internet access.

Danny

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You can get broadband through France Telecom with Orange as well but after seeing Danny's post it appears you can get a better deal.

France Telecom has an English speaking number you can call, it is: 33 155 78 60 56. Good luck.

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Thanks for the advice, I think there is an existing phone line to the house and was told by a 'freind' that we had to find the old phone number before they would reconnect!   any thoughs about this?      Is there a web site that will show me my nearest FT shop?   Is it better if a man sorts it out or a woman?

Thanks Judith

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I would think being a man or a woman would make no difference and if it did, I hope you give them what for. [:D]

About the previous number, you could call the English number and ask them, perhaps they would have the  records. I could be wrong but I believe that if you did have a previous number it is a lower different charge than if you don't. They may have to come out to connect but I am sure they will be able to tell you.

For the FT locations:

http://www.agence.francetelecom.com/mx/?tp=php&IDCible=1&donnee_appel=FTASN&type=12&code_rubrique=5-325853

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[quote user="Mme poivre"]

Thanks for the advice, I think there is an existing phone line to the house and was told by a 'freind' that we had to find the old phone number before they would reconnect!   any thoughs about this?      Is there a web site that will show me my nearest FT shop?   Is it better if a man sorts it out or a woman?

Thanks Judith

[/quote]

Judith

I have never tried this but I have read that if you plug a telephone in to the socket and dial 0123456789, you will hear a message which tells you the number of the previous line holder...

Danny

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Hi Danny,

 

I DID IT!!!!!!!!  Signed up this morning (with your e-mail in front of me telling me what to do!!)  Thanks for all your help.

Just had another thought though.  They will send the box (but I won't be there for another 3 weeks).  Do the post office leave a card for collection just like here in the UK?? 

 

Regards

Fiona

 

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Now you have all got me wondering if I am getting the best deal.  My broadband is with Orange (i.e. France Telecom) and costs 31,90 euros per month including anti-virus and anti-spam, using a Livebox.  My telephone line AND calls, almost all to the UK, are with Tele2, which is also a subsidiary of France Telecom.  I ring the Uk at least once a day to speak to my disabled daughter - I can e-mail her, of course, but she likes to hear my voice.  My TV is via Sky satellite and costs me £21 per month payable in the UK.

Is there some package I could get?

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[quote user="Fiona"]

Hi Danny,

I DID IT!!!!!!!!  Signed up this morning (with your e-mail in front of me telling me what to do!!)  Thanks for all your help.

Just had another thought though.  They will send the box (but I won't be there for another 3 weeks).  Do the post office leave a card for collection just like here in the UK?? 

Regards

Fiona

[/quote]

Yes the postie should leave a card but if he is anything like ours who knows  - he sometimes just leaves things on our windowsills...!

PS Did you go for "freebox only" or the other option

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[quote user="monaco"]Now you have all got me wondering if I am getting the best deal.  My broadband is with Orange (i.e. France Telecom) and costs 31,90 euros per month including anti-virus and anti-spam, using a Livebox.  My telephone line AND calls, almost all to the UK, are with Tele2, which is also a subsidiary of France Telecom.  I ring the Uk at least once a day to speak to my disabled daughter - I can e-mail her, of course, but she likes to hear my voice.  My TV is via Sky satellite and costs me £21 per month payable in the UK.
Is there some package I could get?
[/quote]

Monaco

What is available depends on where your house is. follow the advice above to see what is available on www.degrouptest.com  For TV it depends on the location also.  Note TV offers via internet are for French TV. Officially, you cannot get UK sky here in France but there are many posts on the forum about how to get UK sky in France without too much trouble.

Danny

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I went for the non degroupe as I don't want not to have a FT line.  I have just signed the direct debit to post off to Paris today so hopefully things will be there when I arrive.

No doubt I will be in touch in 3 weeks when I can't get anything to work!!!!! 

Regards

Fiona

 

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I am quite happy with my Sky satellite and I also have a long wave radio in my car so I can get Radio 4 on 198 A.M.

 AS I am expecting to move house in the next few months, I think I will stay with Tele2 for the moment.

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