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Taking your mobile to Tonga

Posted by: Samiuela LV Taufa on October 21, 2006 5:54:33 PM

TCC is testing texting service between TCC uCall Mobile service and other providers (although I'd thought they said it was working a year or two ago) better news for all those Aussies and Kiwis is the news that they can take their Vodafone NZ or Telstra Oz mobiles with them to Tonga and answer/make calls.

[ref: http://www.tongaholiday.com/news/AAAAAAAAAATcc.php ]
TCC Makes it Easy
Visitors from Australia and New Zealand, will now be able to use their home mobiles whilst on holiday in the Kingdom of Tonga, thanks to a new Roaming service provided by Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC).

TCC is the first communication company in Tonga to commence inbound roaming services with both Vodafone New Zealand and Telstra Australia.
The roaming service will enable Vodafone NZ and Telstra Australia customers to visit Tonga and use their mobile handset as they do in their own country. Customers will continue to receive incoming calls, voicemail and text messaging as if they had never left home.
Director of Marketing and Deputy Director of Tourism Sione Moala-Mafi commented that, “this is good news for visitors who will now have a far more convenient way to keep connected while on holidays. Roaming customers will be able to keep their own mobile number instead of changing SIM card when they are in Tonga and will not miss any calls to their home mobile number. It is great to see Tonga being able to offer the same telecommunication services as other more technologically advanced countries.”
TCC aims to add on other roaming partners later in the year.

The only problem with the above wonderful news is that TongaHoliday.com didn't date the release (although it comes before news with reference to September 10th and September 27th, so we're presuming September 2006 news?)

Now, if you must keep that Oz/Kiwi number open for people to call you, then you better just contact your telephony supplier before heading for the Kingdom so they can organise stuff.

But, if you intend to make a lot of phone calls I think you best consider getting yourself a uCALL SIM card when you land in Tonga, unless price is no object to you.

An aside: Texting within Tonga was not working between TCC's uCall and Shoreline's Tonfon service in July 2006, so maybe they can get that working too. (smile)

Too bad my vodafone phones are in Australia, not New Zealand. And the only other mobile phone supplier SIMs I have are optus. Man, I'm out of luck. Wierd hey ? 8-)

Nomoa.com

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Taking your mobile to Tonga