Phone and data plans. Cambodia
I arrived in PP ex Singapore a few days ago and life is going well.
As you leave the PP Airport Customs Hall you are in unrestricted public space and there are many booths or kiosks selling local phone and data plans for the various telecom service providers.
I wanted a phone and data plan for 2-3 weeks with a good data capacity as I would be using the phone as the wifi connection to my tablet computer. I went to a kiosk selling plans on the "qb" network and one of the two guys showed me a couple of plans ($10 x 1 and 1 at $15) each with a one month life and rechargeable.
I took the $15 plan as it had much more data capacity than the $10 plan and the guy proceeded to install and initialise the local SIM card. To make sure I was fully operational, I tested the phone by ringing my daughter in Australia and that worked 100.
Where things did not work out was when we tried the data and internet connection. We did not get a connection when we tried google, yahoo or a specific web address that has lots of traffic, With a perfectly straight and believable face and manner, he said that PP has poor overcrowded internet access and to try again in 15 minutes. I tried another couple of times (unsuccessfully) and considered my options to be either to commit to the qb plan and do as he said OR abort the purchase as it was not able to deliver on the requirements. I was not high energy at the time so I paid the $15 and left. It was only later when I was travelling into PP city centre that I realised that I did not know what my new local phone number was and that I had no paperwork / copy of a contract or invoice. The only paper work was a brochure with some markings he had made on it.
I tried to access the internet many times over the next two days with the same lack of any success. I checked with the guest house where I am staying and they said internet access is never a problem and suggested I get a phone and data plan through MOBITEL. I did that at a major Mobitel branch / outlet. The customer service was excellent, I had a proper contract with SIM serial numbers, relevant local phone number, a phone connection that I tested at the time by ringing Australia and whats more, an internet connection that was fast and accessed there in the branch on the first and two other sample tests. The cream on the cake was that this full and effiecent service and plan cost me $11 compared with the $15 I paid for learning and experience. I am a very happy little peanut!
MORALS OF THE STORY: (!) Do not buy services on the "qb" network if you want a data plan or documentation of your plan / contract. (2) Stay with the major players / service providers and with that I fully recommend "cellcard" plans through Mobitel.