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 a phone card or if the number you are dialling is an 0800 or 0500 number, both of which are freephone numbers in the UK. 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, BT cards, 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 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.

You can purchase a BT phone card (£3, £5, £10 and £20) at most newsagents (look for the BT Phone card sticker in the window). To use these cards, simply insert them into the telephone and make your call. The telephone will display the card's balance, and only deducts money for the duration of your call. Alternatively you can purchase a phone card with an 0800 freephone number, which means that you can use it in both phone boxes and in your apartment. There are a number of different cards on the market, and they are widely available. The Number 1 Phone card offers very cheap rates to the United States (as low as 3 pence a minute).

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.

The Carphone Warehouse has their own network, Mobile World, which offers particularly cheap calls back to the US. You can receive incoming calls at no charge, and calls to the US will cost only 5p per minute. If you want to avoid having to purchase phonecards then this network is probably the best option for you.  

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.  

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 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.

Internet
For the majority of students Internet access is key to living abroad. Many of our apartment buildings offer wireless Internet access. Please contact us to check on this for your individual building.  

If you are having classes at the Anglo American Study Centre then you will have 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 in your apartments or where you are studying then fear not, there are plenty of internet cafes located around London. One of the biggest chains is Easy Everything. http://www.easyeverything.com/map/index_uk.htmlYou can either purchase a certain amount of credit, or a pass allowing you unlimited access for a certain period of time.  

Please be careful when using Internet cafes. They are a hotbed of crime. Many students have fallen foul to crime in the past.   If you are going to the Internet Café then take as little as possible with you, and make sure that you have your belongings close to you at all times. It only takes a moment. You are busy typing away to your friends on IM telling them what a great time you are having, and someone is taking your bag from the back of your chair, or from between your feet.