Cellphone coexistence

March 8, 2010 - 8:58 PM by

Anyone’s who had a cellphone in Israel and traveled to the Dead Sea region has had the experience of having their phone bleep and let them know that they are now using a Jordanian cellphone carrier. In fact, if you continue heading north toward Beit Shean on Highway 90, the Jordan Valley road, your phone may bleep a few more times, going in and out of Jordanian and Israeli cellphone coverage. It’s cellphone coexistence.

What’s funny about all this is the billing. Here’s the story. My 18-year-old stepdaughter, Amira, is currently living in the Beit Shean area, known as Emek Beit Shean or the Beit Shean Valley, just over the hills from Jordan. She’s in a mechina, an army prepatory program, located in a moshav in the area, and has been there since September. Her cellphone bill comes to the house, and we noticed that there were a lot of calls sourced in Jordan on her most recent bill. It took a minute for the aha! factor to settle in, and then we realized: Because of her location, some of her cellphone calls end up being made using a Jordanian carrier, while others remain on the Israeli side of the border. When we talked about it with her, she was completely clued in, as she’s not the only member of her mechina to experience this. In fact, it depends on where you are in their campus; some rooms and buildings veer toward the Israeli carrier, while others end up using Jordanian coverage.

So yeah, it’s cellphone coexistence. But it’s an expensive venture.

Tags: , , • Category: coexistence, General, Israeliness, Life 

Comments

3 Comments on Cellphone coexistence

  1. Kittie Howard on Tue, Mar 9th 2010 1:18 AM

    2. I really enjoyed your blog. And I long for the times my husband and I spend in Israel. Thank you for sharing.

  2. Nicole on Tue, Mar 9th 2010 7:59 AM

    3. Firstly, you can change your cellphone settings so that you don’t automatically switch networks. It saves battery (because the phone isn’t always checking for a better network to connect to) and there’s no need to use the feature unless you are actually overseas.
    Secondly, if you call the cellphone companies to explain, they will refund you the charges (if you insist)

  3. Jessica on Tue, Mar 9th 2010 9:54 AM

    4. right-o, and they are refunding us, but when you’re an 18-year-old, you don’t always think of doing those things…

Leave a Comment





© 2012 ISRAELITY | Site by illuminea | Sitemap