Mobile Providers Good for Int'l Use?

[jr_citizen]

I'm arriving in HKG in a couple weeks and need to get a mobile phone sorted out quite quickly. Having read through the forums, I think I have a sense of what to do, but thought I would solicit some advice all the same.

While I will be based in HK and of course need a plan to cover local minutes, I will also be travelling fairly often throughout the APAC region. I image at least half of my calls will be international calls -- predominately in APAC, but sometimes further afield (US and Europe). I will also need international texting. I do a fair bit of mobile browsing, and I've been using 3G in the UK for the past year so I'd rather not drop back to GPRS (at least while in HK!). If possible I'd like to get a plan that includes wifi service in HK too.

Although company is going to reimburse me for my plan, I still want to get a good deal that will cover my needs. That said, I'm willing to pay a bit more for reliable service than going with the cheapest option possible.

It seems that CSL is the best company to go with, although I do give pause over the fact that their billing seems a bit complicated. I'm also not clear on the difference between 1010 and One2Free. I haven't read as much about Smartone, but they didn't seem to have as flexible plans... or am I mistaken?

Also, where is good to find out about current offers, other than each providers website? Is it good to look in the paper, or a website? Can you negotiate with the providers on plans, or for new contracts is it just what they offer?

Thanks in advance

[rolling smith]

just remember, the quality of the line can change depending on the company you choose, especially if you make overseas calls.

I recently made a call to the US using a very cheap rate from a mobile phone company, the person at the other end was complaining.

[PDLM]

Most people buy their mobile phone plan and their international calls separately. There are many, many ways of buying IDD calls - which is the best deal depends on where you call. All the different IDD providers have different international access codes (which replace the "00" or "+"), including 0060, 0080, 1529, 1618, 1511, etc... and most of the services are named after that access code.

[jr_citizen]

Thanks. I didn't realise that most people buy their IDD separate from the mobile service itself. Any tips on finding the best deal for my needs?

Whats the difference between One2Free and 1010 then? They are both CSL companies but I can't figure out the difference.