Telephone, Email, and Internet Access

Telephone

All students will have a telephone in their dorm room or apartment and will be assigned a phone number after you arrive. Students are responsible for their own phone charges. The Alliance recommends that students consider purchasing a cell phone after they arrive in Beijing, Shanghai, or Xi'an. The Resident Director will provide information during orientation about how and where to purchase a cell phone. You can use your cell phone to talk with friends in China easily, and also learn how to send text messages in Chinese to communicate with Chinese friends.

During orientation, you will also receive more information about how to call home. Using calling cards purchased in China is generally the least inexpensive way to call home from China. The least expensive way to communicate with your friends and family at home using the telephone is to have them call you. There are even some calling cards available on-line in the U.S. that cost 2 cents per minute to call China from the U.S. Another easy way to keep in touch with friends and family at home is to use Skype, which enables you to talk for free through internet calling if both parties have a Skype account. Visit www.skype.com to create a free account. Skype users can also call a regular phone at very inexpensive rates.

Internet and Email

SUFE: DSL internet service is available to students in their dormitory room for a monthly fee. This service can be installed upon request after arrival in China. Alliance staff will advise students how to apply for internet service in the dorm rooms through China Telecom (requiring a 200 RMB deposit; 80 RMB fee per month).  China Telecom can support PCs and Apple MACs. It is also possible to use wireless service available in the International Cultural Exchange School.

FUDAN: DSL internet service is available to students in their Tonghe apartments. You will also find wireless service available in the Tonghe apartment lobby area.

BLCU: DSL internet service is available to students in their dormitory room for a monthly fee.

SNU: DSL internet service is available to students in their dormitory room for a monthly fee.

You will also find internet access in internet cafés scattered throughout the city.  Internet cafés usually require the presentation of an ID and a deposit that will be refunded on checking out. A common fee is 2 RMB per hour. Internet cafés are usually open very long hours and are good bets for spontaneous web surfing.

Should you have a laptop computer, more and more coffee shops and cafés offer wireless internet access for customer use.

It is important to keep in mind that internet access and land-line phone service may not always be available. Anything is possible, so plan as best you can to allow for more time than you might usually need to accomplish even the most humdrum of tasks using the internet.

Critical skills for success are patience and an ability to roll with the unexpected.

top