USING YOUR CELL PHONE ABROAD
Many people who travel abroad wonder whether their cell phone will work when they are outside the United States. If you are a subscriber of a GSM provider, such as T-Mobile or AT&T, there is a high likelihood that you will be able to use your cell phone. To avoid any surprises, we recommend doing a bit of research ahead of time. This article will attempt to demystify the complexity of traveling with your cell phone. It is important to emphasize that using your cell phone abroad CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE. In Brazil, for example, T-Mobile charges their subscribers $2.99 a minute, which is certainly not cheap. For people who bring their phone abroad only for emergency purposes, this may not be an issue. However, for those who plan to use their cell phone when abroad extensively, consider purchasing a pre-pay SIM card upon arrival to put into your phone. Your phone, however, must be unlocked and your number will change. For info on international roaming fees, check out the following: Countries that provide GSM service primarily use 5 bands of wireless spectrum:
The more bands your handset can work on, the easier it will be to find a compatible network abroad. Many phones offer compatibility with all 4 bands and this will enable your phone to work in most countries. Be aware that some budget phones may only offer the following 2 bands, 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. Once you determine your cell phone’s GSM Band capability, the next step is to research which bands are broadcasted in the country you plan to visit. A couple of useful resources you should check out are: Here's a list of mobile phones with global roaming capabilities:
LG Shine LG CU515 Pantech Duo Pantech Matrix Pantech Breeze HTC Tilt Samsung A637 Samsung Katalyst AT&T Palm Centro Nokia 6555 Nokia 5610 xpressmusic Motorola ROKR E8 Motorola W490 T-Mobile Shadow T-Mobile Sidekick Slide T-Mobile G1 Bon Voyage! |
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Does this mean that...
Does this mean that any GSM phone from AT&T or T-Mobile will work in Europe or a GSM network in Asia?
Not necessarily. GSM carriers may be the best choice for globe-trotters, especially those traveling in Europe, but not every GSM phone works in every country. The reason is that different regions of the world use different frequency bands to transmit GSM signals. In the U.S., GSM operators only use the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz frequency bands. In Europe they use the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands. Japan and South Korea use the 2100 MHz band. So to make sure you're covered in most regions, you should either get a triband (GSM 900/1800/1900) or quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) phone. Travelers in Japan and South Korea will likely need a new phone, since wireless operators in Japan and South Korea do not use GSM or wireless internet services. That said, carriers in Japan and South Korea are using the same 3G standard that GSM carriers are using, which means that phones supporting a technology called UMTS or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System using the 2100 MHz spectrum band will also work in Japan and South Korea. If you don't have a phone that supports this technology, you can rent one from your service provider or buy a prepaid phone once you get there. In Japan, users are required to register with the carrier to activate a prepaid phone.
Great! Travel Abroad Tip
Hello!
Thank you for explaining as such. This is a e very good tip when traveling abroad.
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