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Why wouldn't I be able to use my U.S. cell phone overseas?In general, to use a cell phone overseas, you will
need a GSM cell phone. GSM is short for "Global Service for Mobile
Communication " and it is the mobile communications standard used
across most of the world. One feature unique to GSM cell phones is
that they all utilize a small semiconductor chip known as a SIM (Subscriber
Identity Module Card) which, among other things, stores the data that
identifies the caller to the network service provider. In the United
States, the only major cell phone providers utilizing GSM are Cingular
(including some of the customers that Cingular acquired from AT&T)
and T-Mobile. Sprint, Verizon and Alltel operate on a different wireless
standard known as CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and Nextel
utilizes yet another type of wireless service known as iDEN (Integrated
Digital Enhanced Network). Since CDMA and iDEN cell phones cannot
be used to place calls over GSM networks (and since GSM is the type of
cell phone service used in the majority of the world), most Verizon, Sprint,
Alltel and Nextel customers will find that their international roaming
options are very limited. Even if your U.S. cell phone provider is Cingular
or T-Mobile and your phone is a GSM cell phone, the odds are strong that
it will still be useless outside of North America.
Why wouldn't I be able to use my Cingular or T-Mobile U.S. GSM cell phone overseas?GSM networks in North and South America tend to operate
at frequencies of 1900 MHz and 850 MHz but most GSM networks in other
countries operate at frequencies of 1800 MHz and 900 MHz. Unless your
U.S. cell phone can operate at these other frequencies (or bands), your
phone will not be compatible with most international cell phone services.
How do I know if my U.S. GSM cell phone will work overseas? For a cell phone to operate effectively throughout
most of the world, you will want to have a tri-band phone that can operate
at 1900MHz+1800MHz+900MHz or (better yet) a quad-band phone which
can operate at 1900MHz+1800MHz+900MHz+850MHz.
All that said, unless your cell phone is "unlocked" you probably WON'T WANT to use it overseas. What do you mean "unlocked" and why is this important? Most U.S. cell phone providers "lock" their
cell phones so that you can't use the phones they issue with any other
cell phone provider. Unless your cell phone is "unlocked", it
can only be used with the service of the company that issued it. If your
phone is not "unlocked" (even if it operates on the proper bands
for you to use it overseas), the only way to use it overseas would be
through your US cell phone company's "international roaming"
plan. These international roaming plans will typically cost you around
$1.00 to $7.00 per minute for the calls you make as well as for any incoming
calls that you might receive!
What alternative is there to expensive "international roaming" plans?For most people, we recommend buying and using prepaid
SIM cards from vendors like Cellular
Abroad or Telestial.
The RATES ARE TYPICALLY MUCH LOWER and in many countries you also
get FREE INCOMING CALLS. If your cell phone is a GSM phone and
it works on the proper frequencies, see if your cell phone provider will
help you to "unlock" the phone. If so, you will only need to
buy the prepaid SIM card(s) to save. (Be sure to also verify that your
phone's charger can plug in and use the proper voltage for the electrical
system in the country or countries where you'll be travelling.) If you
have the wrong type of cell phone or you can't get it unlocked, Telestial
or Cellular Abroad can sell
you an unlocked world phone that you can use. If this is just too
confusing and you aren't sure what to make of all of this, just ask them.
They are very helpful and more than happy to explain everything you need
to know!
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International Cell Phone Service for Travelers |
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In most cases, we believe that the best option for making cell phone calls from overseas is to use an unlocked GSM cell phone with prepaid airtime in the form of a prepaid SIM card.Renting a cell phone at the airport or using international roaming service through your current cell phone provider forces you to pay outrageously high rates for all of the calls you make as well as for all of the calls you receive. On the other hand, prepaid international cell phone service lets you take advantage of the exact same rates that locals enjoy in the country or countries to which you will be traveling. With prepaid service, all outgoing calls usually cost just fractions of a dollar per minute (even for international calls) and, in almost every country, you'll get unlimited incoming calls for free.* *Getting free incoming calls gives you the opportunity to enjoy even more savings by using an international callback service such as that offered by United World Telecom. With prepaid international cell phone service, you're always in control of how much you spend and, since there are no monthly bills, you can decide ahead of time how much you will spend on cell phone calls. To help you to get the best deals on international cell phones and service, we have formed partnerships with two outstanding international cell phone service firms: Telestial and Cellular Abroad. |
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Mobile Phone Services for Residents* of Canada, the UK and Australia |
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In addition to offering international cell phone plans for travellers, we are now able to offer great deals on mobile phone service for residents* of the Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia! *To qualify and be able
to order from any of these mobile phone for residents services: |
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| CANADA CELL PHONE DEALS (FOR RESIDENTS OF CANADA) | |||||||||
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Rogers Wireless Cell Phone Deals Rogers Wireless is Canada's leading cell phone provider, offering coverage to approximately 94% of Canada's population. Order today and receive free shipping and free accessories. Click Here for Details! |
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| UK MOBILE PHONE PLANS (FOR RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM) | |||||||||
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3 Mobile - the UK market leader in 3G 
In May 2000, the UK government awarded five licences to run 3G wireless services. In order to increase competition, the largest of these licenses was set aside for a new entrant – Hutchison 3G (now 3). In 2003, 3 launched the UK’s first video mobile network. Today, 3 is the UK's market leader in 3G; with national coverage for calls and texts and the best 3G coverage in the UK – with over 88% population coverage for video services like video calling, video messaging and the downloading of video clips. |
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