International Cell Phone Links & FAQs  LINKS TO CELL PHONE RENTAL COMPANIES “Traditional” Cell Phone Rental Companies Click here for links to popular international cell phone rental companies. These international cell phone rental companies are separate from your U.S. cell phone. Per-minute call charges are billed at the end of your trip to a credit card. Multi-nation roaming is possible and 24-hour customer service is usually offered. Call charges are average to high. Click here for links to popular international cell phone rental companies. GSM Phone Rentals and Sales & International Prepaid SIM Cards Click here for links to cell phone rental companies that offer GSM phone rentals and sales, and sales of international prepaid SIM cards. Using a local prepaid SIM card gives you a local (foreign) phone number, and the service is pay-as-you-go. Credit vouchers must be purchased locally - there are no bills. Best for single country trips or extended stays. Roaming can be a challenge, but the in-country rates are as low as they get. Click here for links to cell phone rental companies that offer GSM phone rentals and sales, and sales of international prepaid SIM cards. International Roaming with a U.S. Cell Phone Click here for descriptions, phone numbers and links to international roaming information for U.S. carriers, including Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. Trust and familiarity are advantages of roaming internationally with your U.S. cell phone. Per minute international roaming rates are billed to your account or by a third party provider at the end of your trip. Often you can continue to receive calls to your U.S. cell phone number while abroad, sometimes at no extra charge. Click here for descriptions, phone numbers and links to international roaming information for U.S. carriers, including Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. LINKS TO TOURISM AND TRAVEL SITES Virtual Tourist Travel community with photos, travelogues, destinations, postcards, forums and chat areas. www.virtualtourist.com Bootsnall Information about places around the globe. Discussion boards, travel guides and travelers toolkit. www.bootsnall.com GENERAL INTERNATIONAL TELECOM INFORMATION International Cell Phone FAQs GSM INTERNATIONAL CELL PHONES AND PRE-PAID SIM CARDS FAQs Can I use My US Cell Phone Overseas? Can I Use a SIM Card in My Cell Phone? Which GSM Bands are Used in which Countries? What is an Unlocked Phone? It is not likely your US phone will work overseas unless you own a tri-band or Quad-band GSM phone. If you wish to use the international SIM card, the phone will also need to be “unlocked” – able to function with any SIM, not just the one that came with it. T Mobile and AT&T/AT&T are the only GSM service providers in the United States. Phone Must be GSM A phone that will work outside the U.S. (most countries) must use GSM technology. GSM phones have a thumbnail-sized chip in the back, usually under the battery, called a SIM chip or SIM card. The SIM chip gives the phone service from a cell phone service provider (carrier) and determines the phone number. A GSM phone will not function without a SIM chip. In the United States, T Mobile and AT&T/AT&T use GSM technology. Phone Must Operate on Correct GSM Frequencies: N. America = 850/1900 MHz, Overseas GSM = 900/1800 GSM networks in the United States operate on different frequencies than GSM networks overseas. In the U.S., the GSM networks operate on 850 and 1900 MHz frequencies. In most of the other 200+ GSM countries around the world the frequencies used are 900 and 1800 MHz. S. America and the Caribbean use a mix of the four. Most US GSM cell phones only function on the 850/1900 frequencies used in the United States. The most versatile phone is an unlocked, quad band (second best is a tri-band) GSM phone. Phone Must be SIM unlocked If your cell phone operates on the correct GSM frequencies for the countries where you’ll need service then you must also be sure it is unlocked. Most phones sold by AT&T and T Mobile only function with their SIM cards, even if they operate on the desired GSM frequencies. Contact AT&T or T Mobile to lean whether your handset is compatible in the destination country and whether it is SIM unlocked. If your phone is equipped to work overseas, AT&T and T Mobile can also give you the roaming rates in other countries for comparison to the United Mobile International Service rates. Only phones from AT&T (formerly Cingular) and T Mobile might work internationally. Verizon, Sprint and all other wireless phone companies in the U.S. DO NO work abroad because they operate using a completely different technology. How Can I Tell If My Phone Is Locked? The best way to find out is to put another carrier’s SIM card in the phone and turn it on. This allows you to see for yourself rather than relying on someone on the other end of a phone line (good-intentioned though they may be!). The easiest place to get a SIM is to ask a friend or neighbor who uses a GSM carrier if you may borrow their SIM card for a moment. You will need to test a SIM from a carrier other than that of the phone. For example, test a AT&T (or AT&T) phone with a T Mobile SIM and vice versa. If the phone is from a foreign carrier (such as Orange, Vodaphone or O2) it can be tested with any US SIM card. If your phone is from AT&T (AT&T) or T Mobile, call the carrier and ask them if it is locked. If it is locked, request the unlock code. Normally they will email instructions or walk you through the procedure. Another option is to visit a AT&T (AT&T) store and ask them if you may borrow a SIM to test if your phone is unlocked. How Do Pre-paid SIM Cards Work? Free Incoming Calls Most cell phone users in the world use their phones on a pre-paid or pay-as-you-go basis. Rather than buy bundled minutes with monthly bills and free nights and weekends, they pay for all outgoing calls from their available account balance. In most countries incoming cell phone calls are for the recipient. This is why there is a surcharge when calling an overseas mobile phone from the United States. Around the world it is understood that the calling party pays for cell phone calls. Outgoing Come Out of Balance, The pre-paid service used in other countries operates exactly the same as those being introduced in the United States. There must be a credit balance on the account in order to make outgoing calls. All outgoing call charges are deducted from the credit balance according to the carrier’s rates plan. Remember, in GSM phones, the carrier, rates and phone number are determined by the SIM card currently in the phone. Add More Credit at Newsstands and Convenience Stores To add more credit, purchase a voucher card from the carrier’s whose SIM is being used in the phone (e.g. a phone using a Vodafone SIM will need to buy a Vodafone recharge voucher). These top up or recharge cards are sold in various denominations at convenience stores and newsstands displaying the carrier’s logo. Call into the system following the instructions on the back of the voucher and enter the PIN from the voucher to add credit. It is a free to call to check the phone’s balance at any time. It is a very simple procedure performed by hundreds of millions of GSM cell phone users everyday. All About GSM Cell Phones to that article How is the Coverage in Other Countries? GSM coverage in other countries is generally very good and in most Western countries even small towns and villages are generally covered. However, it is subject to the same limitations as coverage in the United States. Rural areas, mountainous regions and places with little or no population may not be covered. Worldwide GSM Coverage Maps to our GSM coverage maps page For absolute worldwide coverage, The highest level of coverage reliability is a satellite phone. Satellite phones get their signal from satellites orbiting the Earth. The downside of satellite phones is that they must be used outdoors with a clear line of sight to the sky. Therefore they are not ideal for use in inclement weather or in cities and canyons. However, they are great for cruise ships and other locations away from communications infrastructure. Will the Battery Charger Work Overseas? All the GSM Phones we sell come with variable voltage chargers and will function in the U.S. and other countries. A voltage converter is not required. Phones sold by Communication Headquarters come with plug adapters for US, Europe, UK and Australia/New Zealand. Can I Buy a SIM Card for My Sprint or Verizon Phone? No, Sprint and Verizon do not use GSM technology and therefore their handsets do not accept SIM cards. In fact, they are incompatible on all GSM networks. OK, there is an exception to this “rule”. Verizon (and probably soon Sprint) has introduced a phone that works on the US CDMA/TDMA networks as well as the overseas GSM networks. This specific Verizon international cell phone will work overseas with the same U.S. number at Verizon’s international roaming rates. This phone can be used with the Ring International SIM card if the phone is unlocked (able to work with SIMs other than Verizon). Can I Roam Overseas with Verizon or Sprint? If you are a Verizon Wireless customer, check with Verizon Wireless to learn the international roaming rates for the country or countries you are visiting. If you wish to roam internationally with your Verizon cell phone, you first must have the correct handset and must request the activation of international roaming service on your Verizon account. Verizon Roaming Rates Inquire what the incoming and outgoing international Verizon roaming rates are in the countries you plan to visit. Verizon International Phone Rental Learn what additional hardware rental charges and call charges you will be responsible for when using your Verizon cell phone outside the United States Keep Your US Number Overseas with Verizon Renting with Verizon allows you to keep your U.S. number while overseas. This is easy for your at-home contacts, but it also means paying for all incoming calls that come in on your cell phone. Verizon’s international roaming charges will apply to calls that reach you overseas. When you roam overseas with Verizon, the international usage charges are billed directly to your Verizon bill at the end of your trip. Is it better to Rent or Buy an International Cell Phone? Taking Two or More Trips Abroad? Buy a GSM Phone If you travel abroad every year or two, you will save money by purchasing a GSM phone just for use outside the U.S. Even if you already have a cell phone plan for the U.S. Even inexpensive cell phone rentals are $200, plus airtime. Therefore, renting a phone twice costs over $400 with airtime and shipping. There are no ongoing costs to having an idle GSM phone. The most you’ll ever need is a new SIM cards as SIM card accounts and their credit do expire after a few months to a year. Should I sign up with a GSM Carrier? You should first choose a U.S. plan that gives you the best coverage in your area and the best rates for your usage patterns. Go with GSM if you are thinking of getting new service anyway and if T Mobile or AT&T has the best coverage and plan for your needs. The advantage of going with T Mobile or AT&T is that you can often get a free or discounted GSM phone for signing up with a one or two year contract. To use the phone with a SIM card other than AT&T or T Mobile, the phone may first need to be unlocked. To that FAQ Choose Best Service Provider and buy GSM Phone for Overseas Even if you choose a non-GSM service provider like Sprint or Verizon, it might be a good idea to own a GSM phone also if you (or a family member) travels outside the U.S. more than once. *International_Cell_Phone_Rental_Links.html*International_Cell_Phone_Rental_Links.html*International_Cell_Phone_Rental_Links.html*International_Cell_Phone_Rental_Links.html*International_Cell_Phone_Rental_Links.html*GSM_Prepaid_SIM_Card_Links.html*GSM_Prepaid_SIM_Card_Links.htmlGSM_Phones_%26_Prepaid_SIMs.html*GSM_Prepaid_SIM_Card_Links.html*GSM_Prepaid_SIM_Card_Links.htmlGSM_Phones_%26_Prepaid_SIMs.html*GSM_Prepaid_SIM_Card_Links.html*GSM_Prepaid_SIM_Card_Links.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.html*international_Roaming_with_U.S._Cell_Phone.htmlhttp://www.virtualturist.comhttp://www.virtualtourist.comhttp://www.bootsnall.comhttp://www.bootsnall.comhttp://www.united-mobile.com/download/rates/united_mobile_rates_en_usd.pdf*International_Cell_Coverage_Maps.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_9shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_11shapeimage_2_link_12shapeimage_2_link_13shapeimage_2_link_14shapeimage_2_link_15shapeimage_2_link_16shapeimage_2_link_17shapeimage_2_link_18shapeimage_2_link_19shapeimage_2_link_20shapeimage_2_link_21shapeimage_2_link_22shapeimage_2_link_23shapeimage_2_link_24shapeimage_2_link_25shapeimage_2_link_26shapeimage_2_link_27shapeimage_2_link_28shapeimage_2_link_29
See the links below for: - Popular cell phone rental companies - GSM and SIM card providers - International roaming pages for major U.S. carriers. - International cellular coverage maps