Cell phone abroad

[Laura]

Hello!
I am going to be in Paris for one month studying french and then traveling for 6 weeks in Western Europe. Then I leave for Thailand for 3 weeks, on to Australia for 2 months, back through New Zealand, and Figi on my way back to the US.

I will be gone for a total of 6 months. I am thinking about getting a global phone. Any thoughts on this? is it worth it or should I stick to phone cards, payphones and email.

This would be for bookings, emergency use and a way to reach me. Is it worth it? any suggestions on what kind to get if it is?

[WillTravel]

You'll probably have your cell phone turned off a lot anyway, so it wouldn't be a foolproof way to reach you. You could set up a voice mail box (I think there are some cheap services available on the Net, or maybe you could do something via your parents' or friends' home phone) so people could leave you messages. Then you could retrieve them every day or two via phone card, just as you could if you were at home.

Every global phone system I've seen has been more expensive than I've wanted to spend. That's my only objection to it but I can see why it would be nice to have. What is the cheapest system you found?

[LHR02]

I always take my cell phone with me, for the exact reasons you mention...emergencies, a way to reach me, etc. But...I use phone card for my 'routine' calls as itoffers the very cheapest way to phone home. I researched the various plans in great detail last year when it was time to renew my contract or initiate a new one and can offer that I found T-Mobile to be hands down the cheapest with the very best service and rates. You'll need to insure you have a 'global phone' and they have become almost as affordable as the others these days. I have the Motorola v60 I think it is, about $150 as I recall. But, the rebates and deals got it in my purse for about $70. You need to call them once service is established and ask them to turn on International roaming, doesn't cost you anything at all to have it activated, they just don't do it on every account as a matter of course. This last trip to Italy....worked like a charm. Nothing to do, just call like I was at home. For anyone to call you, they simply dial your number the same as they would if you were right down the street. You will have to dial the necessary international codes to call from wherever you are. I checked my phone twice a day for messages but didn't leave it on all the time. My voice mail came through just as it does here, so I knew who called, when. Their published rates for most of Europe are 99 cents a minute, incoming or outgoing, and on shorter calls of a few minutes duration that was the price. However, on my birthday I was in a place that did not have a phone and my daughter called me. We talked for 46 minutes (!) but the bill was $33...less than expected. Bear in mind that if you do have voice mail, it's 99cents to call and get the messages. But it proved to be an easy to use way to allow myself to be reachable in an emergency. Let me know if you have other questions.

[CuriousToronto]

I just switched cell phone service providers in large part to switch to a "global phone" type of system. For me that meant switching from Telus to FIDO.

In Canada (or at least in Ontario) the global phones aren't really terribly popular so when I was studying in Europe I didn't even realize that a global phone was an option. I was really confused about this entire SIM card business.

Some of my friends purchased phones or got plans while in Europe. I decided not to. Having said that at times I could have definitely used it.

Besides, some of those cards you have to buy for using at payphones in Paris are RIDICULOUSLY expensive! It would have been cheaper for me to pay to use a global phone.

I would also advise against using it as your regular means of communication. BUT for emergencies and stuff like that I would definitely take it -- I always feel better when I have my cell!

[Eagle]

A few more comments on this topic......

LAURA -- You would probably find it quite useful to have a Cell Phone while travelling, for the reasons you stated (bookings, emergencies, etc.). I gather from your post that you don't presently have a Cell Phone??? As you appear to be from the U.S., using the same network as Dustoffmom would probably work well for you. However, check out T-Mobile and the others just to make sure.

When you're looking for a phone, keep in mind that you MUST get either a tri-band or quad-band GSM phone -- only look at companies that offer this technology. The CDMA or TDMA phones used by some of the U.S. networks WON'T WORK in Europe! GSM is by far the most prevalent cellular technology in use, with 700 - 800 million users worldwide -- for a better description of the technology and how it works, check www.gsmworld.com -- they also have good info on the various providers and roaming worldwide.

The unique characteristic of GSM phones is that these use a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module). This will be configured with your number, etc. when you first buy the phone. If you decide to buy a new phone, you simply switch your SIM Card to the phone, and it begins working right away (provided the new handset is configured for the same network, as you will see from the description of "locking" below).

One of the other things about GSM phones and SIM cards, is that it's possible to take your GSM Phone to Europe and use SIM cards for the networks over there. However, for occasional use I would suggest staying with roaming on your home network, as using Euro SIM cards opens up a new set of problems. For example, if you use a card tied to a French network and use this in any other country, the costs can be terribly expensive. However, the main obstacle to using your phone with Euro SIM cards is that the Handset has to be "unlocked" to accept the new SIM card -- most GSM cell providers have their handsets "locked" to operate ONLY on their networks, and it's usually a fairly expensive charge to get them unlocked. In some cases, unlocking the handsets can "void" the warranty on the phone.

I also use the Motorola V-60 and have been quite pleased with it so far. It's an "older" model (a relative term with cellular technology), but it works well. It should be available at a fairly reasonable cost right now??? The only "caveat" I should mention is that it has an external antenna, and therefore it's a bit more susceptible to damage (antenna breaking off!). I'm fairly careful with mine, so haven't had a problem so far. I've found that the internal antenna models don't seem to perform as well. My Son used a Motorola C-333 for a while, and it performed so poorly that we returned it and got him a V-60 as well.

I use the Rogers GSM network in Canada and have been extremely pleased with their network facilities and customer service so far. They have a similar roaming cost structure to that described by Dustoffmom, about 99 cents a minute, but this seems to vary by country. Whichever provider you sign up with will be able to give you a chart showing the rates in each country. In addition to the cell phone while travelling, I concur with Dustoffmom that it's a good idea to use the long distance phone cards on occasion, as they are relatively cheap. E-mail is also good, but it's nice to actually talk to family sometimes.

With regard to using your GSM Phone in Thailand or Australia, I would check with the provider you sign on with, to find out what type of network format they are using in each of those areas. I'm not overly familiar with the cellular technology used in that part of the world. One other point -- it might be better to sign onto a cell contract, rather than "pay as you go". I've noticed that "pay as you go" roaming seems to be considerably more restricted (I have family and friends from the UK that can NOT use their PAYG phones in Canada, but if they were on a contract they could).

CURIOUS TORONTO -- I'm "curious" on why you chose the FIDO network over Rogers GSM? If you plan on ONLY ever using the phone in one of the major Canadian cities, this should work well for you. However, the FIDO coverage is abysmal outside of the major cities. I live in B.C. and have talked with a number of unhappy FIDO customers (including one regional airline Pilot and several travellers from England whose home network roams with FIDO) who got a "rude awakening" when they decided to travel to other parts of the Province -- from their comments, it appears there is absolutely NO coverage outside the lower mainland. I suspect this is similar in other Provinces?

I hope these few comments will be of some help, Laura. Good luck in your Cell Phone selection. Happy travels!!!!

[LHR02]

Eagle...you just amaze me! Honestly! ;D You are just a wealth of info for any techno question and I appreciate your input and the fact that you post and explain things to us 'non-tech' folks.


But....you started to go into the whole SIMS cards thing and that is ultimately what drove me to T-Mobile! I don't get this, and did not want to have to worry with any of it. Hence my server choice and phone choice. I did not have to change anything at all with my phone...but will allow that I had to go into the menu once I was in Italy and change one 4 digit number somewhere (!) in there for another 4 digit number...and voila! Worked fine, just like at home. And I called them prior to leaving and they gave me detailed, very clear step by step instructions what/how to do this.

Laura....do not use your phone for everyday chats! Get thee to the tobacco shop and get an international calling card...my one in Italy cost 10 euros and gave me 4 hours..yes I said hours...of calls. But in a pinch or emergency I like to have my phone right there and ready to use.

Have a great trip!


Oh...since you will be in Asia as well as Europe I greatly suggest you spend the bucks and get a quad band phone vs a tri band....just to be sure you will be able to access the system wherever you are. And truthfully, they aren't too awfully expensive these days...look for deals and if none are offered, bargain with them. It's a highly competitive business these days and you can generally get a good deal even if it is not offered just coz they greatly want your business!

[BigRay]

Just a quick note on SIM cards, in some countries they can be extremely cheap to purchase. If your phone allows you to switch SIM cards, this can be a cheap and easy alternative. In the Czech Republic, you can get a T-Mobile SIM card which will give you a local number for about US $13. Included on this card is US$10 of credit. This can be great for calling hostels or hotels for reservations. There is also a voice over IP service from the phone that allows me to call the US from my mobile phone for about US $0.33 a minute. All it takes is dialing 1042 before the number.

In Sweden, the cost of a local SIM card is similar to the Czech Republic. In Spain, I know Telefonica (MoviStar) SIM cards start at about 60 Euros, including 48 Euros credit. France with SFr is similar.

If you know you are going to be in one country for a while, it might be worth it to pick one up. I have a mini collection of them now and I try to pick one up for every country I will be in (or plan to be in) for an extended period. I used to think I wouldn't need a phone, but it has come in handy for me so many times I can't live without it.

[Laura]

Thank you all for your suggestions they are extremely helpful. I do have a cell phone right now, although it is through work and Sprint service. It will be turned off when I leave my company in June.

I think going with T-Mobile quad band phone sounds like the best thing, getting a US number and just roaming. That way I can tie all my credit cards, bank stuff to that number since I wont have a home phone any longer when I leave.

Thank you so much for your help! I will report back on which one I get and how I like it.

[CuriousToronto]

Eagle said:

CURIOUS TORONTO -- I'm "curious" on why you chose the FIDO network over Rogers GSM? If you plan on ONLY ever using the phone in one of the major Canadian cities, this should work well for you. However, the FIDO coverage is abysmal outside of the major cities. I live in B.C. and have talked with a number of unhappy FIDO customers (including one regional airline Pilot and several travellers from England whose home network roams with FIDO) who got a "rude awakening" when they decided to travel to other parts of the Province -- from their comments, it appears there is absolutely NO coverage outside the lower mainland. I suspect this is similar in other Provinces?

I hope these few comments will be of some help, Laura. Good luck in your Cell Phone selection. Happy travels!!!!

Ummm . . . I did a TON of research when switching providers recently so I knew what I was getting into. Despite that I still chose FIDO.

Basically, I was with Rogers A LONG LONG Time ago (before the global phone thing) and I didn't like their service. In fact it was downright sucky. Not only that but I didn't like the plans they were offering at the moment -- none of them were really what I wanted. And if they were they cost more than the $25/month that I was willing to pay.

But as far as the bad coverage outside cities thing I was down with that. Truth is I live in an urban centre and since I don't drive I don't generally get outside the city. Sucks but it's true. And when I do it's up to Algonquin Park and needless to say I don't really expect reception up in cottage country. Even Telus was super-sketchy up there! And Fido has coverage in the essential Stratford (for the festival) and Niagara Falls area.

I do know that FIDO totally drops out on the 401 corridor in between Toronto and Ottawa. And if for any reason I end up at Ottawa Law I'll just have to off-load my cell phone on my mother and switch again.

Basically what kept me away from Rogers was the cost.

It came down to staying with Telus and switching to FIDO. My Telus phone died -- I'd been with them for 6 years and they were giving me a totally raw deal (and their phones aren't very good)! I called them and told me they weren't giving me any incentives to stay meanwhile here they were throwing all this stuff at FIDO people to lure them over.

FIDO gave me a free phone (Sony Ericsson T310) that was more souped up than anything I could have gotten with Telus and I got a really good package (Fido to Fido 25).

I took it for a test drive too and I was happy with its coverage in areas I frequented. All in all it's been a good experience!

I agree that it's not for everyone though - particularly if you go outside the city a lot.

[WillTravel]

With Fido, my daughter lost her phone and we were upset thinking how much it would cost. But they sent another one free!

[Eagle]

CURIOUS TORONTO -- Thanks for your candid and detailed reply! When I read your first Post, it wasn't readily apparent whether you were aware that Rogers also offered GSM service. It sounds like you have done your homework, and selected the plan that best fits your current needs. I want to stress that I was just curious about your selection.

Sorry to hear that you had some problems with Rogers service in the past. I've been with them for about 15 years (back in the days of the old Motorola analog "bricks), and will admit there were a few "bumps" along the way. Overall during that period I feel their service has been good to excellent, and I attributed the occasional problems to growing pains (which occurred with the other networks also). In my experience, their customer service lately has been excellent! I've always received top notch service when dealing with the CS representatives lately.

There are always ongoing and continuous debates in this area regarding whether Rogers, Telus or Bell has the best network coverage. In my experience they seem to be about equal, but there will always be areas where one network has slightly better coverage. Telus seems to have been a bit more proactive at installing new towers in areas not previously covered (I won't get into specifics in the interest of brevity). I travel occasionally, and need to have service in most of the areas that I travel to (Okanangan, Lower Mainland, U.S., Kootenays and HOPEFULLY Europe in the near future). There is NO Fido service in this area, so this of course was a major factor in my choice of Rogers.

I can appreciate that cost was a major factor in your decision. All networks seem to offer promotions from time-to-time where they provide the phone handset at no cost. It seems odd that Rogers wouldn't be more willing to match prices with it's main competitor in the GSM market???

It sounds like you got a good phone and good coverage for your situation. Thanks again for your informative reply. I always enjoy reading your Posts.

Cheers!!!

[Michelle]

Eagle - Telus is my cell provider, and I don't think there are many places I have been that I didn't have coverage! Even out in the middle of Shuswap Lake I had great reception! Not to mention the Okanagan, and I've brought it as far east as Winnipeg, and as far south as San Francisco and never had a problem! I have friends who use Rogers or Fido and some of them have trouble with reception in their own homes! I'm likely to stick with Telus for a while I think... Their coverage is great!

[Eagle]

MICHELLE, I enjoyed reading your comments. I've heard that Telus coverage is better in some areas, and have no doubt this is true. I know of some areas where Telus is the ONLY provider available, and I'm sure they're increasing market share because of this (I've tried to point this out to Rogers on several occasions, but it's like talking to a brick wall!!!). In my travels lately (mostly between the Okanagan and the Lower Mainland), I have found the coverage to be reasonably good in most of my travel corridor.

I was willing to give Rogers some "slack" in this area, as I knew there were going to be some growing pains when they "overlaid" their entire Canada wide TDMA / Analogue network with a parallel GSM system (no doubt a very expensive proposition!!!). They seem to be "tweaking" this all the time, so I have no doubt coverage will improve over time. I also liked the fact that for travel within Canada, I would be staying with the same network from coast-to-coast, and all the features on my plan would be fully available regardless of where I happened to be.

One of the overwhelming reasons why I decided to stay with Rogers (in addition to the great customer service I mentioned above), was their expansion into GSM technology, which is by far the most widely used cellular technology worldwide! The ability to use my Phone during travel in Europe was important to me, and for this reason I selected a good quality tri-band handset (the quad-band handsets hadn't been introduced at the time). The CDMA technology used by Telus can NOT be used in Europe as far as I know, so switching carriers was not an option. Having said that, I should mention that Motorola will be introducing a new handset very shortly (A840, I think) that will allow use on both CDMA bands as wells as the two European GSM bands. I suspect this will be a bit expensive when it's first introduced.

One interesting point on coverage -- several years ago I travelled to the Los Angeles area using one of the older analogue phones. Due to "security" concerns I was required to switch bands when south of San Francisco, and use the "wireline" band (ie: Telus). During that time I was in that area, I changed bands from time-to-time to see if there were any differences in coverage. In my experience the coverage on both bands seem to be equal -- many areas along my route had no coverage from either carrier, and in areas where there was coverage, both bands were available.

I'm pleased that you're getting good service from your provider. I just wanted to reply to let you know that I read your Post, and offer a few more comments on this topic.

Cheers!!!!

[CuriousToronto]

I will give one thing to Telus - their coverage was excellent! BUT for me at this point it wasn't enough to over-ride other concerns.

Like I said I'd been with Telus forever - I signed up back when the big draw with Telus was their month to month plan. I had a crazy plan that was excellent. When they first introduced contracts (a couple of years back) I decided to keep my plan instead of signing a contract 'cause it was such a good deal. Over time they started slowly taking away minutes from me and making me pay for things that used to be included. But I was still willing to suck it up!

My phone dying was the breaking point though. That was when I decided to shop around. I was horribly disappointed with the lack of incentives to stay with Telus. To get a phone cheaply I had to sign a contract that was going to be a lot worse than my current plan and would be very expensive to get out of if I had the need to do so. And then on top of that the phone I was going to get was going to be rather sub-standard compared to some of the phones being offered by other service providers.

Meanwhile FIDO totally had all the incentives I needed! The phone was free, the plan is great, and if I need to get out of my contract it's not that expensive.

Yeah Telus has good coverage but FIDO is where it's at for me at the moment. And let me just say I have been thrilled with their customer service so far - it's outstanding!

As for Rogers - some time in the future I may try them again but at the moment I just didn't find them to be the best option for my needs -- particularly due to the price of the plans!

Who knows, the way the entire service provider market is going right now I think sometimes the best thing to keep doing is switching providers everytime your contract expires - that way you get all the benefits of a new activation.

[Annoymous]

Hi there, I just thought I'd ad some info for those wondering about getting a GSM phone. For those of you in Canada, Rogers Wireless and Fido are the 2 GSM carriers in Canada. Stay away from Bell, Telus, Aliant as they work on the CDMA networks that was referred to earlier. For those of you in the States the 3 Big GSM carriers are Cingular, At&t Wireless, and T-Mobile. Stay away from Verizon, Sprint and Nextel as they are not GSM.

The key thing is when you purchase a phone from these companies is to get phone with the right frequencies for where you are going. In North and South America we use 2 frequencies 1900mhz and/or 850mhz (850mhz provides best reception, not available with Fido and T-mobile). Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and then rest of the world work on 1800mhz and/or 900mhz. (again 900mhz provides better reception) There are a few exceptions (ie Brazil works on 1800mhz). Be careful with tri-band phones as there are different combinations with tri-band (ie 1900/1800/900, 1900/1800/850, or 1900/850/900). Quad band phones like the new motorola V600 are worry free.

For Australia (1800&900), New Zealand (900), and Thailand (1800) you need to get a phone that has both overseas frequencies. For western europe you are safe in getting a phone that has 900 or 1800 as those countries all tend to operate dualband.

Hope this was not too confusing