Mobile Going abroad Dont be afraid to pack the cell phone.Dont let the horror stories scare you off.Firing up the cell phone in another country need not be as.Unlocked Blackberry 8830 World Edition Mobile' title='Unlocked Blackberry 8830 World Edition Mobile' />Going abroad Dont be afraid to pack the cell phone.Update 1. 1 4. 7 a.PDT This story has been updated with additional information about Verizon Wireless international roaming voice and data plans.Information about roaming in Japan and South Korea has also been updated.Its summer time. And you know what that means Harrowing international travel with your cell phone.Unlocked Blackberry 8830 World Edition Mobile' title='Unlocked Blackberry 8830 World Edition Mobile' />While the sour economy may be keeping some travelers closer to home this summer, good deals on flights and hotels, and the growing strength of the U.S. dollar are enticing some travelers to grab their passports and book a flight to Europe and other parts of the world.I happen to be one of them.I just bought a plane ticket to go to France in August.And since cell phones are now so much a part of our everyday lives, its hard to part with them when we hop on a plane to another country.But stories of 3,0.Phone bills when we return, have scared many consumers into turning off their phones or leaving them at home.But what if youd like to check in on the kids back home during your trip, or you need to find your travel companions while wandering around the Gothic quarter in Barcelona Or maybe youve met some nice locals who want to catch up with you later, but they need your number to text you Well, Im here to tell you that firing up the cell phone in another country need not be as scary or expensive as you think.But first you need the facts.To help you get started, Ive put together this FAQ that can answer some basic questions about which phones and carriers offer service abroad and how much you can expect to pay.For more information, check out your carriers Web site.Also check out a couple of stories written by my CNET Reviews colleague Kent German, who has written a very informative Quick Guide to international phone usage as well as a comparison of some of the hottest world phones on the market.Does it matter which wireless operator I have if I want to use my phone abroad Yes it does.While all of the four major wireless operators in the U.S. can provide international roaming in some parts of the world, some carriers are more limited in where they can offer service based upon the technology they use.In the U. S. wireless operators use two main cellular technologies GSM and CDMA.GSM, or global system for mobile communications, is used throughout much of the world, including in Europe where its the standard, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as much of Asia and the Middle East.In the U. S., AT T and T Mobile USA operate GSM networks.As a result AT T and T Mobile have the most extensive networks abroad.AT T has roaming agreements in more than 1.Its triband and quadband phones will work in most parts of the world, except in Japan and South Korea, where youll need a special phone that either supports CDMA or uses the 3.G standard UMTS in the 2.MHz frequency band.Sony Ericsson, Nokia, and a few other phone manufacturers now offer multi band GSM phones that also include support for UMTS 2.Coverage also extends to some cruise ships.T Mobile USA is owned by German telecom provider Deutsche Telekom, which operates its T Mobile wireless service in seven countries in Europe, including Germany, the U.K., and the Netherlands.T Mobile has roaming agreements with over 1.Central America, Australia, much of South America, and some countries in Africa.It also offers coverage on some cruise ships.Like AT T, service in Japan and South Korea requires a special phone.CDMA, which stands for code division multiple access, has less worldwide coverage than GSM.The U. S. is one of the biggest markets for CDMA.This is the technology that is used by the largest operator in the U.S. Verizon Wireless.Sprints PCS network also uses CDMA.The old Nextel portion of Sprints network uses a different technology called i.DEN, which is used in a limited number of places outside the U.S. Verizon Wireless, which is jointly owned by Verizon Communications and the worlds largest wireless operator Vodafone, has roaming agreements with more than 4.CDMA service and more than 2.GSM. Verizon subscribers can use their CDMA handsets to roam in China and Taiwan, Guam, Guatemala, Indonesia, Vietnam, Israel, India, New Zealand, Thailand, Mexico, South Korea, much of South America, and a few Caribbean islands.A software upgrade may be required for some countries.Coverage is available on some cruise ships as well.Sprint CDMA subscribers can roam in 2.U. S. territories.And the company has agreements with carriers in more than 1.CDMAGSM phone. The i.DEN network only offers services in 1.U. S. territory. A Sprint CDMA phone should work in most of Central and South America and the Caribbean along with New Zealand, Indonesia, China and Taiwan, South Korea, India, Israel, Thailand, and a few U.S. territories. As for Nextel users, i.DEN roaming is limited to Canada, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Jordan, Peru, Brazil, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Israel.Nextel also offers a dual mode i.DENGSM phone called the Motorola i.The bottom line is that the devices used on AT Ts and T Mobiles networks are more likely to work in more countries around the world than devices used on Verizon Wireless or Sprints networks.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 8.MHz and 1. 90. 0 MHz frequency bands.In Europe they use the 9. Printable Writing Paper With Lines For Kids there. MHz and 1. 80. 0 MHz frequency bands.Japan and South Korea use the 2.MHz band. So to make sure youre covered in most regions, you should either get a triband GSM 9.GSM 8. 509. 001. Travelers in Japan and South Korea will likely need a new phone, since wireless operators in Japan and South Korea do not use GSM.That said, carriers in Japan and South Korea are using the same 3.G standard that GSM carriers are using, which means that phones supporting a technology called UMTS or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System using the 2.MHz spectrum band will also work in Japan and South Korea.If you dont 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.Do Verizon Wireless and Sprint have any world phones that can be used in countries where GSM is the predominant cell phone technology used Yes they do.Verizon offers a few world phones that have both CDMA and GSM radios built in.These include, the Black.Berry 8. 83. 0 World Edition, Black.Berry Storm, and the Samsung Renown.Verizon also offers a special program for travelers who dont have a GSMCDMA Verizon handset and who are traveling abroad to a country that does not use CDMA.This program, called Global Travel Program, is offered to current Verizon Wireless subscribers without a daily rental fee or security deposit.The program is designed for customers traveling on short trips that last less than 2.Customers can call 8.Global Services Activation specialist to request a global phone.Subscribers will get to use their existing phone number and voice mail.And contact lists can be transferred to the global phone.A nominal shipping fee applies.And customers must either sign up for special international rate plans or pay regular international rates, depending on which country theyre visiting.Sprint also has a few world phones, such as the Black.Berry 8. 83. 0 World Edition, the Samsung IP 8.HTC Touch Diamond.Do I need to call my carrier before I leave to activate international calling Yes, you should call your wireless provider to make sure your phone is ready to make and receive calls in a foreign country.You can also check with your carrier for the exact rates in the countries where youll be traveling.How much will it cost me to use my phone in another country This will depend on which carrier you have service with here in the States.Calls will be charged on a per minute basis.For subscribers with U.S. cell phone service, domestic voice, text message or data plans do not apply when traveling in another country.
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