Around the World

vnvn said:
Hello -- I've been reading the forums and have another question. If I buy an unlocked phone, subscribe to a US service for domestic calls, and then buy a SIM card in another country when I'm abroad -

1. are the rates substantially cheaper?
....Yes - Much cheaper than paying roaming rates using your U.S. SIM. This would only pay, tho, if you are going to be making a fair number of calls. There is usually an initial charge of about $20-$30 to pay for the SIM. After that you just pay to "recharge" it.


2. and are SIM cards in Europe/Scandanavia/China/Thailand etc compatible with all of our GSM phones?

....The SIMS are all compatible w. all GSM phones. You do, of course, need a tri-band phone to make use of all the frequencies you will run into - 900 and 1800 abroad and 1900 here. (1900 is also used in a few Latin America countries.)

3. will I be able to receive calls at my US number while abroad using a SIM card?

.....If your U.S. SIM is in your phone AND your carrier has roaming agreements with a carrier in that country it will be just like roaming across country here. T-Mobile has agreements with several carriers in each of the countries you mentioned. ATT and Cingular, while not having as many, should have at least one carrier in most, if not all, the places you mentioned. T-Mobile has better rates, for the most part.

4. where do you buy the SIM cards abroad?

....Most airports have vendors. Shops and "cigar/news" stores do as well. You can pay a premium and buy them from a couple vendors here in the U.S. for several countries before you leave.


...mike