Cellular phones topics - Travelling from USA to Brazil : Need cell phone

Author

Travelling from USA to Brazil : Need cell phone

Frugal Sam

2005-05-19, 11:52 am

Hello

I have a Nokia CDMA phone that I currently use with Verizon in USA.

I will be visiting Brazil in the next couple of weeks, and then Thailand in
September and would like to have the use of a cell phone while I am in
those countries.

My understanding is that I need to get hold of an 'unlocked' quad band cell
phone and then, when I am in those countries, buy a SIM card from a local
provider.

Is this correct ?

If it is, how can I get hold of an unlockedquad band cell phone ?

Thanks.

www.simcard.me.uk

2005-05-19, 11:52 am

"Frugal Sam" <frugalsam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BcudnStzzpP1eBf
fRVn-2g@comcast.com...
> Hello
>
> I have a Nokia CDMA phone that I currently use with Verizon in USA.
>
> I will be visiting Brazil in the next couple of weeks, and then Thailand
> in
> September and would like to have the use of a cell phone while I am in
> those countries.
>
> My understanding is that I need to get hold of an 'unlocked' quad band
> cell
> phone and then, when I am in those countries, buy a SIM card from a local
> provider.
>
> Is this correct ?
>
> If it is, how can I get hold of an unlockedquad band cell phone ?
>
> Thanks.

Yup you would need a quad or triband unlocked

Joseph

2005-05-19, 11:52 am

Cyrus Afzali

2005-05-19, 11:52 am

On Wed, 18 May 2005 01:49:12 -0500, Frugal Sam <frugalsam@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Hello
>
>I have a Nokia CDMA phone that I currently use with Verizon in USA.
>
>I will be visiting Brazil in the next couple of weeks, and then Thailand in
>September and would like to have the use of a cell phone while I am in
>those countries.
>
>My understanding is that I need to get hold of an 'unlocked' quad band cell
>phone and then, when I am in those countries, buy a SIM card from a local
>provider.
>
>Is this correct ?

While there are "quad-band" world phones, the fourth band is the 850
mHz band that's only used in the United States. The rest of the world
does a combination of 900, 1800 and 1900 mHz, so a tri-band will do
you just fine.

Once you're in Brazil, buy a prepaid SIM locally and you'll be good to
go. Realize, however, that you won't be taking your VZW phone number
with you. Also, the rates will be quite high, making it unpalatable to
use the phone for long periods. World roaming is a very necessary
thing for businessmen and those who HAVE to be in touch, but it gets
very expensive for the ordinary individual.
>
>If it is, how can I get hold of an unlockedquad band cell phone ?

As I said, you just need a tri-band. Brazil's operators use mostly
1800 mHz, but some use 900; both are in a tri-band world phone.

Here's a list of GSM operators in Brazil. You might want to compare
their rates once you get there or beforehand.
http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_br.shtml

snidely

2005-05-19, 11:53 am

Couple of points:

1. For a price, Verizon will give you a GSM SIM keyed to your Vz
number to be used in a GSM phone. I believe they have an arrangement
w. Vodafone to handle the roaming. (I could be wrong on some of the
details.)
2. You could sign up w. a GSM carrier here, Cingular or T-Mobile,
and roam overseas w. a phone that will operate at 900 and 1800 in
addition to the 1900 band used here. Roaming rates are high.
3. You could get a phone that operates on the 900 and 1800 bands and
buy a prepaid SIM when you land. Disadvantage of that is you wouldn't
know your phone number til you land. There are a couple companies here
that will, for a 50 to 100% premium, sell you a prepaid before you
leave.
4. If you buy a phone before you leave, make sure it is "unlocked"
meaning it can accept any SIM from any carrier. A phone that has 1800
in addition to 900, while not absolutely necessary, would be useful in
Brazil where they seem to have a lot of 1800 only carriers. They do
have a few 900 carriers as well. In Thailand, a 900 only phone would
probably do. You should be able to find either a 900/1800 or more
likely, a 900/1800/1900 phone for about $50 on Ebay.
5. You could get a "worldwide" prepaid from Riiing.com or
hopmobile.com. Hop doesn't work in Brazil but incoming in Thailand is
about 50 cents and outgoing (like back to U.S.) is about $1.20 cents.
Hop doesn't have a VM system - but says they are planning on it.
Riiing claims to have VM, but as I and others have discovered, it is
useless. I think Riiing is prohibitive for use in Thailand anyway.

Downside in using these companies (or any prepaid with a "foreign"
number is the large premium callers will pay to call a cel number
rather than a foreign land line. Eg. To call a UK landline is about 3
cents/min. To call a UK mobile is over 25 cents/min. Riiing is in
Lichtenstein - premium paid by callers ranges from 20 to 50 cents
depending on the LD carrier. Hop is in Monaco, which is slightly less
on some carriers.

...mike

Frugal Sam Wrote:
> Hello
>
> I have a Nokia CDMA phone that I currently use with Verizon in USA.
>
> I will be visiting Brazil in the next couple of weeks, and then
> Thailand in
> September and would like to have the use of a cell phone while I am in
> those countries.
>
> My understanding is that I need to get hold of an 'unlocked' quad band
> cell
> phone and then, when I am in those countries, buy a SIM card from a
> local
> provider.
>
> Is this correct ?
>
> If it is, how can I get hold of an unlockedquad band cell phone ?
>
> Thanks.

--
snidely

talksense

2005-05-19, 10:55 pm

Yes, you are correct. You need an unlocked quadband(in some cases triband
will work) GSM phone. You can buy unlocked quadband phones on the internet
from e-bay or some other websites. I bought mine from www.myworldphone.com.
To the best of my knowledge, Motorola makes most of the quadband phones. You
can get any of them online.

Thanks
Imran
http://www.mobileisgood.com

"Frugal Sam" <frugalsam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BcudnStzzpP1eBf
fRVn-2g@comcast.com...
> Hello
>
> I have a Nokia CDMA phone that I currently use with Verizon in USA.
>
> I will be visiting Brazil in the next couple of weeks, and then Thailand
in
> September and would like to have the use of a cell phone while I am in
> those countries.
>
> My understanding is that I need to get hold of an 'unlocked' quad band
cell
> phone and then, when I am in those countries, buy a SIM card from a local
> provider.
>
> Is this correct ?
>
> If it is, how can I get hold of an unlockedquad band cell phone ?
>
> Thanks.

Cyrus Afzali

2005-05-20, 4:55 pm

On Thu, 19 May 2005 15:19:41 -0500, "talksense" <imranraf@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Yes, you are correct. You need an unlocked quadband(in some cases triband
>will work) GSM phone. You can buy unlocked quadband phones on the internet
>from e-bay or some other websites. I bought mine from www.myworldphone.com.
>To the best of my knowledge, Motorola makes most of the quadband phones. You
>can get any of them online.

A quadband phone would be 800, 850, 1800 and 1900 mHz. Nobody uses 850
except Cingular in the United States, as far as I know. So he WON'T
need a quadband, just a triband. They're much easier to find because
many more carriers offer them and can be had relatively cheaply.[color=darkred]
>
>Thanks
>Imran
>http://www.mobileisgood.com
>
>"Frugal Sam" <frugalsam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BcudnStzzpP1eBf
fRVn-2g@comcast.com...
>in
>cell

Joseph

2005-05-20, 4:55 pm

On Thu, 19 May 2005 15:19:41 -0500, "talksense" <imranraf@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Yes, you are correct. You need an unlocked quadband(in some cases triband
>will work) GSM phone. You can buy unlocked quadband phones on the internet
>from e-bay or some other websites. I bought mine from www.myworldphone.com.
>To the best of my knowledge, Motorola makes most of the quadband phones. You
>can get any of them online.

Quadband is way overkill if they intend to keep their Verizon Wireless
service in the US. The US 850 and 1900 bands will be useless to them
since they will not use the phone in North America.

>
>Thanks
>Imran
>http://www.mobileisgood.com
>
>"Frugal Sam" <frugalsam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:BcudnStzzpP1eBf
fRVn-2g@comcast.com...
>in
>cell
>

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Joseph

2005-05-20, 10:55 pm

On Fri, 20 May 2005 13:31:10 GMT, Cyrus Afzali <pnsmnyv@lnubb.pbz>
wrote:

>A quadband phone would be 800, 850, 1800 and 1900 mHz. Nobody uses 850
>except Cingular in the United States, as far as I know.

Then you do not know. cingular is not the only provider in the US
that uses GSM 850. Other carriers who used 800 "cellular" for TDMA
and who also overlayed also use GSM 850.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cyrus Afzali

2005-05-23, 4:55 pm

On Fri, 20 May 2005 15:41:54 -0700, Joseph <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com>
wrote:

quote:

>On Fri, 20 May 2005 13:31:10 GMT, Cyrus Afzali <pnsmnyv@lnubb.pbz>
>wrote:
>
>
>Then you do not know. cingular is not the only provider in the US
>that uses GSM 850. Other carriers who used 800 "cellular" for TDMA
>and who also overlayed also use GSM 850.

Joseph, it was a typo -- don't know why I put it there . Your attitude
and nature to worry about others is sometimes amazing.

Stuart Friedman

2005-05-23, 4:55 pm

The 850mhz band is being used in South America and Latin America more
and more. If this individual travels there with any regularity, it
might be worth the extra money. Roaming agreements with South American
GSM providers are all over the map. Sometimes the carrier you can
roam on does not match the carrier who supports your band.

For Brazil, you might also want to look at riiing.com. They have fee
incoming calls in Brazil. The carrier is based out of Lichtenstein,
but that number can be called on many international phone plans at
$US0.20 a minute. You can also setup a US call forwarding number to
ring the riiing sim for $US0.22 (apx) a minute from stanaphone.com

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