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Cellular forums Home > Archive > Verizon wireless > October 2005 > Switching from T-Mobile -- Int'l roaming & high speed access
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Switching from T-Mobile -- Int'l roaming & high speed access
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| Sid Subramanian 2005-10-20, 11:48 pm |
| Hi. I'm considering switching to Verizon from T-Mobile because of
Verizon's superior coverage in the US. However, I have a couple of
questions:
First, I know Verizon is CDMA and therefore I won't be able to use my
phone outside of a few select countries. I had the impression that they
would issue SIM cards for use with GSM phones for international roaming.
However, the Verizon web site only lists a "Global Phone" program
where you have to buy a GSM/CDMA combo phone to get this program, and
another where you have to rent a phone from some third party. Is there
not a program where they can just send you a GSM SIM for international
roaming? I have a couple of unlocked multi-band GSM phones that I'd
rather use while abroad, and I would like to get a nicer phone to use at
home.
Second, is it possible to get their EV-DO access using one of the phones
using either bluetooth or a data cable? Does it cost as much as using
the dedicated card, or can I get it for cheaper than the $60 a month
that they charge for data? I would only be an occasional user and don't
want to pay quite that much. Again, I can't find any answers to this on
their web site (I guess that probably means the answer is "no").
Thanks for any help you can give.
Sid
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| Justin 2005-10-21, 2:48 am |
| Sid Subramanian wrote on [Fri, 21 Oct 2005 01:22:54 GMT]:
> Hi. I'm considering switching to Verizon from T-Mobile because of
> Verizon's superior coverage in the US. However, I have a couple of
> questions:
>
> First, I know Verizon is CDMA and therefore I won't be able to use my
> phone outside of a few select countries. I had the impression that they
> would issue SIM cards for use with GSM phones for international roaming.
> However, the Verizon web site only lists a "Global Phone" program
> where you have to buy a GSM/CDMA combo phone to get this program, and
> another where you have to rent a phone from some third party. Is there
> not a program where they can just send you a GSM SIM for international
> roaming? I have a couple of unlocked multi-band GSM phones that I'd
> rather use while abroad, and I would like to get a nicer phone to use at
> home.
Isn't it just cheaper to pickup a sim card in the country you are going
to?
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| Sid Subramanian 2005-10-21, 5:48 pm |
| Justin wrote:
> Sid Subramanian wrote on [Fri, 21 Oct 2005 01:22:54 GMT]:
>
>
>
> Isn't it just cheaper to pickup a sim card in the country you are going
> to?
>
Of course it is -- however, what makes normal GSM roaming most useful is
the ability to use your own number, and the ability to make calls as
soon as you land somewhere rather than waiting to go to a mobile phone
store to get a SIM. Typically, when I've traveled (not that often...
about once a year or so), I've used the US sim at connection points and
upon landing at my destination, then gone out looking for a sim to use
for the rest of the trip.
Sid
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| Just looked inot this myself this past summer when I was going to Europe. I
borrowed a GSM RAZR and got a SIM in Germany from T-Mobile Debitel. I did
this because the cost of "renting' a gsm phone from VZW was astronomical. I
will be going again this summer (hopefully) and this time I will just buy a
T-mobile phone here as the sim will work there and I found it costs about
the same to use intl. roaming as it does to use debitel.
Larry
"Sid Subramanian" <sidnospamsub@oohay.moc> wrote in message
news:OpX5f.5678$GQ.5137@tornado.texas.rr.com...
> Hi. I'm considering switching to Verizon from T-Mobile because of
> Verizon's superior coverage in the US. However, I have a couple of
> questions:
>
> First, I know Verizon is CDMA and therefore I won't be able to use my
> phone outside of a few select countries. I had the impression that they
> would issue SIM cards for use with GSM phones for international roaming.
> However, the Verizon web site only lists a "Global Phone" program where
> you have to buy a GSM/CDMA combo phone to get this program, and another
> where you have to rent a phone from some third party. Is there not a
> program where they can just send you a GSM SIM for international roaming?
> I have a couple of unlocked multi-band GSM phones that I'd rather use
> while abroad, and I would like to get a nicer phone to use at home.
>
> Second, is it possible to get their EV-DO access using one of the phones
> using either bluetooth or a data cable? Does it cost as much as using the
> dedicated card, or can I get it for cheaper than the $60 a month that they
> charge for data? I would only be an occasional user and don't want to pay
> quite that much. Again, I can't find any answers to this on their web
> site (I guess that probably means the answer is "no").
>
> Thanks for any help you can give.
>
> Sid
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| Joseph 2005-10-21, 5:48 pm |
| On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 03:55:16 GMT, Justin <nospam@insightbb.com> wrote:
>Sid Subramanian wrote on [Fri, 21 Oct 2005 01:22:54 GMT]:
>
>Isn't it just cheaper to pickup a sim card in the country you are going
>to?
Not if his intention is to have anyone in the states call him as a
regular call. Yes, picking up a prepaid account in the countries you
are visiting is much cheaper.
- -
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| Frankster 2005-10-21, 5:48 pm |
| > First, I know Verizon is CDMA and therefore I won't be able to use my
> phone outside of a few select countries. I had the impression that they
> would issue SIM cards for use with GSM phones for international roaming.
No, they don't issue SIM cards. But they will rent you a GSM phone for your
trip.
> Is there not a program where they can just send you a GSM SIM for
> international roaming?
That's right, there is not.
> Second, is it possible to get their EV-DO access using one of the phones
> using either bluetooth or a data cable?
Yes. I am assuming you mean tethering your phone to your laptop here.
> Does it cost as much as using the dedicated card, or can I get it for
> cheaper than the $60 a month that they charge for data?
Basically, same price.
However, using a data cable (and, depending on the phone, possibly BT) you
can achieve this same thing for no additional cost, other than using your
plan minutes, as long as your usage is reletively light.
> I would only be an occasional user and don't want to pay quite that much.
Minutes of use only should work for you. It works for me.
> Again, I can't find any answers to this on their web site (I guess that
> probably means the answer is "no").
Well, the answer is yes. However VZW would much rather you purchased the
data plan and that is all they SAY they support.
I personally am using my VZW LG8000 tetherered to my laptop with EVDO access
(~200-400kbps) for occasional use without any problems. Via a data cable.
Check out http://www.howardforums.com for lots of info on this issue.
-Frank
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| Isaiah Beard 2005-10-21, 5:48 pm |
| Sid Subramanian wrote:
> First, I know Verizon is CDMA and therefore I won't be able to use my
> phone outside of a few select countries. I had the impression that they
> would issue SIM cards for use with GSM phones for international roaming.
> However, the Verizon web site only lists a "Global Phone" program where
> you have to buy a GSM/CDMA combo phone to get this program, and another
> where you have to rent a phone from some third party. Is there not a
> program where they can just send you a GSM SIM for international
> roaming? I have a couple of unlocked multi-band GSM phones that I'd
> rather use while abroad, and I would like to get a nicer phone to use at
> home.
Not sure if Verizon does this, but I don't see why they wouldn't.
Perhaps it might be a good idea to call them and find out?
> Second, is it possible to get their EV-DO access using one of the phones
> using either bluetooth or a data cable?
It's *possible*, but Verizon doesn't like when you do that very much.
They want people to get the PC data card and pay $60 a month for the
data access. That said, some people HAVE reported success connecting to
the Motorola E815 phone via bluetooth and using the VCAST package.
--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.
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| Isaiah Beard 2005-10-21, 5:48 pm |
| Isaiah Beard wrote:
> That said, some people HAVE reported success connecting to
> the Motorola E815 phone via bluetooth and using the VCAST package.
Let my qualify this: by "successful" I mean that people have been able
to successfully set up a conenction. However Verizon SPECIFICALLY
prohibits tethering under VCAST. So be forewarned.
The "NationalAccess - Minutes of Use" add-on to an account may be a
viable option, as it allows you access the slower 1x network and use up
your airtime minutes. From what I understand tethering under this plan
is acceptible. However I keep hearing conflicting reports about whether
MOU is still available.
--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.
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| Frankster 2005-10-21, 11:48 pm |
| >> That said, some people HAVE reported success connecting to the Motorola
>
>
> Let my qualify this: by "successful" I mean that people have been able to
> successfully set up a conenction. However Verizon SPECIFICALLY prohibits
> tethering under VCAST. So be forewarned.
VCAST is totally irrelevant. EV-DO is the point. I use my phone tethered all
the time and I do not have VCAST service. VCAST is ONLY ONE feature that
uses EV-DO. There are others that also use EV-DO such as Get-it-Now and
Mobile Web. And... dare I say... tethering! VCAST is not required for any
of those.
-Frank
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