Phone roaming in US

[Nermal]

Hi everyone,

I'm considering visiting the US in a few months and I'm trying to figure out the deal with roaming, specifically the frequencies.

I have a Nokia 6275i, which according to Nokia's site runs at 800 or 1900 MHz. I've gone to my provider's roaming site and I'm getting confused by the results.

First of all, I get a big green message stating "United States of America - You can roam to this country with your phone". After that are some more details about which networks I can use: Verizon at 1800 MHz or Sprint at 800/1800. While Sprint looks OK at 800, how would Verizon roaming work if they're at 1800 and the phone is 1900?

I'm a bit confused, can someone help me out please?

Thanks!

 

[adk]

Are you talking GSM or CDMA?

 

[yg17]

I don't think their site is accurate. I'm almost 100% positive Sprint is only 1900MHz and Verizon is 850/1900MHz, so since your phone does 1900MHz, you should be fine as long as you're in a major city.

 

[Nermal]

I don't think their site is accurate. I'm almost 100% positive Sprint is only 1900MHz and Verizon is 850/1900MHz, so since your phone does 1900MHz, you should be fine as long as you're in a major city.

Interesting. I think I'll email my provider and ask them to double-check the frequencies and update the site if they're wrong.

Are you talking GSM or CDMA?

CDMA; I didn't think I'd have to mention that since Verizon and Sprint are CDMA

 

[Nermal]

Interesting. I think I'll email my provider and ask them to double-check the frequencies and update the site if they're wrong.

Well, that was a bit pointless. I politely emailed the roaming helpdesk (I didn't just blurt out "your site is wrong") but all I got back was "Your phone is compatible with US' network, all you have to do is to dial *22800 before leaving NZ so that it will be activated for roaming."

I guess I'll try dialling that number and see what happens

 

[sysiphus]

Well, that was a bit pointless. I politely emailed the roaming helpdesk (I didn't just blurt out "your site is wrong") but all I got back was "Your phone is compatible with US' network, all you have to do is to dial *22800 before leaving NZ so that it will be activated for roaming."

I guess I'll try dialling that number and see what happens

Don't bother. They're right. People here are confusing GSM frequencies in the US (850/1900MHz) with those used on CDMA services here...which will cross over with your phone just fine.

 

[yg17]

Don't bother. They're right. People here are confusing GSM frequencies in the US (850/1900MHz) with those used on CDMA services here...which will cross over with your phone just fine.

GSM and CDMA both use a part of the 850 or 1900 MHz spectrum...I think his carrier just has the provider's wrong. Verizon uses both 850 and 1900 and Sprint uses just 1900

 

[Nermal]

Thread resurrection time

I'm heading to the US soon and I now have a WCDMA/GSM phone with a roaming-capable SIM, that'll work on AT&T and T-Mobile. I don't foresee any problems with the roaming, however in the past the phone has died without warning.

In case it dies again while I'm over there, I'm considering taking my old CDMA Nokia too. It is no longer connected to the NZ network. Do Sprint or Verizon allow "foreign" phones to be connected? I don't expect to need to, but would it be doable in a pinch?

 

[Signal-11]

Do you absolutely, postively NEED to use your phone/phone #/SIM while you're in the US? If not, you might just be better off buying a US GSM SIM.

 

[notjustjay]

You can walk into Wal-Mart and buy prepaid cell phones for as little as $30. I don't know how much roaming costs for you guys to come here, assuming the cell phone frequencies are compatible, but I know when I head down from Canada to the USA, my carrier starts charging me in the dollars-per-minute range. If I was going to spend more than a day or two in the US, I'd buy one of the prepaid phones.

 

[Nermal]

Do you absolutely, postively NEED to use your phone/phone #/SIM while you're in the US? If not, you might just be better off buying a US GSM SIM.

I'm going to take my good WCDMA/GSM phone with me and roam with it, using my NZ phone number. That way people can get in contact with me (such as my parents, who are currently in Europe and may need to call me). If that phone dies, my spare is CDMA and therefore a US SIM won't do me much good.

I'm not expecting my good phone to fail, but I'm just wondering whether I should take my old CDMA one just in case. If I won't be able to use it, then there's no point in me taking it.

You can walk into Wal-Mart and buy prepaid cell phones for as little as $30. I don't know how much roaming costs for you guys to come here, assuming the cell phone frequencies are compatible, but I know when I head down from Canada to the USA, my carrier starts charging me in the dollars-per-minute range. If I was going to spend more than a day or two in the US, I'd buy one of the prepaid phones.

I don't actually make many calls, it's more of an "in case someone needs to talk to me" system. Texting isn't too expensive and data is the same price that I was paying on CDMA in NZ, so I can afford it

 

[Nermal]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before: AT&T has GSM, right? If my good phone breaks, I could presumably just transfer the SIM to my old GSM phone that I have here collecting dust.

 

[yg17]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before: AT&T has GSM, right? If my good phone breaks, I could presumably just transfer the SIM to my old GSM phone that I have here collecting dust.

As long as the phone does 850 MHz and 1900 MHz GSM you can do that.

 

[Nermal]

My good phone is mostly happily roaming on AT&T (although it keeps dropping back to EDGE; the stories on here are true!)

Edit: But I can't receive texts from US users