Re: Use of Cingular phone overseas

dcferguson@xxxxxxxxxxx (Dennis Ferguson) wrote in
news:slrnfuud1s.4e.dcferguson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

For three weeks this isn't a good deal. The person travelling
could talk a whole lot longer for the same amount of money by
getting their phone unlocked (AT&T will provide the code for
this if you call)

Just make sure your phone will operate on the 900 & 1800 MHz bands
used in Spain, as opposed to the 850 & 1900 MHz bands used in the US.

http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_es.shtml

and buying a prepaid Spanish SIM either when they get there or
before they leave from (say) here (for a bit of an upcharge):

http://www.telestial.com/view_product.php?PRODUCT_ID=LSIM-ES03

If procedures in Spain are like those in other countries, buying a
pre-paid SIM in the US is no longer a sensible option, since many
European countries require personal registration and activation of
pre-paid accounts, leaving your premium-priced SIM useless until you
can find a way to get it turned on once you arrive.

I found out the hard way last year. I bought a pre-paid Netcom
(Norway) SIM through Telestial, but when I got to Norway, all I got on
my phone was a text message requiring me to register it. Since I
wasn't a Norwegian citizen and not in the database, I couldn't
register over the air, but had to find a Netcom retail outlet
(fortunately, there was one near my hotel) and present my passport in
order to get the account activated.

If I'd known that, I could have saved money and aggravation by waiting
'til I got there to buy the SIM.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN | bert@xxxxxxxxxxx
.

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