TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Travelling From USA to Brazil: Need Cell Phone

Re: Travelling From USA to Brazil: Need Cell Phone

Joseph (JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com)
Wed, 18 May 2005 17:45:39 -0700

On Wed, 18 May 2005 03:11:38 -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.

If you intend to keep your Verizon service a "quad band" phone will be
more than overkill. Brazil uses GSM at 900 Mhz and at 1800 Mhz. If
you intend to continue to use your Verizon service back in the US the
prudent thing would be to buy a dual band 900/1800 phone such as is
marketed in Europe and in Asia. If on the other hand you were to
change to another provider such as cingular or T-Mobile a triband or
quad band phone would be useful to you as it would be useable in both
North American (USA/Canada and some South American countries) and in
Europe and Asia as well. If you have no intention of changing US
carriers a triband or quad band phone is really an unneeded expense
and will be a a waste of your money.

A triband phone with 900/1800/1900 would likely work for you as well.
A quad band phone is not necessary unless you are going to switch
carriers in the US.

> Is this correct?

> If it is, how can I get hold of an unlocked quad band cell phone?

eBay or sometimes you can find them on craigslist. You can pay full
retail from places such as expansys.com.

For information about prepaid in Brazil go to:

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/brasile.html

For Thailand:

http://www.orange.co.th/english.index.jsp (just talk)

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