Best US Provider For Roaming Internationally

G

Grubey

New member
Okay, getting mixed info on the best provider and phone to switch to from Verizon who really offer no International Phones. Besides International, I would like to be able to use Bluetooth and also possibly use the phone as a modem in the states either thru Bluetooth or a USB connection. I have a MAC MP Pro. What provider, if any, Provides the best chances for taking a phone outide the US to Europe and Asia. I do a lot of traveling to mainly, Italy, Iceland, Korea and Japan. I know of some problems with Japan but supposedly the the newer Quad bands along with 3G is supposed to help there. According to T-Mobil site they provide some coverage there thru somebody else. Anyways, the same phone would be used here in the US mainly except for those buisness trips I need to take it with me. Also if possible I would like to take advantage of Pre-paid SIMS that can be used in some of these countries. I have heard also that after 90 days that T-Mobil will unlock their phones. And No, my company is too cheap to provide a phone for that and they allow me a whole $5.00 per day for a call. So any ideas? Thanks Much!!

Bill.........
 
Ouch... only $5 a day for phone calls? The cheapest roaming I've found is Verizon, at $.69 a minute, but That only covers Korea. T-Mobile, the cheapest GSM roaming I've found, is $.99 a minute in Europe. They're about $3 a minute in Japan. That's only 5 minutes. Maybe you can talk about increasing the budget for phone calls, because you'll have a hard time making extended phone calls with that tight of a budget. Also, the cheapest phone I can recommend for 3G roaming in Japan would be the Sharp V801SH (about $100) , but it's a bit... deficient (I've heard stories about the unlock for it not working properly). The most reliable (in my experience) is the Sharp V902SH, but for you, it sounds like price is a problem, so maybe you should go with the cheaper Sharp. If this doesn't answer your concerns then I'm sorry, and I'll let someone else step in to help.
 
Thanks Much!! I am thinking seriously of T-Mobil since I do more Japan. If necessary I may have to budget for a Pre-Paid in Korea. And after getting my latest bill from Verizon (My Daughter is on T-Mobil in Hawaii and wife and daughter talk a storm up). I need to switch asap...

Bill......
 
You can go thru any GSM carrier in the US (T-Mobile/Cingular) and get a phone from them. It comes locked, so pay the +/- $20 to get it unlocked. If you ask the right cell shop, they can tell you where to go. That will alow you to use the Pre-paid Sims in the other countries. On the phone that you get, make sure it has Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900). T-mobile does offer international texts too. You can also pick up an unlocked phone on Ebay for reasonable but you will still have to switch. Verizon doesn't offer GSM service.
 
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