Will All 3g Phones Work On All 3g Networks ?

[Mercury]

We don't worry about this much on 2G except between continents and then usually only the USA and Japan etc. but I want to know about 3G.

My level of knowledge tells me that all phones in the UK www.three.co.uk network are 3G and some of these have in built Skype functionality. I read also that other phones can use Skype or any number of other similar providers. Then I read that Nokia are incorporating Skype into some of their phones, such as the N97 I believe ? This end of the market is something I have little knowledge about.

I don't need an all singing, all dancing phone but the cost benefits of being able to use the Skype (and perhaps others providers) functionality would easily cover the cost of the phone and thus the price is not an issue.

My question is first to identify just what is required and understand it. Is is akin to a PC which could have any operating system on it or like a PC which can use any number of VOIP providers ? Thus, some simpler phones are locked into Skype only whereas the more PC like phones are able to download the software to run any of the VOIP providers' products ?

Any help to understand this is much appreciated.

[monty]

I assume you are talking about using this in Thailand.

The main problem is that Thailand didn't yet license the 2100 Mhz band for 3G. This band is used internationally and virtually every 3G capable device will work on this band.

As that band is not yet used in Thailand, the very little roll-out of 3G available in Thailand sits on the frequency bands those companies are licensed for!

So, parts in Bangkok have 3G from True Move, and they sit at 850 Mhz. A very small area has 3G from AIS, and they sit at 900 Mhz.

Most of Chiang Mai has 3G from AIS, also on 900 Mhz.

Just found out yesterday that all of Bang Saen (South of Chonburi) also has 3G from AIS.

So in short, the majority of Thailand has no 3G at all, and then there is a fair chance that your phone won't work due to frequency incompatibility.

And as I found out almost no phone which handles 850 Mhz will also do 900 Mhz, and vice versa

Basically, the chances of you using skype on your phone through 3G are slim to non existent in most of Thailand!

[monty]

And indeed, with 3G it seems there is the same problem when traveling to America and Japan. Japan and Korea apparently have their own unique version of CDMA 3G, which is very fast but incompatible with HSDPA 3G (Used in most of Europe and big parts of Asia), and even with CDMA systems used elsewhere in the world (EV-DO)...

In the US they seem to have both CDMA and HSDPA 3G, but even then the HDSPA has a fair chance of sitting on a different band then Europe as well (Europe 2100 Mhz, USA on 1900!)

While there's lots of quad band phones around giving you voice communications almost worldwide, for 3G they will likely only be dual band aimed at the area where you bought it, so much less chance of it getting 3G in different countries/continents...

[skippybangkok]

cant use Skype on 3G. Apple blocks it. Can only use a Wifi Connection ( or use "nonoh" which calls u back and sets up the connection )

[monty]

cant use Skype on 3G. Apple blocks it. Can only use a Wifi Connection ( or use "nonoh" which calls u back and sets up the connection )

Huh?

You are talking about a device (apple Iphone 3G), not about the 3G internet over mobile network service!

The OP is talking about devices (Phones, PDA's etc) which are 3G capable, and many have skype pre-installed (some Nokia phones), or PDA's on which you can install the Win Mobile version of Skype.

[Abrak]

I have an iphone 3gs and it is probable that Apple blocks its use with Skype - sort of thing Apple does. I also couldnt get the phone to work with the AIS 3g network in Chiang Mai. I believe that athough the phone is 2G 900MHZ compliant it is not 3G 900MHZ compliant.

So as far as I can see we have very limited 3G combined with many phones that are not compatible with it. Furthermore a lot of users who have connected to say True's 3G service say it isnt much better than EDGE.