What Do I Need To Use Cell Phone In Usa?

[qualtrough]

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

[Vespa]

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Go to any phone store and have it unlocked - easy process can even be done by yourself with a brief google search.

[qualtrough]

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Go to any phone store and have it unlocked - easy process can even be done by yourself with a brief google search.

Vespa-thanks much. I will try the search.

[Gary A]

If you bought the phone in Thailand it is not locked. The US uses several systems but the one you need is GSM 1900. Your phone can use GSM 900, 1800 and 1900. You will need a new SIM card for whatever GSM 1900 service you use. (T-Mobile, Cingular, etc.) I just checked and they do sell the pre-paid SIM cards in the US. But be prepared for a little sticker shock. I think one of the small packages is about $30.

[lomatopo]

In order to make specific recommendations it would help if you could provide more detail re: your calling patterns. Are you going to be in the U.S. for a few days/weeks/permanently? Will you need to make/recieve local/int'l calls?

For a phone you'll need one that supports GSM 1900, then you can ride on the T-mobile network in the U.S. (Your Nokia 3315 only support GSM 900/1800.) You can buy a new Nokia tri-band (GSM900/1800/1900) here for 5,000 baht (say a Nokia 6070), or a used Nokia 6100 for 2,500 baht.

You must register your pre-paid One-2-Call SIM for international roaming. Call 1175 from your mobile, press 2 to speak with an English-speaking CSR.

With a GSM 1900 phone, and roaming enabled, you can receive calls and SMSes in the U.S. made/sent to your Thai mobile number. You cannot send SMSes. You can make outbound calls, but the process is quite cumbersome, you basically send a text message to the network which establishes the call and rings back on your phone. In-bound and out-bound calls are extremely expensive.

You can get a T-mobile pre-paid SIM for your tri-band phone. This would allow you to make/receive domestic and int'l calls, and send/receive SMSes.

You can but a T-Mo pre-paid SIM on e-Bay with a short expiration date for a very low price, and then top it up when you get to the U.S. Or just buy one from a T-Mobile outlet when you arrive.

Obviously you should check to see how the coverage is for T-Mo in those areas you plan to visit.

If you want to provide more details I'd attempt to make further receommendations specific to your application.

[grrr]

I've used my phone(s) in the US by getting prepaid SIM cards from Cingular for around $30. Works fine...no need to unlock.

[qualtrough]

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Go to any phone store and have it unlocked - easy process can even be done by yourself with a brief google search.

Vespa-thanks much. I will try the search.

Vespa-a follow up question if I may. Unlocking will allow another SIM card to be used, but will it deal with the problem of my phone not roaming and finding a local carrier in the USA or HK?

[lomatopo]

Vespa-a follow up question if I may. Unlocking will allow another SIM card to be used, but will it deal with the problem of my phone not roaming and finding a local carrier in the USA or HK?

Asked and answered, your phone is already unlocked, but it does not support GSM 1900 so you will not be able to get onto any GSM networks in the U.S.A.

[gcw16]

It may also depend on where you are going in th US. I know in my area the only GSM coverage is on 850Mhz. There is nothing on 1900 in this area.

[fxm88]

GSM is still mostly limited to cities and motorways, and not all of those. Here's a coverage map, though I don't know how up-to-date it may be:

http://www.rentcell.com/coverage-map-usa-gsm.htm

For comparison, here is coverage for some of their home-grown technologies:

http://www.rentcell.com/coverage-map-airtouch.htm

http://www.rentcell.com/coverage-map-cingular.htm

[autonomous_unit]

Here is a current coverage map from one of the two main GSM providers (T-Mobile USA):

T-Mobile USA Coverage

it is worth entering local address information, because the national scale map will gloss over a lot of detail.

Those national scale gaps really are places where hardly anybody goes.

You could also check the Cingular website, but I wouldn't be surprised if it showed the same data since they include roaming coverage above. (You actually roam onto Cingular in many parts of California w/ T-Mobile, for example.)

There has been much consolidation of GSM providers lately in the US.

[astral]

1. Have you applied to AIS for Roaming Service.

2. Have you tried it with a local SIM card?

I have used AIS and DTAC services in Hongkong without difficulty.

Not to be recommended as it is expensive.

Much better to install a local SIM card.

BTW Phones sold in Thailand are no longer locked.

[qualtrough]

I want to thank everyone for their help. I will be exploring several of the suggestions offered by members.

[Gary A]

Some time ago I bought a Nokia cell phone. Inside the phone it says it is a model 3315. My service provider is AIS, and when the phone is on it says AIS GSM at the top of the display. Not a fancy phone, but I thought (?)at the time it was supposed to be a tri-band that would work in the USA. However, in several trips back to the US I have been unable to use the phone in the US and HK. I would appreciate anyone with expertise in this area letting me know what I need, or what I need to do, in order to make calls using a Thai mobile when in the US. If it means getting a new model, please let me know what to ask/look for. Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

lomatopo is correct. Your phone is NOT a tri-band. Leave it in Thailand because it is useless in the US.

[autonomous_unit]

I kept browsing the T-Mobile USA coverage site after I posted, and learned that the prepaid "T-Mobile to Go" does not include 850 MHz roaming. It seems to only be for post-paid customers at the moment. Just an FYI, if you were considering picking up a local SIM to do lots of local calling etc.

It is probably good to learn what frequency bands are used in the area(s) you plan to visit, before making any new phone purchase. There are cheap quad-band phones out these days, including some that are advertised as tri-band but can be coaxed into quad-band use with a little help from someone at Panthip or equivalent... I know many Nokia fans cannot stand the menus on Motorola phones, but a Motorola L6 is an example of a contemporary, cheap, slim phone that can operate in quad-band mode. (I cannot confirm this personally, but have read it during online searches.)

There is a website called GSM Arena that I have found to often have useful information about phones on the market, e.g. detailed functional specifications to read before you buy. You should be able to find it via google.

[qualtrough]

1. Have you applied to AIS for Roaming Service.

2. Have you tried it with a local SIM card?

I have used AIS and DTAC services in Hongkong without difficulty.

Not to be recommended as it is expensive.

Much better to install a local SIM card.

BTW Phones sold in Thailand are no longer locked.

Astral,

Thanks for the advice on global roaming, I will check that out. And thanks for the warning. I once had to make an emergency visit to Sri Lanka when my mother was in the hospital there and rang up a bill over a $1000 dollars for phone calls made over the space of 5 days. Ouch! If the roaming activation doesn't pan out I may check out the local SIM option. I am only in the US for 10 days and don't use the phone for business, so being able to use it on ocassion is more of a want than a need.

[rlenzmeier]

I kept browsing the T-Mobile USA coverage site after I posted, and learned that the prepaid "T-Mobile to Go" does not include 850 MHz roaming. It seems to only be for post-paid customers at the moment. Just an FYI, if you were considering picking up a local SIM to do lots of local calling etc.

It is probably good to learn what frequency bands are used in the area(s) you plan to visit, before making any new phone purchase. There are cheap quad-band phones out these days, including some that are advertised as tri-band but can be coaxed into quad-band use with a little help from someone at Panthip or equivalent... I know many Nokia fans cannot stand the menus on Motorola phones, but a Motorola L6 is an example of a contemporary, cheap, slim phone that can operate in quad-band mode. (I cannot confirm this personally, but have read it during online searches.)

There is a website called GSM Arena that I have found to often have useful information about phones on the market, e.g. detailed functional specifications to read before you buy. You should be able to find it via google.

"I kept browsing the T-Mobile USA coverage site after I posted, and learned that the prepaid "T-Mobile to Go" does not include 850 MHz roaming."

I am happy to tell you that this is not correct. I just signed up for T-Mobile to Go. I do not live in an area that has T-Mobile service, so I had to drive 100 miles (160 Km) to buy the phone and the included SIM card. I was able to register the phone and use it without problem in a non-T-Mobile area, roaming on a "T-Mobile partner" 850MHz network. The cost of use is the same per minute compared to my use in a T-Mobile-served area. The cost per minute depends a lot on how many prepaid dollars you spend though.

As long as you have an OEM-unlocked phone with 850 and 1900 MHz bands you should be able to buy a T-Mobile To Go SIM card and use it in your phone. At worst, you could buy the cheapest T-Mobile To Go phone with SIM card at about US$40 (Nokia 6030) at Target or Walmart, register the SIM card with T Mobile and get US$10 in minutes, then transfer the SIM card to your 850/1900 phone and you are set to go. It will not likely be as cheap to use as it would be in Thailand, but it will allow your phone to be used here. In the US the only major carriers to use GSM are T-Mobile and Cingular like the rest of the world does, and T-Mobile was the better of the two for me (and for you I think).

I am hoping to buy an unlocked phone at a good price (by USA standards) while in BKK in November, and I will just transfer my T-Mobile SIM card to it upon my return to the USA.

While you are here, be sure to politely tell everyone you meet how much better off the rest of the world is compared to us in the area of cell phones--maybe it will help us get World Class cellphone/mobile service here eventually!

Have a nice stay,

Richard