Ted Kell

As a person that just barely understands cellphones here in the US, could
someone either explain or point to a good source for an explaination the
european cellphone system? I keep hearing technical terms such as SIM and GSM
and 2-band and 3-band and... and ... . It's all very confusing. What does it
all mean and how do I make it work for me?

Thanks

Alec

"ted kell" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > As a person that just barely understands cellphones here in the US, could
    > someone either explain or point to a good source for an explaination the
    > european cellphone system? I keep hearing technical terms such as SIM and
GSM
    > and 2-band and 3-band and... and ... . It's all very confusing. What
does it
    > all mean and how do I make it work for me?
While in US there are several, incompatible systems of cell phone
technologies like analog, CDMA and GSM 1900MHz, in Europe it's pretty
standardised at GSM 900 & 1800MHz. Only if you have a GSM tri-band phone
(operating at all three frequencies) can you use it in Europe, and only if
your US operator offers 'roaming', enabling you to receive on/call from your
cellphone number whilst in Europe. GSM phones use SIM card, with microchips,
which contains the subscriber's identity like phone number and operator. By
putting your SIM card in an unlocked phone (made to accept all cards), you
can customise it and give your own identity.
If you don't have your compatible phone, you can buy pay-as-you-go phone and
SIM set for something like $50-100 in Europe. It comes with certain amount
of call credit, and you can recharge easily while you are in the same
country. It gets tricky if you want to use it in other countries, as you
have to buy enough credit before you leave that country, it may not work
everywhere and in any case call charge is very high. You can get around it
by having the phone unlocked and just buying new SIM card in each country,
esp if you are staying for some time (say a month).

Alec

Mike Coverdale

[email protected] (ted kell) wrote:

    >As a person that just barely understands cellphones here in the US, could
    >someone either explain or point to a good source for an explaination the
    >european cellphone system? I keep hearing technical terms such as SIM and GSM
    >and 2-band and 3-band and... and ... . It's all very confusing. What does it
    >all mean and how do I make it work for me?
    >Thanks

OK - here goes ......

There are 3 operating frequencies in use in the areas we are
talking about.

900 Mhz = Europe
1800 Mhz = Europe
1900 Mhz = North America

A "dual-band" European phone will only work on 900 and 1800.
The mobile phone will automatically switch between these as
required without the user knowing.

A "tri-band" European phone will work on all three which means
that it will work on both continents where the GSM system is
available.

A "SIM card" is a small plastic card that is similar in size to
a postage stamp. It is supplied by the company who provide
your airtime. It fits inside your phone (usually underneath the
battery on Nokias).

A "locked" mobile phone is tied to the network that supplied
it and it will only accept their sim cards.

An "un-locked" mobile phone will accept a sim card from any
airtime network on either continent. "Locked" mobile phones
can usually become "un-locked" by paying your network a fee.

I have an "un-locked" Nokia trI-band phone here in the UK.
At home I use a sim card provided by Orange. In Spain I use
an "Airtel" sim card that was bought for a few Euros from a
street kiosk. In Greece I use a "Panafon" sim card which was
bought locally in a high street shop.

GSM is the standard system throughout Europe and most of
the world. There are exceptions in the Far East and in most
of the USA and Canada, however, densely populated areas of
North America have GSM as well as your own system.

--

Mike @ www.sivros.net

Wolfgang Schwanke

[email protected] (ted kell) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > I keep hearing technical
    > terms such as SIM and GSM and 2-band and 3-band and... and ... . It's
    > all very confusing. What does it all mean and how do I make it work
    > for me?

It's really quite easy.

In Europe there is only one technology in use: GSM
(The USA have several incompatible technologies, of which GSM happens to be
one)

One technical quibble: GSM can radiate on different bands (like radio can
have long wave, mdium wave, short wave). The possible GSM bands are 900 MHz
, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz. Out of these, Europe uses 900 and 1800, USA uses 1900
exclusively.

A triple band handset can handle all three, i.e. it works on all GSM
networks in the world. A dual band handset can be either 900/1800 (Europe
only), or 900/1900 (North America and a subset of European networks only).
Single band handsets handle only one.

GSM handsets are independent of the network and phone number. Any GSM
handset can work on any GSM provider, as long as it can handle the
appropriate band. (As opposed to some US networks, where the phone number
and network provider may be hardwired into the phone)

Quibble: Some handsets have this ability crippled on purpose. These are
called "locked" and are to be avoided.

The network provider whose customer you are, your phone number, and your
accounting plan are identified by a small chip which you can insert into
any phone, which - for the time the chip is inserted into it - will then
have your phone number. This chip is called a SIM. Without a SIM, a GSM
phone is useless.

You can think of the handset as the equivalent to regular phone, and the
SIM as the equivalent of the wire coming out of the wall.


Most countries have several competing networks, usually each covers the
whole country (as opposed to the USA, where a given network provider will
only cover certain states or urban areas).

Most providers offer a variety of plans, subdivided into two important
classes: Monthly plan, or prepaid.
With a monthly plan, you pay amonthly fixed fee to the phone company, plus
minute charges for outgoing calls.
With a prepaid plan, you only pay the actual minutes, no fixed fee at all.
The downside is that the per minute charges are higher.
For foreign tourists, only prepaid plans are an option.

All incoming calls are free, except when roaming.

Roaming: You can use your phone in a different country, and still be
reachable by your home phone number. This service costs money.

HTH

--
De toutes les matières, c'est la ouate qu'elle préfère.

Cb

    >>Quibble: Some handsets have this ability crippled on purpose. These are
    >>called "locked" and are to be avoided.
However if you search the internet, there are many websites offering ways of
UNLOCKING any type of GSM phone you can think of, for a small fee ranging
from about $20 to $40. The advantage of getting a "locked" phone from a
carrier, is that you typically receive it at a "big" discount and even if
you pay for unlocking, it is still usually cheaper than what you would pay
in the open market.

"Wolfgang Schwanke" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > [email protected] (ted kell) wrote in
    > news:[email protected]:
    > > I keep hearing technical
    > > terms such as SIM and GSM and 2-band and 3-band and... and ... . It's
    > > all very confusing. What does it all mean and how do I make it work
    > > for me?
    > It's really quite easy.
    > In Europe there is only one technology in use: GSM
    > (The USA have several incompatible technologies, of which GSM happens to
be
    > one)
    > One technical quibble: GSM can radiate on different bands (like radio can
    > have long wave, mdium wave, short wave). The possible GSM bands are 900
MHz
    > , 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz. Out of these, Europe uses 900 and 1800, USA uses
1900
    > exclusively.
    > A triple band handset can handle all three, i.e. it works on all GSM
    > networks in the world. A dual band handset can be either 900/1800 (Europe
    > only), or 900/1900 (North America and a subset of European networks only).
    > Single band handsets handle only one.
    > GSM handsets are independent of the network and phone number. Any GSM
    > handset can work on any GSM provider, as long as it can handle the
    > appropriate band. (As opposed to some US networks, where the phone number
    > and network provider may be hardwired into the phone)
    > Quibble: Some handsets have this ability crippled on purpose. These are
    > called "locked" and are to be avoided.
    > The network provider whose customer you are, your phone number, and your
    > accounting plan are identified by a small chip which you can insert into
    > any phone, which - for the time the chip is inserted into it - will then
    > have your phone number. This chip is called a SIM. Without a SIM, a GSM
    > phone is useless.
    > You can think of the handset as the equivalent to regular phone, and the
    > SIM as the equivalent of the wire coming out of the wall.
    > Most countries have several competing networks, usually each covers the
    > whole country (as opposed to the USA, where a given network provider will
    > only cover certain states or urban areas).
    > Most providers offer a variety of plans, subdivided into two important
    > classes: Monthly plan, or prepaid.
    > With a monthly plan, you pay amonthly fixed fee to the phone company, plus
    > minute charges for outgoing calls.
    > With a prepaid plan, you only pay the actual minutes, no fixed fee at all.
    > The downside is that the per minute charges are higher.
    > For foreign tourists, only prepaid plans are an option.
    > All incoming calls are free, except when roaming.
    > Roaming: You can use your phone in a different country, and still be
    > reachable by your home phone number. This service costs money.
    > HTH
    > --
    > De toutes les matières, c'est la ouate qu'elle préfère.