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INTERNATIONAL ROAMING TIPS & CONSIDERATIONS
Know these roaming tips and you'll
have a
lot fewer surprises while Roaming outside
the US.
- Phone Models: When purchasing an "Unlocked"
GSM phone for global use, make sure it is
a "Quad-band" model (850, 900,
1800 & 1900 MHz). That gives you almost
universal access to all cellular networks
around the world. However, new bands are
being introduced, so this situation may change.
A "tri-band" phone may work in
some countries but potentially not in all
towns in those countries. "Dual-band"
phones work almost exclusively in North America.
- Voice Mail: When you are calling your voice mail or
any US number from a foreign country, you
must enter the international calling Prefix
(or "+1" on GSM phones) before
your number to access a US-based number,
even if the phone called is roaming internationally.
In most GSM devices, holding down the 0 key
will cause the + sign to appear, in others
it may the # key. "1" is the country
code for the US.
- Language: You need some foreign language skills to
use Local international cellular services
efficiently. Even if you have your prompts
switched to English, most messages beyond
the balance and refill access are still in
the host language. While some countries offer
English as an option, many do not. Often, the concierge or someone else at your
hotel should be able to help. Be prepared. Also, make sure you know how
to change the language option of your phone.
It will be hard to guess when your choices
are in Arabic.
- Customer Service: In most cases, calls to your own US cellular
service provider ("611"
or their
normal customer service number) do
not incur
any charges. Check with your carrier
before
you leave to make sure. They may
be able
to help with some of your roaming
problems
in English. You may not be able to
call their
US "800" number from another
country,
so learn their "international
access"
number, beforehand. The number for
Verizon
Wireless is (908) 559-4899.
- Data Roaming: Data roaming charges vary greatly and can
be very expensive, so make sure you know what the
charges will be before you leave home. If
you aren't sure of the rates or if you know
they are high, you should deactivate the
cellular Data Roaming capability of your
phone. There have been horror stories of
people receiving data roaming charges in
the thousands of dollars. Even though carriers claim they
will alert you to any possible excessive
charges, those alerts may not reach you when
you are out of the country.
- Preactivated Phones: Many foreign cellular retailers offer pre-activated
phones and SIM's for the convenience of tourists.
Don't be afraid to ask.
- "Call Me Back": Consider having one party call the other
back, based on who has the cheapest rate.
Some international phone suppliers offer
Free incoming calls.
- Long Distance Charges: In some countries you may get a higher charge
for Long Distance for Roaming when outside
of your landing city. For example, in India,
you can cross through the coverage of several
different cellular companies in a single
200 km trip, each with different roaming
and Long Distance fees.
- Extra Passport Photos: Many countries require identification to
buy a local wireless phone or SIM. It would
helpful for you to carry a few passport-size
photos (2" x 2") to attach to your
application form. Activation is normally
immediate. Some retailers overlook this requirement
and others just don't want to be bothered.
In other areas you may only be able to buy
a Local SIM or phone at an "official"
store. Extra photos are a also good idea
for any foreign Visa's that may be required.
- Activate International Roaming: With most US carriers, international Roaming
must be activated which is usually done for
free by customer service.
- Cruise Ships: Using your cellular phone for calls on a
cruise ship can be quite pricey but it should
be much less than calling from your stateroom.
It may be cheaper to make your calls or check
your voice mail while in port if your phone
can roam there. Cruise ships are normally
required to turn off their onboard cellular
access when they arrive at each port. Make
sure your phone is indeed roaming on the
desired system while you're in port or wait
until you're away from the ship before trying
to access the local, and usually less-expensive,
network. Get more details at Cellular@Sea.
- Check Your Bill: Billing that crosses international borders
isn't 100% accurate or timely. Keep your
"International" plan until all
the charges show on your bill. You might
also have calls that are never charged.
- Caller ID does not work on all networks in all places.
You may not be able to choose which calls
you answer and which you ignore.
- Unanswered Calls That Go to Voice Mail: There is sometimes a per minute charge with
US GSM carriers for roaming calls that go
to voice mail, even if your phone is off
and even if no message is left. You can have
your home carrier temporarily disable voice
mail. Make sure your own network knows when
you are "home" by turning on your
phone once you arrive in the US. Some carriers,
like AT&T, claim calls to voice mail
do not incur a charge while roaming if your
phone is turned "off."
- Toll-Free Numbers: Calls to US toll-free "800" numbers
are not free, and may not be possible
from
foreign countries. Per minute (or
per call)
rates apply, but long distance charges
may
not. Wireless and credit card companies
provide
a normal US number for foreign callers.
- The number for emergencies is not usually "911" outside of the US
and Canada. In many European countries the
emergency number for police, fire, or ambulance
is 112. In other areas emergency numbers
may vary. Find the number before you arrive.
If you have trouble being understood, you
might try calling your hotel and ask them
for help. Program in their number as soon
as you know it. GSM phones normally have
several emergency numbers preprogrammed based
on the network you are using. You can usually
enter "911", "112" or
"999" and the SIM will convert
your call to the right number.
- Your GSM phone takes on the characteristics of the wireless
network in each country you visit. So if
you are traveling in Germany, your phone
will work like a local German wireless device.
- Finding Service: When you are abroad and turn on your wireless
phone, it will automatically search for a
wireless network. Registration can take from
30 seconds to several minutes. When the name
or network number of the local network is
displayed, your phone should be ready to
use. The same is true when your phone returns
to the US.
- Battery Chargers: Like any other appliance, your phone's battery
charger may need universal power and plug
adapters for the countries you are visiting.
Most chargers for US wireless phones are
compatible with both 110- and 220-volt systems
but outside of North America their plugs
are not.
- Wireless Laws: In some countries, using a wireless phone
while driving is prohibited. Contact the
local tourist information office for regulations.
- These are observations we and other contributors
have noted while traveling, yours may be
different. Rates and specifications are subject
to change. We'd like to hear about your experiences.
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