Does anyone know what kind of mobiles can be used in America? Several years ago none could be used, but I've seen people using them in the last 2 or 3 years. I'm changing my phone (it's just a basic pay-as-you- go Nokia) and I would like one I could use over there. I have heard that you can buy a sim-card in the States just for use there.

Cheers, Pat

I have a very basic pay as you go Nokia and have had no problems useing mine. I am not sure what tour your on, but if it is just to keep in touch at home I have been on 3 USA tours and I just use the internet while away most big hotels have a business suite you can use. normally FREE!!!!!

Cindy

The phone needs to be Tri-Band to be used in America.

Suspect your Nokia is only Dual-Band as had same problem myself so upgraded. It will be ok for Europe but nowhere else.

If you want a phone to use anywhere in the world it needs to be Quad-Band.

Mick

There you go we needed a MAN to explain these techno things to us ladies..

Cindy

Hi Pat,

The phone needs to be Tri-Band to be used in America.

Suspect your Nokia is only Dual-Band as had same problem myself so upgraded. It will be ok for Europe but nowhere else.

If you want a phone to use anywhere in the world it needs to be Quad-Band.

Mick

I have a 'cheap' pay-as u-go LG phone which is tri-band and never have had problems using it in America and Canada. Just make sure that if you do buy a new one it is a 'tri-band'

Steve

If you want to make calls within the USA or access the internet (either on a smartphone or tethered to a laptop or tablet) I suggest you buy a sim USA card. However, not all providers use the GSM system as we do. T-Mobile uses our system and they are the one I used during a recent visit. You can choose pre-paid pay as you go or you can opt for $1 or $2 per day (only on days it is used). For $2 per day you can get unlimited calls within the US and unlimited internet (2G). My sim card cost me $10. You can see these rates on

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/pay-as-you-go-plans 

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/pay-by-the-day-cell-phone-plans 

If you want to make calls to the UK I suggest you buy a “calling card”. I paid $5 for a calling card and got calls to the UK for a few cents per minute. These can be used from mobiles or land lines. The cost per minute varies depending on if you use a local access number or a Freephone number. You can buy these over the internet or in shops in the US. If you buy over the internet they email the pin number so you can use them straight away.

I used my US sim on the $2 per day tariff and used this to phone a local access number. In this way I got the cheapest rate.

What Mick says is right. I have a quad phone and I went into Jersey Telecom this morning and asked if I could use it in China. They told me I could use it anywhere in the world, and they also showed me how to connect into the 2 chinese networks that co-operate with Jersey Telecom. I am going to China on 12th September, thats why I was particularly interested in China.

Have a good holiday.

Peter

I have obtained a global sim card for my phone when I go to Singapore and Australia and New Zealand next month from : www.0044.co.uk. They also do specific sim cards for America which you can use in you current phone. Have a look at their web site which I have put above.

Eric

Plenty of the hotels in Oz and Nz have internet facilitys you can you if you want to send e mails etc either free of just a few $...

Cindy

Eric

Plenty of the hotels in Oz and Nz have internet facilitys you can you if you want to send e mails etc either free of just a few $...

Cindy

Thanks for that Cindy,

Although my phone is just a phone and not one of those new fangled gadgets I was planning to use internet facilities whilst away occasionally.

I have looked up the hotels on our tour and see that most of them charge for wifi / internet access by the day and infact they are quiet expensive so I will most likely us an internet cafe now and again.

Eric

I must say when I was in Oz I purchased a phone card,, one of those things you key the number in on the hotel phone was so chep and had plenty of talk time much cheaper than using a mobile. The NZ Hotels were not dear at all to use internet, All I wanted to do was send quick e mail to say I was still alive I wasnt on the internet for hours. I did not ring home from NZ all my contact was either a quick txt or email...

Cindy