Travel Technology - Can I use my CDMA network cell phone in Australia?

Taking a 3 week trip to Australia and New Zealand and will have to call the U.S. at least a few times while we are there. Our cell phones (LG's, currently using SprintPCS) are CDMA and we have read that is the wireless network Australia uses as well. Can we get a temp wireless plan through an Australian or New Zealand company for while we are there? If yes, is it worth it? Should we just get an international calling card?

Thanks for your help.

I don't believe you can use an American CDMA phone in Australia. You might like to check out this page: http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/products/overseas/roaminginbound.htm

Glenn

Just buy a prepaid phone pack from vodafone or the like. I was just in SYD and they had them going for A$99, which included a SIM worth $30. You have an Aussie number, and you can recharge as you go. Calls back to the US are basically A$.30/min, billed by the second. Incoming calls are free.

Some lessons I learned (from Vodafone):

1. If you think you are going to do any moderate amount of texting, recharge *first* with a TXTer plan that gives you a batch of free txts. Otherwise each txt is $.25/msg.

2. Once you've got your free bank of TXTs, recharge again with $50 and switch to the Talker or Night Talker plan. Whichever you think fits best. You'll still keep your free texts you just earned above when you change your plan.

If you recharge w/ A$50 on the Talker, your per minute rate goes down to $.30/min. I believe this also reclassifies your entire balance, not just the recharge amount, eligible for the $.30/min rate. (Though I could be mistaken on this.)

If you switch to the night talker, you get something like 120 free nighttime minutes (only applies to aussie #'s, mobile or landline).

I was there for 2.5 weeks, talked a fair bit back to the US and w/in Australia, and spent about A$130 total on airtime. Had I roamed the same amount via T-Mobile, I'd have returned from a fabulous vacation to a $500+ phone bill.

Even though there are CDMA providers in both the U.S. and Australia, they're not compatible. So there is no way that you can use a U.S. CDMA phone (Sprint or Verizon) in Australia.

OTOH, GSM is another story. GSM is designed for international use while CDMA isn't. With GSM, you just swap the SIM card to convert your U.S. phone into a local foreign phone. If you have a U.S. GSM phone (Cingular, AT&T, T-Mobile), you can probably set it up for overseas use. You simply purchase a GSM SIM card once you get to Australia for around $30 from a GSM carrier (Vodaphone or Optus).

Two caveats however: Although both U.S. & Australian GSM systems are similar, they use different bands. So make sure your GSM phone is at least a 3 band phone. The better phones usually are, the cheapies usually aren't.

Secondly, make sure you have an UNLOCKED phone, which will allow you to use a SIM card other than your home provider's. If it is locked, ask them if they'll unlock it. T-Mobile is pretty decent if you've been with them for awhile. AT&T are supposed to really ugly about it.

If you have an unlocked 3 or 4 band phone, you're good to go! My wife is Australian, and I'm preparing to move there, so I make a lot of trips back and forth. I have an unlocked Treo 600 with Cingular. But as soon as I board the plane for Sydney, I swap to a Vodaphone pre-paid SIM. Works like a charm! Only thing is, I can't use GPRS (Web & e-mail) while in Oz. You can only do that with a monthly plan, which I'll get when I move over there. But for now, the prepaid SIM is a pretty good compromise, and a LOT cheaper that roaming!

Thanks for the info. We thought it was a long shot. We will check into the pre-paid phone deal.

Two caveats however: Although both U.S. & Australian GSM systems are similar, they use different bands. So make sure your GSM phone is at least a 3 band phone. The better phones usually are, the cheapies usually aren't.


Agree with SemiElite here. I don't know what type of phone the vodafone phone pack has, but check to make sure it's a tri-band. That way, you can use the phone not only in the US, but also Europe and Asia.


Secondly, make sure you have an UNLOCKED phone, which will allow you to use a SIM card other than your home provider's. If it is locked, ask them if they'll unlock it.

If you wind up purchasing a phone pack, I highly doubt you'll manage to get it unlocked. Especially if you're a prepaid customer. However, I'm sure you can find the unlock codes on the internet somewhere.

If you wind up purchasing a phone pack, I highly doubt you'll manage to get it unlocked. Especially if you're a prepaid customer. However, I'm sure you can find the unlock codes on the internet somewhere.

If you buy the phone at an independent dealer (as opposed to a Vodafone company store) they may unlock it for you if you tell them you're visiting from the US and want to use your US SIM card in it when you get back.

I did this in London a few months ago. I needed a replacement phone for my T-Mobile US account, but also wanted a local UK SIM card, so at an independent retailer on Oxford Street, I bought a Nokia 3100 with a 10-pound O2 prepaid card included, all for 60 pounds. The salesman unlocked it for me right in the store so that I could also use my US SIM card with the phone.

If you buy the phone at an independent dealer (as opposed to a Vodafone company store) they may unlock it for you if you tell them you're visiting from the US and want to use your US SIM card in it when you get back.

^ Which is why I always buy mobile phone products from independent dealers. Not only do they have newer phones, they're also willing to wheel & deal. :D