Travel Technology - Unlocking Phone for International Use / Call Fwding (seting up w/ cheap rates)

Hi all,

1) How would I go about unlocking my cell phone for international usage? (I have an AT&T Tilt Made by HTC (It's a global phone). I understand there is a way out there to make cheap international calls by doing this. What is this process?

2) With using a Call Fwding System like Vonage or Skype I could use a local sim card with a local international number and then have people call me a standard local (us) number to reach me where ever I am with no additional charge to them. Is this correct? How would the charges change for me? for Incoming and outgoing calls?

Is there and effective way to make inexpensive international cell phone calls out there? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

3) What about setting up international Land Lines for the same as I have stated above? Is there an inexpensive way to set these things up? For in coming and outgoing calls all on a local (us) number for both parties?

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Thanks a lot for your help!
West Jones

1) How would I go about unlocking my cell phone for international usage? (I have an AT&T Tilt Made by HTC (It's a global phone).
I assume you mean unlocking so you can use other local or international SIM cards in your phone. You have to either
a) get the unlock code from your cell phone provider (each company has different rules, but if you are a long-time customer, I belive at&t will do so). To do this, you need to call your cell phone customer service team and ask for the unlock code for your phone; you will need to provide your IMEI number (found underneath the battery).
or b) find an internet service which will sell you an unlock code and/or unlocking software. a) is much easier and cheaper if your carrier will give you the code.

I understand there is a way out there to make cheap international calls by doing this. What is this process?
Basically, all this does is allow you to place other SIM cards in your phone, thus allowing access to a wide range of local and international service options.


2) With using a Call Fwding System like Vonage or Skype I could use a local sim card with a local international number and then have people call me a standard local (us) number to reach me where ever I am with no additional charge to them. Is this correct? How would the charges change for me? for Incoming and outgoing calls?
Yes. This would work. For incoming calls, your charge would have two components: 1) the cost of Vonage or Skype to forward the call to your cell phone number (note that rates to call mobile phones in most of the world are significantly higher than calling landline phones).
2) the cost of incoming calls on the SIM card-based plan. (Note: in many countries outside of North America there is no charge for incoming calls)

Outgoing calls would cost whatever they cost for your plan (depending on what SIM card is in the phone).

Is there and effective way to make inexpensive international cell phone calls out there? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
There are ways to combine callback services or dial-through services with cell phone plans. It depends on where you need to use your phone and where you need to call what will be better for you. The site http://www.prepaidgsm.net has useful information and helpful forums.


3) What about setting up international Land Lines for the same as I have stated above? Is there an inexpensive way to set these things up? For in coming and outgoing calls all on a local (us) number for both parties?
There are different VOIP services that offer international telephone numbers and/or forwarding services. The forums at http://www.dslreports.com/forum/voip are a good resource

A long time ago, I decided to separate my data device from my mobile. Prepaid data plans stink in most countries. There are a couple of exceptions, e.g. the UK, but these are the exceptions not the rule.

I have an ATT 8525 (upgraded to an cooked Windows Mobile 6 Rom). For the most part, my phone is the same as the Tilt. When I'm outside of the US (or the UAE), I turn on the $8 a month Boingo PDA data plan. It gives me wifi connections in a number of places around Western Europe including most airports, etc. I currently have the ATT PDA International plan on my phone which gives me 20 megs a month outside the US and $5 a meg beyond that. When the contract obligation, runs, I"m looking at various alternatives including: (a) switching to an iPhone data plan and ditching the iPhone. You can get 50 megs a month outside the US and turn on the plan only when you are out of the US. The iPhone will then get jailbreaked and auctioned; (b) adding Blackberry Connect Software to the phone and going with an international Blackberry plan; (c) going with a data roaming sim such as http://www.icqsim.com/ or Virgin's one.

I also carry a small slider phone for data which while a smartphone, isn't really used as one. I carry a Nokia E65 with Truphone on it. It gives me great voip where it is available.

My current favorite roaming SIM is from 09 out of Iceland. I get free incoming calls in 80 countries including Mexico, Western Europe, Japan, etc. I have a US phone number diverted to it from Callbackworld for only 15 cents a minute. For England, the US, the UAE, and Canada, I have dedicated SIMs, but I mostly stick with o9.

Thanks all. I am going to take some time to look at the links provided. I'll do some figuring out and then get back to you if I have further questions (I most likely will but don't want to waist your time asking you stuff that is probably on the links you gave me.)

Thanks again!
West Jones

Hey there West Jones!

I have important information for those of us who have service with AT&T.

There is a more straightforward and easier way to get any AT&T or Cingular GSM phone unlocked.

If you have had service already established for at least 90 days, then you (and any other AT&T customers) can do the following:

1. Call 916-843-4685. This is AT&T International Customer Support and is free from any active AT&T handset (it does not count against any night/weekend/anytime minutes).

2. When you are connected to an customer service representative (CSR), tell them that you are planning on traveling to either Asia or Europe and that you would like to have the subsidy lock removed off your handset. If they question you further, make something plausible up and stick to it.

3. Have your phone's IMEI number ready. The easiest way to get the IMEI number is to dial *#06# on your handset. Your phone will then display the number. Write it down and have it ready to tell the CSR in case he/she asks for it.

4. If they approve of it, they will send a request for unlock and you should have your code in under 5 days. If not, be polite, say thank you, hang up, call back the number again and repeat until successful.

4. If they approve of it, they will send a request for unlock and you should have your code in under 5 days. If not, be polite, say thank you, hang up, call back the number again and repeat until successful.
They can even get the code while you are waiting on hold. (They've done this for me twice.)

I've also had no problem getting the code from AT&T via a customer service email.

Hey there West Jones!

I have important information for those of us who have service with AT&T.

There is a more straightforward and easier way to get any AT&T or Cingular GSM phone unlocked.

If you have had service already established for at least 90 days, then you (and any other AT&T customers) can do the following:

1. Call 916-843-4685. This is AT&T International Customer Support and is free from any active AT&T handset (it does not count against any night/weekend/anytime minutes).

2. When you are connected to an customer service representative (CSR), tell them that you are planning on traveling to either Asia or Europe and that you would like to have the subsidy lock removed off your handset. If they question you further, make something plausible up and stick to it.

3. Have your phone's IMEI number ready. The easiest way to get the IMEI number is to dial *#06# on your handset. Your phone will then display the number. Write it down and have it ready to tell the CSR in case he/she asks for it.

4. If they approve of it, they will send a request for unlock and you should have your code in under 5 days. If not, be polite, say thank you, hang up, call back the number again and repeat until successful.

This is a good way to do it and I am not trying to say anything is wrong with this method. I would just like to offer the toll free number to the same department for those that are interested. It is: 800-335-4685

This is a good way to do it and I am not trying to say anything is wrong with this method. I would just like to offer the toll free number to the same department for those that are interested. It is: 800-335-4685

Just a friendly reminder that you can call US 800 numbers for free from Skype with the standard accounts

Thanks for all the good info. My husband bought a Tilt specifically for a trip to Asia but did not know about the 90 day requirement.

He went to an AT&T store and told them he needed it unlocked despite having it only 6 weeks. The store clerk started to refuse but H insisted.

They put him on the phone with someone who asked a bunch of security questions including some with trick answers! I guess they really don't want stolen phones to be unlocked.

Just wanted to add his experience: it can be done in fewer than 90 days of ownership.

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I bought an LG TU575 unlocked phone and I have an AT&T cell phone. Tried to use it, but the only features that I'm able to use are the calls. It seems that the network it's registered to is Telstra. Is it posible for me to change this to my US network?

I bought an LG TU575 unlocked phone and I have an AT&T cell phone. Tried to use it, but the only features that I'm able to use are the calls. It seems that the network it's registered to is Telstra. Is it posible for me to change this to my US network?

The network "splash" you see when you start it up doesn't mean that the phone is locked to that network; that's just the firmware on the phone. The fact that it accepted your ATT SIM is a pretty good indication that it is unlocked.

What other features are you trying to use? Does your ATT plan support them?

The network "splash" you see when you start it up doesn't mean that the phone is locked to that network; that's just the firmware on the phone. The fact that it accepted your ATT SIM is a pretty good indication that it is unlocked.

What other features are you trying to use? Does your ATT plan support them?

I'm trying to send media (photos or video) and it doesn't allow it to go through. I have a media bundle package with AT&T