Thanks for all the info---I'd been doing some research on the same subject and was overwhelmed by all the choices.

I do have a question regarding costs: while att might prove to be the easiest overall service for US/canada/overseas, I don't believe it's the cheapest. Worldconnect charges 7.99/month, plus 99 cents a minute, plus long distance.

Voicestream (gsm-US) seems to be the cheapest---at least if you're on a nationwide plan in the US/Canada. No added monthly fee or roaming charges, just a per minute, which varies in each country and network. And it does vary greatly within each country, depending on which network you connect with.

Or did I make a mistake in reading these plans?