Short-term use phone in U.S.
Jul 29, 2005, 1:18 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
Originally Posted by LeavingLAS
Here is a much better option;
More than likely, your german friends are using GSM phones, as that is the standard in Germany... Telesial sells pre-paid SIM cards to work on unlocked GSM phones, allowing your friends to use the phones that they are used to (with all thier existing settings). When they wind up over here, they simply swap thier SIM with the Testial SIM and they are all set, using our networks, with no plan.
The other benefit to using this method, is that if you order the SIM before your trip, you know the phone # you will be reachable at before you even go, and can therefore, pass it out in advance to those who need it.
If perchance your friend's phones are not unlocked, you can unlock them for L4.50 @ http://www.mobile-phones-uk.org.uk/unlock-codes.htm or search "unlock" and your friend's phone model in Google.
More than likely, your german friends are using GSM phones, as that is the standard in Germany... Telesial sells pre-paid SIM cards to work on unlocked GSM phones, allowing your friends to use the phones that they are used to (with all thier existing settings). When they wind up over here, they simply swap thier SIM with the Testial SIM and they are all set, using our networks, with no plan.
The other benefit to using this method, is that if you order the SIM before your trip, you know the phone # you will be reachable at before you even go, and can therefore, pass it out in advance to those who need it.
If perchance your friend's phones are not unlocked, you can unlock them for L4.50 @ http://www.mobile-phones-uk.org.uk/unlock-codes.htm or search "unlock" and your friend's phone model in Google.
Having been out in West Texas recently with a Cingular GAIT phone and a T-Mobile GSM phone I can tell you that I was in analog and TDMA for some very long stretches along I-10 and the T-mobile phone was a paperweight for a lot more of that drive than I would've liked. It's the same thing around Las Vegas. Once you get out beyond Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam heading towards Kingman... forget it.
As the OP said, they plan to do a combo of flying and driving from New York to Las Vegas. That's likely going to include territory GSM just doesn't cover yet but at least analog does.
Jul 29, 2005, 7:10 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Reading, Cambridge & Edinburgh, UK, Sunnyvale, CA and Philadelphia, PA
Programs: Top Gear
Posts: 583
I had this "problem" last week - I'm now in the States for three months. I picked up a T-Mobile SIM for $50 (inc 125 minutes), and topped it up with a further $100 credit (that gets 1000 minutes, but more importantly it keeps the phone active for a year).
Being the guy I am, I also set up an Asterisk server with accounts from sipgate (in the UK, but who also have a German operation) and iconnecthere, and before leaving set my UK mobile number to divert to the sipgate number. That's then set (via Asterisk) to route the call via iconnecthere to my US SIM, with the result that my roaming fees are pence rather than pounds per minute. But that takes a bit of work to do...
Being the guy I am, I also set up an Asterisk server with accounts from sipgate (in the UK, but who also have a German operation) and iconnecthere, and before leaving set my UK mobile number to divert to the sipgate number. That's then set (via Asterisk) to route the call via iconnecthere to my US SIM, with the result that my roaming fees are pence rather than pounds per minute. But that takes a bit of work to do...
Jul 31, 2005, 6:55 am
#18
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: ORD
Programs: UA *G
Posts: 1,720
Hi!
I have an idea. If they can ship their phone to a US Address, go to www.tracfone.com for $20, they can get either a Nokia 1100, 1221, or 2285. The Nokia 1100 is a nice, little phone, for the price, and it includes 40 base minutes + 100 referral minutes (please e-mail me if you would like the referral minutes, as it also gives me 100 minutes
) and I believe 20 Bonus Minute.. That's 160 prepaid minutes + phone for $20.
The Nokia 1100 uses Cingular's nationwide network with free roaming off of it when neccessary.
The Nokia 1221, not available in many markets anymore, mostly uses Cingular's TDMA network (dependent on the area) with paid roaming (double airtime use) onto other network.
The Nokia 2285 uses Verizon's network, charging double roaming when they leave the particular area they activated in.. The 1100, if GSM 800 has adeqate coverage, would be my reccomendation.
I have an idea. If they can ship their phone to a US Address, go to www.tracfone.com for $20, they can get either a Nokia 1100, 1221, or 2285. The Nokia 1100 is a nice, little phone, for the price, and it includes 40 base minutes + 100 referral minutes (please e-mail me if you would like the referral minutes, as it also gives me 100 minutes
) and I believe 20 Bonus Minute.. That's 160 prepaid minutes + phone for $20.The Nokia 1100 uses Cingular's nationwide network with free roaming off of it when neccessary.
The Nokia 1221, not available in many markets anymore, mostly uses Cingular's TDMA network (dependent on the area) with paid roaming (double airtime use) onto other network.
The Nokia 2285 uses Verizon's network, charging double roaming when they leave the particular area they activated in.. The 1100, if GSM 800 has adeqate coverage, would be my reccomendation.
Last edited by JBLUA320; Jul 31, 2005 at 6:58 am