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$49 Mobal GSM World Phone, recommended in The Wall Street Journal



September 11, 2005 12:10 a.m.



TRAVEL WATCH
By Kelly K. Spors

What to Do About Cellphones Overseas



"Cellphones are expensive travel companions when you're going abroad. Many U.S. handsets are incompatible with foreign networks and international roaming rates can gouge you, especially in remote destinations.

You can trim your costs, however. Here's what to know:

Bring the right phone. The cellphone must work on the network and frequencies used wherever you're traveling, and many U.S. phones don't.

Getting cellphone service in most parts of Europe and Asia requires a mobile phone that works on GSM, or global system for mobile communications, networks. Moreover, 900- or 1800-megahertz frequency bands are used in most countries in the world, while the U.S., Canada, and Mexico use 850- and 1900-megahertz frequencies.

Some U.S. carriers including T-Mobile and Cingular sell several models of "triband" or "quadband" GSM phones that work both domestically and abroad so customers can use their own phones when they travel. But many U.S. phones only work domestically.

Those without a phone that works overseas will need to buy, rent or borrow one. Most U.S. carriers rent or sell GSM phones to their customers.

Verizon, for instance, charges a daily $3.99 rental fee for GSM phones. If you rent a phone from these carriers, you must use their international-roaming service which costs $1 to $6 a minute, depending on the country you're calling from. Those rates apply whether you're calling locally or dialing a U.S. number.

Getting the SIM. A key feature to GSM phones is the Subscriber Identity Module, or SIM card, a little chip inserted into the back of the phone that holds the user's phone number and subscription information. Some GSM phones are "locked," meaning you can only use a SIM card linked to the carrier that sold you the phone. Getting an unlocked phone is preferable, because you can purchase a SIM card from any carrier you choose, even a foreign one.

Carriers that sell international cellular service often lock their phones, but some may unlock your phone on request. Some Web sites now specialize in instructing people on how to unlock their cellphones on their own.

If you can't get a GSM phone unlocked, you can sometimes find deals on unlocked phones on eBay for less than $50. You might test your phone before you leave by installing a SIM card just to make sure it's actually unlocked. Any SIM card should work in an unlocked phone.

Some firms specialize in selling packages for international cellphone service that include a GSM phone rental or purchase along with a service plan. These can be a convenient option for people who don't already have a usable phone.

For example, Mobal, a U.K. company, sells GSM phones for $49 that work in 140 countries (but not the U.S.) and come equipped with a SIM card.

You then pay anywhere from $1.25 to $6 per minute for service depending on where you're calling from, according to the company's Web site, www.mobal.com.

Choose a service.
Travelers using their cellphone abroad minimally or just bringing it along for an emergency may want to get international-roaming through their U.S. carrier -- especially if they already have a phone that works overseas. An advantage to this approach: You can keep your same phone number.

Those planning to stay in the foreign country for a long time or use their cellphone regularly, however, will probably save money buying a SIM card when they get to the destination.

To do this, you either need to bring an unlocked phone with you and buy a SIM card once you're there, or buy both a phone and a SIM card at the destination. Your phone number will be foreign, but you'll be paying local rates.

Buying a prepaid local SIM card in the foreign country can greatly reduce your cellphone fees, says Roger Entner, an analyst with technology-research firm Ovum. You'll likely spend between 15 and 80 cents per minute, depending on where you're calling, and incoming calls are often free."

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The $49 Mobal GSM World Phone
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