Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 22

Visorphone/Treo in Guam?

I'm currently a VisorPhone user and will probably be stationed in Guam toward the end of this year. I'm curious if i will be able to use my VP in Guam, or Treo if i upgraded.
I'm assuming that because each phone uses GSM it shouldn't be a problem. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Hank

Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Singapore
Posts: 8

Try: http://www.gsmcoverage.co.uk/coverage.html .. you can find Guam in there. Two things you should check is that the same frequency is used as is supported by your phone - most phones are 900/1800 (dual-band) but Guam may require tri-band (I don't actually know!). Also, your home network provider will need to have a roaming agreement with a provider in Guam.

So, your own provider might be the best person for this advice. Alternatively you might be getting an account in Guam - in which case just check the band they use and I guess you should be ok

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Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 22

Great Info

Thanks for the reply. Your link was very informative and listed more than what i've been able to come up with.

i guess the one concept i don't understand is i thought it wouldn't be a problem to move one GSM phone into another region. I was under the impression i would just get another SIM card from whatever carrier i decided to go with.

Thanks again for your reply.
Hank

Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 22

Great Info

Thanks for the reply. Your link was very informative and listed more than what i've been able to come up with.

i guess the one concept i don't understand is i thought it wouldn't be a problem to move one GSM phone into another region. I was under the impression i would just get another SIM card from whatever carrier i decided to go with.

Thanks again for your reply.
Hank

Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Singapore
Posts: 8

In theory you should be able to move around freely .. I do with my Nokia 6210 or Visorphone .. everywhere except the US. I'm assuming that Guam falls under US GSM coverage theory so you may run into a problem ..

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Registered: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 92

In theory, GSM should be the same everywhere; however, most of the world uses a mix of two frequencies 900MHz (the original GSM standard) and 1800MHz. Older phones tended to work on only one band, but most modern GSM phones are both 900 and 1800MHz, with transparent switching between the two. Some networks use both, others are one band only; typically older networks use GSM900 and newer ones, or those in densely populated areas prefer GSM1800.

For various reasons (chiefly availability of spectrum), when the US started building GSM networks, they chose a new frequency of 1900MHz (and some newer US ones may be using yet another unique band too).

When people talk of a World Phone in GSM terms, they usually mean one that has both 1900MHz for use in North America, and 900MHz to use elsewhere - few places have only an 1800MHz network.

Some phones can work on all three currently deployed frequencies 900/1800/1900, but they're mostly Motorolas, so don't count. Ericsson has a few as well, like the luscious T68i.

VisorPhone works on the 900 and 1900MHz bands, so can be used anywhere where there is coverage on either of those. (Treo, incidentally, is available in two versions; for North America 900/1900 and for everywhere else 900/1800).

In Guam, the sole network is operated by Guam Wireless Co LLC, and uses the 1900MHz band, so VP will be fine there.

The best place to check this information is www.gsmworld.com, where you can find a list of networks by country in the GSM Roaming section. Click on a network's name to see details including coverage maps and the frequency used.

Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 22

YEEEESSSSSS!

Excellent! That's exactly the info i wanted to here. Thanks

With that said, can VP, Treo, or other GSM phone users get an updated SIM card when moving into a new region so they can change services and continue to use their original equipment?

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 92

You don't usually need an updated SIM if a) your usual carrier has a roaming agreement with one of the ones serving the area you're moving to and b) you're happy to pay the roaming charges.

If you're going to spend a while in a new area, it is often cheaper to get a SIM-only subscription to the carrier covering that area, rather than paying roaming charges - a friend of mine, for example, has done this now that he's got a job in Amsterdam. Of course, the downside of that is that you'll end up with a new phone number that you'll have to tell everyone, and possibly a new contract with a minimum term.

All you have to do is get a SIM from a new carrier, put it in the phone, and turn the phone on.

Also, you should be aware (it's not an issue with the Handspring Treo or VP though) that some GSM phones are SIM-locked, which means that since the network you bought it from subsidised it, to the tune of a few hundred dollars in some cases, they've decided not to allow you to use it on other networks. The SIM lock means that if you do take out the SIM card and put in one from another network, the phone may reject it. If this happens, you either pay the network an unlocking fee, and they give you a code to do it (and maybe make you pay the remaining rental for the period of your contract up front) or you find someone else who can unlock it, using software the likes of which can be found on dodgy Slovenian web sites...

Nigel