Will You Cell Phone Work Abroad?

By Author: Samantha Dale
Total Articles: 610
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If you are heading overseas for business or leisure, chances are that you will want to take along your cell phone with you, as it will be useful for anything from social chats to company calls to emergency situations. However, unless you have been savvy enough to rent a satellite phone before you just pack your phone in your bag and step onto the plane, be warned that it some North American cells will not work overseas.

First, the phone has to be unlocked to be used on any overseas networks. While inside the US or Canada, your carrier provides your phone with the ability to receive and make calls. However, outside this area of coverage, you will have to rely on other providers. If your phone is locked in to one particular network, it will need to be unlocked to be used successfully overseas. Bear in mind too that some carriers will not offer an unlocking service to their customers, and you should call up your network provider for more information.

Even if your phone is unlocked, it will have to be compatible with the transmission and reception technology that is used outside of the US and Canada. Your phone will ...
... have to satisfy the following requirements to be functional overseas:

It will have to be a GSM model.
It will have to be a triband phone, compatible with the 1800/900 GSM bands used overseas, as well as the 1900/850 bands used in North America
It will have to be unlocked.

Only with this sort of cell will you be able to make and receive calls when traveling.

Of course, there is a much easier way of ensuring that you have a functional phone when abroad. By making use of international cell phone rental, you will be guaranteed to have a phone that is there for you all of the time.
Save up to 90% on high roaming costs with our international cell phone rental plans. We offer affordable Satellite phone that lets you use your cell phone when you travel without the worry of huge bills. http://www.globalcellularrental.com