Use of mobile in the USA

[colionwh]

I'm not sure if I'm in the correct place but here goes!
I am going to the US from UK next week and am having "great fun" in sorting out my Mobile 'phone for use there, in a RV for three weeks.
On a past holiday it was OK in Colorado but this year we are in Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska and my previous set up has not any availability in those areas.
The 'phone is a Nokia 6131 with possibly a package from T Mobile.
T-mobile say it will be OK. Are they correct!

Thanks for any advice.

Colin

[Blue4Life]

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Since the Nokia 6131 is a quad-band GSM phone, that shouldn't be an issue here. Have you checked out T-Mobile's Street Level Coverage Viewer?

[colionwh]

That's a great reply, thanks very much.
Colin

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by Blue4Life

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Since the Nokia 6131 is a quad-band GSM phone, that shouldn't be an issue here. Have you checked out T-Mobile's Street Level Coverage Viewer?

Do understand that quad band in the US is not important. What is important is that you have a phone that is capable of both 850 and 1900 Mhz since those are the only bands used for mobile telephony in the US and Canada. Having a phone be quad band does not increase the signal or usable signal that you can use.

[Charlyee]

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Originally Posted by Telekom

Do understand that quad band in the US is not important. What is important is that you have a phone that is capable of both 850 and 1900 Mhz since those are the only bands used for mobile telephony in the US and Canada. Having a phone be quad band does not increase the signal or usable signal that you can use.

I imagine that it would be rather difficult for the OP to have a 850/1900 only device in Europe. Considering the device in question is the 6131 ( 2 years & mine is still going to strong), the fact that it is a quad band GSM phone is an important statement to make.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by Charlyee

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I imagine that it would be rather difficult for the OP to have a 850/1900 only device in Europe. Considering the device in question is the 6131 ( 2 years & mine is still going to strong), the fact that it is a quad band GSM phone is an important statement to make.

That's absolutely true. I was just trying to make the point that having a quad band device does not make for better reception just by having two extra bands and that having two extra bands only makes for more compatibility if one is going to be in North America as well as in Europe/Asia/Africa. Some people apparently think that just having the extra bands will mean that you get a better shot at pulling in a troublesome signal.

[dmapr]

Originally Posted by Telekom

That's absolutely true. I was just trying to make the point that having a quad band device does not make for better reception just by having two extra bands and that having two extra bands only makes for more compatibility if one is going to be in North America as well as in Europe/Asia/Africa. Some people apparently think that just having the extra bands will mean that you get a better shot at pulling in a troublesome signal.

Rest assured, Blue4Life isn't one of them Besides, Blue4Life was not talking about reception, but about coverage — and a quad-band phone makes for a much better coverage in the US than a tri-band. Some people apparently think that having 900/1800/1900MHz phone is sufficient in the US.

[Blue4Life]

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Exactly, in fact I have a few dual-band, tri-band, & quad-band phones listed in my profile. And while i can get by with just 1900 MHz coverage in my area, there are too many places where that's not true. Even though T-Mobile only has native 1900 MHZ coverage, the absense of the 850 MHz band would prevent them from taking advantage of 850 MHz roaming coverage. Considering that the op is from the UK, a quad-band phone was a good investment and the T-Mobile coverage viewer is a useful tool.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by dmapr

Rest assured, Blue4Life isn't one of them Besides, Blue4Life was not talking about reception, but about coverage — and a quad-band phone makes for a much better coverage in the US than a tri-band. Some people apparently think that having 900/1800/1900MHz phone is sufficient in the US.

As they say "not necessarily." Tri-bands aren't all created equal. Some tri-bands are 850/1800/1900 while other tri-bands are 900/1800/1900. The first is what you want for the USA and Canada to get the best reception (or reception at all in some places.) Again, it matters which tri-band phone you have. Strictly speaking a tri-band or quad band phone is not needed in the USA or Canada. A dual-band 850/1900 handset will do just fine.

At one time tri-band 900/1800/1900 was good enough simply because there was no GSM 850. Not having GSM 850 was one of the reasons why AT&T Wireless failed so miserably when they deployed GSM in the USA. They were trying for the same coverage as their 850/1900 IS-136 "TDMA" handsets in a network that was mostly optimized for 850. There were no 850 radios in phones for GSM. That's where xingular was smart that they didn't (actually couldn't since xingular didn't have 1900 licenses in most of their markets except for the GSM markets that they absorbed when they became xingular in the Carolinas (x-Bell South DCS) and on the west coast (x-Pac Bell PCS.) They only rolled out GSM after 850 GSM radio were available at the broadcast and handset level.

I stand by what I said that all you need in the USA and Canada is a handset capable of 850 and 1900. That's all you need. Having a tri-band or quad band phone is only useful if you're going to use it outside of the US or Canada (a very few areas in North America/Central America use various combinations including 900 and 1800.) South America uses various combinations of 850/900/1800 and 1900.

[colionwh]

Thanks everyone for all your comments.
I thought that I understood the first answer from Blue4life but now 'm not so sure!!!
I'll go along with "that shouldn't be an issue here"
Someone from the Wyoming/Nebraska area with a Nokia 6131 should be able to confirm it's operation or otherwise in those areas.

Thanks everyone, Colin

[dmapr]

Originally Posted by Telekom

As they say "not necessarily." Tri-bands aren't all created equal. Some tri-bands are 850/1800/1900 while other tri-bands are 900/1800/1900. The first is what you want for the USA and Canada to get the best reception (or reception at all in some places.) Again, it matters which tri-band phone you have. Strictly speaking a tri-band or quad band phone is not needed in the USA or Canada. A dual-band 850/1900 handset will do just fine.

At one time tri-band 900/1800/1900 was good enough simply because there was no GSM 850. Not having GSM 850 was one of the reasons why AT&T Wireless failed so miserably when they deployed GSM in the USA. They were trying for the same coverage as their 850/1900 IS-136 "TDMA" handsets in a network that was mostly optimized for 850. There were no 850 radios in phones for GSM. That's where xingular was smart that they didn't (actually couldn't since xingular didn't have 1900 licenses in most of their markets except for the GSM markets that they absorbed when they became xingular in the Carolinas (x-Bell South DCS) and on the west coast (x-Pac Bell PCS.) They only rolled out GSM after 850 GSM radio were available at the broadcast and handset level.

I stand by what I said that all you need in the USA and Canada is a handset capable of 850 and 1900. That's all you need. Having a tri-band or quad band phone is only useful if you're going to use it outside of the US or Canada (a very few areas in North America/Central America use various combinations including 900 and 1800.) South America uses various combinations of 850/900/1800 and 1900.

Nowhere in this thread I see anybody saying that you need a quad- or tri-band phone. But, since the OP is from Europe it stands to reason that they already have a GSM phone and most likely it has 900 & 1800 bands. What do you call a GSM phone that has 900 & 1800 bands and works well in the US? I call it quad-band...

Now, if the question was "which phone do I need to buy to use prepaid GSM in the US", the answer would've been different.

[RadioRaiders]

Wow, the guy asked a simple question and got a most confusing reply.
To give a short answer: your fine coming to the USA with your quad-band phone.

The USA uses GSM on 850 and 1900 Mhz (EU uses 900 and 1800 MHz). In rural areas it's important to have the lower band available on your phone (in the USA that would be the 850Mhz band) since carriers prefer to use them in rural areas due to the fact lower freqs can travel farther than higer ones (this means they need less sites, and pay less $).

[colionwh]

Great RR,

Thanks for that, I'll let you know later if I end up in the erkum dirkum!
Cheers,
Colin
I'll leave you now to carry on with the discusion!

[Blue4Life]

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I was under the impression that the op wanted to know if they would have coverage in Wyoming, South Dakota, & Nebraska on T-Mobile's network. I wasn't aware that the op was confused by the initial reply and that it would turn into a discussion. All i did was mention that they shouldn't have a problem with their phone choice and where they can find T-Mobile's coverage maps.

If the op mentioned that they were going to use a phone that didn't support the US bands, I would have informed them to choose a phone that does. Since they already stated that they intended to use the Nokia 6131, there was no need to. The fact that the op is from the UK, a quad-band phone, was a good choice for them. I am posting this message on a North American tri-band Nokia E70-2 (850/1800/1900 MHz).

[colionwh]

The initial reply was great, just what I wanted, it was the response when the floodgates opened that "confused" me.
Colin

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by colionwh

The initial reply was great, just what I wanted, it was the response when the floodgates opened that "confused" me.
Colin

You're easily confused

[colionwh]

My only excuse is that I'm well retired!

[Charlyee]

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Originally Posted by colionwh

My only excuse is that I'm well retired!

LOl, Welcome to WA. Do stick around. We need more posters like you & less like.....umm, no names mentioned .

Btw, I believe I was the first one on this board to get a 6131. How long have you had yours?

[RJB]

It would be crazy to not have an 850 band here in the US.

[colionwh]

Charlyee,

Well, I must have had it 2-3 years or so so I roughly know how it works. But over here in the UK I don't use a mobile much, just for ordering takeways when we are in our bungalow on the South Coast with no land line.
Normally we use a land line at home. I'm not allowed out very much you see!!!
Anyway it's only a week to go before we join you in the US of A for a trip around and a family reunion, in Nebraska!!!
Hopefully my T-mobile sim will arrive tomorrow, Mionday, but I am well prepared for a financial shock for using the thing!
I also have a 'phone card for the US but the problem in the US is finding a public 'phone and then one that works!
It was like that here for years but public 'phones are now a rare breed and very few acc\ept money, stops the lads pulling them off the wall.

Cheers, Colin

[Barciurek]

Wait.. are you saying you're trying to use T-Mobile UK sim in US or the sim card that will be arriving Monday is T-Mobile USA simcard?
I'm confused now.

[colionwh]

Mmm,
I understand it will work anywhere!
Buying it in UK, cost 50 pence, or $1
It will certainly work in the US and T-mobile said it would be OK where I was travelling, but...I was just checking. I'd be in a few probs without a 'phone.
I suspect trhe charges will be relatively high!
I had a US sim but found it would be useless in those areas mentioned.
Good thinking.

[Barciurek]

Well no, it won't work anywhere. There is a lot of spots in the US where your phone won't work because there is no GSM coverage...

So tell me again what sim card are you planning to use in the US, T-mobile UK or T-Mobile US?

[RJB]

Originally Posted by colionwh

Charlyee,

Well, I must have had it 2-3 years or so so I roughly know how it works. But over here in the UK I don't use a mobile much, just for ordering takeways when we are in our bungalow on the South Coast with no land line.
Normally we use a land line at home. I'm not allowed out very much you see!!!
Anyway it's only a week to go before we join you in the US of A for a trip around and a family reunion, in Nebraska!!!
Hopefully my T-mobile sim will arrive tomorrow, Mionday, but I am well prepared for a financial shock for using the thing!
I also have a 'phone card for the US but the problem in the US is finding a public 'phone and then one that works!
It was like that here for years but public 'phones are now a rare breed and very few acc\ept money, stops the lads pulling them off the wall.

Cheers, Colin

I hope it works for you and have a great time while you are here.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by RJB

It would be crazy to not have an 850 band here in the US.

If that's the case there are a few crazy people running around. If you're only going to be in T-Mobile areas there's no need for 850. Believe it or not there are people who fit that exactly! I've had a dual band 850/1900 phone for going on two years and have yet to be in an area that 1900 didn't do just fine. Be careful what you assume. I hope you know what the word assume is made of? Lots of people arrive here in the USA from Europe who have "Euro" tri-band phones and they do just fine.

[RJB]

Originally Posted by Telekom

If that's the case there are a few crazy people running around. If you're only going to be in T-Mobile areas there's no need for 850. Believe it or not there are people who fit that exactly! I've had a dual band 850/1900 phone for going on two years and have yet to be in an area that 1900 didn't do just fine. Be careful what you assume. I hope you know what the word assume is made of? Lots of people arrive here in the USA from Europe who have "Euro" tri-band phones and they do just fine.

I am sorry you read my post wrong as what you are saying is not what I meant. I was not called "anyone" crazy. SImply stating to me I think it is crazy not to have 850 on a phone. If you or anyone else read this wrong I am sorry dont let it get to you. Sheesh

[Charlyee]

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Telekom, the OP has the Nokia 6131, infact he has had it for 2-3 years. He is NOT looking for phone recommendations He has a T-Mobile SIM & the combination will work in the places he needs as first assured by Blue.

There is no need to muddy the waters by bringing up tribands vs quadbands in this thread anymore. Feel free to start a new thread on it.

All that is left to say to the OP is "Bon Voyage, have a great trip & let us know how everything worked for you when you get a chance".

PS: I will "assume" & rightly so that you are talking about a 900/1900 dual band, even though you posted it as 850/1900.

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by Charlyee

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Telekom, the OP has the Nokia 6131, infact he has had it for 2-3 years. He is NOT looking for phone recommendations He has a T-Mobile SIM & the combination will work in the places he needs as first assured by Blue.

There is no need to muddy the waters by bringing up tribands vs quadbands in this thread anymore. Feel free to start a new thread on it.

All that is left to say to the OP is "Bon Voyage, have a great trip & let us know how everything worked for you when you get a chance".

PS: I will "assume" & rightly so that you are talking about a 900/1900 dual band, even though you posted it as 850/1900.

No, I am talking about 850/1900 since that's what's used in the US and Canada.

[colionwh]

Another fresh week and of course the T-Mobile sim has not turned up, but they do assure me it will today, sometime!
T-mobile confirm the sim will work anywhere in the world, virtually and the call charges in the US will be 55 UK pence/min abt. $1.0
This compares with half that for my mobile in the UK.

It may be more economic to purchase a sim in the US on arrival?
Any comments on that please. Do all sims work everywhere in the US where your phone will work? I guess so, so any sim will do?
I would expect a good response here.
I will take the T-mobile one as I can be sure all is well before I leave and if we need it immediately on landing if our lift does not turn up!
Thanks for all the time & advice, it's been electrifying.

Colin

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by colionwh

Another fresh week and of course the T-Mobile sim has not turned up, but they do assure me it will today, sometime!
T-mobile confirm the sim will work anywhere in the world, virtually and the call charges in the US will be 55 UK pence/min abt. $1.0
This compares with half that for my mobile in the UK.

It may be more economic to purchase a sim in the US on arrival?
Any comments on that please. Do all sims work everywhere in the US where your phone will work? I guess so, so any sim will do?
I would expect a good response here.
I will take the T-mobile one as I can be sure all is well before I leave and if we need it immediately on landing if our lift does not turn up!
Thanks for all the time & advice, it's been electrifying.

Colin

It sounds like you are buying some sort of an "Universal" T-Mobile SIM then.

It will be more economical to buy a local pre-paid SIM in the US, however not every SIM will work everywhere. Typically you would either buy a T-Mobile or at&t prepaid SIM and it will work anywhere they have native coverage. You maybe better off with the SIM you are getting since it sounds like it will work anywhere there is GSM coverage in the US irrespective of who the provider is.

Others may have a different perspective on this.

Originally Posted by Telekom

No, I am talking about 850/1900 since that's what's used in the US and Canada.

Yes, I am aware of the fact that 850/1900 is used in the US and Canada. So could you please explain how by using a dual band 850/1900 phone you came to the conclusion that you were yet to be in an area that 1900 didn't do just fine? Did you have the 850 band disabled?

Originally Posted by Telekom

I've had a dual band 850/1900 phone for going on two years and have yet to be in an area that 1900 didn't do just fine. Be careful what you assume. I hope you know what the word assume is made of? Lots of people arrive here in the USA from Europe who have "Euro" tri-band phones and they do just fine.