Need advice on overseas phone 900/1900 GSM in western mass.

[SpineDoc]

I am thinking about importing a phone that runs on GSM 900/1900 and comes unlocked. I am currently on Sprint and am in western massachusetts. Sprint service is OK, but I really want the freedom of SIM cards. Can anyone suggest to me what carriers this phone will work on, and what my best choices are for reception in western mass.

Thanks much guys.

[MVL]

AT&T and T-mobile are the only two carriers that support GSM in Masachusetts, and they use 1900. Both don't do a very good job of serving rural areas, but if you're in Springfield or near an interstate, you'll probably be OK. Cingular will support GSM once their 800MHZ GSM upgrade is complete and 800 MHZ GSM phones start shipping (probably at least 6-12 monthes away).

They usually don't sell unlocked phones, so you'll have to probably look overseas or on the web for a phone. Try to borrow a 1900 GSM phone from someone and do a network scan with it. It'll tell you which providers provide service where you need it in the US, and then just get a SIM from the provider that works.

A quick warning, depending on what country "overseas" means, you should research whether you'll need the 1800 frequency. Many companies, especially the pay-as-you-go ones, have better rates on 1800. If so, you should be shopping for tri-band instead of dual-band.

-MVL

[Ihaveaphone]

it will be a tad sooner than 6-12 months