SOUTH U.S. -- I'm confusled, can someone explain please?

AT&T is a GSM carrier. They do not operate a CDMA network. AT&T used to operate a TDMA network, but this network was deactivated earlier this year. If your phone has a SIM card you have a GSM phone. If your phone does not have a SIM card you have a CDMA phone.

-Jay

 

No, AT&T has only a GSM network... from what I can tell (by looking at some coverage maps), NET10 uses either GSM or CDMA for service.

What Net10 phone are you using?

 

Ah... you are on a GSM network, then. And you are right, you are likely using AT&T's GSM network.

Since you are using NET10's service, you can only use their phones since the SIM card only works in their phones. Hopefully Net10 has phones you actually like.

 

I'm surprised. I don't know how they do it, but from my experience they lock their SIM card to an individual phone. I have only tried this twice with a single SIM card though. Maybe it was Tracfone (same company) I really don't remember.

If your daughter wants to use another phone maybe you should see about another carrier. T-Mobile and ATT are both GSM and do not lock thier phones down. If she is going to use it a lot check out their Flex Pay.

And KUDOS for starting her off on a prepaid phone. To many parents give in and sign up their children on a two year contract thinking that they understand it, or are responsible enough, then get slammed with a huge bill.

 

If it has a SIM it's a "GSM" phone and will pick up AT&T probably in most areas, but there's a possibility that it might be T-Mobile as well in other areas.

As far as phones you're limited to phones sold by Net10 since they have proprietary "firmware" which will not let you use any other phones other than what are provided by Net10.

 

I can't speak for Net10, but I do know that TracFone seems to lock the SIM to an individual phone. I tried moving a SIM between two TracFones ("old" to "new") a few months back, and it did not work.