I have a Cingular tri-band phone, however the bands are an Americanized version - 850/1800/1900. What are the chances of it working in Paris? I don't plan to use it much, but would like for my kids to be able to reach me pretty easily, and just dialing my regular US number is the easiest for them! However, if it won't work, I'll work out another plan.
Thanks
Debbie

I've used 900/1900 GSM with AT&T on a Siemens S46 in London, Paris, Zurich, Munich, Rotterdam, and on a ferry halfway between Hoek van Holland and Harwich.

You should be asking Cingular. They seem to have 1800 MHz service in France, but check, and be sure that you have international roaming.

I have Cingular service and a Nokia phone with the same bands--850/1800/1900 and it worked in Paris and the rest of France and all throughout Italy also. The only place it didn't work was in Croatia. You can look up your phone and where it will work on the Cingular website. They will also tell you the per minute charge for each country.

If you are using cingular international roaming, chances are you won't have any problems in Europe despite the fact you lack 900 band a product of the stubborn American refusal to match its services up to the rest of the world (although this would have been somewhat difficult)...

The problem would come in if you bought a local sim...in that case you would have to make sure the local sim you bougnh is predominantly 1800....your phone will seek out on 1800 a French roaming partner and you will be fine.

I have a question as I need to buy a new cellphone. I have Cingular. I received a brochure from them that I can buy a LG CG225 and with rebates it would only cost me $9.99. Such a deal, lol.

It shows that it is a "Quad-band International phone. If I buy this do I buy a SIM card in Italy (or would this phone even take a SIM card) and will this phone work in Italy consequently or do I have to sign up for the Cingular International Plan or what? I have always had a borrowed cellphone in Italy before which had what I guess you would call a SIM card, I could have minutes added to it when necessary.

Between computers, cellphones etc. I almost get a headache, lol.

I will go to the local Cingular phone store but I was wondering if anyone here could advise me as I am not sure how knowledeable the clerks at the store are. Thank you

Yes the phone will work in Italy and no you don't have to sign up for Cingular international roaming and yes you can buy an Italian sim when you arrive in Italy...

However...

The question comes up whether the phone is (sim) locked which I suspect it is based on the rebates you are getting...if so it will only recognize Cingular sim cards....I don't know current Cingular policy regarding unlocking codes but that is what you have to check...if Cingular own't unlock the phone you will have to find somebody who will...you can track this on the web by doing a google search..it may cost you a few bucks and you may have to send the phone away or somebody may provide the unlocking code for free or for a fee..

Or you can wait till you get to Italy and chances are you can find a mom and pop mobile phone store who will unlock the phone for a fee so the issue is whether the phone is locked (I am almost sure it is) and whether Cingular will provide an unlocking code (probably not) or just how you can go about getting the phone unlocked..be thankful you're not going to Germany as I believe in Germany it is illegal, according to logos, to unlock a locked mobile phone but in most other countries I have been to there is no such prohibition.

I'm pretty sure that Cingular will unlock the phone. They are unlocking my phone now; I think I've heard that they will unlock if you have been a customer for 3 months or longer.

I am about to travel in Romania, and I went in to talk with a Cingular guy yesterday about my various options. I had done a fair amount of research, but I had thought that I might just use my cell phone with the Cingular sim, get international roaming, and let my girls call it. BUT the roaming charge in Romania is $3.50/minute! And then we'd have to add the other charges.

So now I'm getting my Cingular quad band phone unlocked (need the 900 for rural Romania) and plan to order a united-mobile sim. I learned that Cingular will charge $1.09/minute for calls to a Liechtenstein mobile phone, so that's what it will cost for my daughters to call my united mobile sim, so I will probably use callbackworld as well.

Anyway, Cingular is taking care of the unlocking now. The guy said that it is a pain in the neck (for him) to do, but it is free. The independent cell phone repair/unlocking place in town would have charged me $35.

There is a very detailed previous thread about cell phones in Europe that might help you, loveitaly:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34787754

We had no problem having Cingular unlocking our phones. One e-mail and we had the unlock codes in about 30 minutes.

I haven't checked but I assume Romania is in United Mobile zone 1 which means free reception of calls but also be aware...

You can open up an account with callbackworld (www.callbackworld.com)...that will cut the charge for you to the USA to 14¢/minute billed in 6 second intervals after the first minute but here's another nice thing...

They will give you a US toll free number in something called a pin2dest...the way it works is a person dials the toll free number...no charge as it is a toll free number...they will be asked to enter a pin (cbw will provide the pin) and the call will be routed to your united mobile sim...charge...14¢/minute billed in 6 second intervals after the first minute! And the nice thing...callbackworld accounts are FREE and the toll free pin2dest is FREE and you just pay for the calls...

And while I can't vouch for the Romanian mobile operators you will be roaming on...since they are gsm I have no reason to believe they will be a problem and I just got back from Europe and United Mobile along with pin2dest worked perfectly (or as an alterntiave if AT&T is your daughter's ld carrier AT&t has an international plan for $1/month and on this plans calls to Liechtenstein (which is what you will be charged even if you are in Romania) are 10¢/minute alas raised to the nest highest minute (can't have everything I suppose)...lots of possibilites out there if you ask an expert like.....me.

Yes, I have read your previous advice, xyz123, and learned a lot (thanks!). I have taken copious notes, and spent a bit of time on the gsm site you recommended. Anyway, it is based on all that info that I mentioned united-mobile and callbackworld in my post.

My daughters are in college and don't have long distance other than their cell phones, so they would pay the $1.09/min to Liechtenstein mobile #s to call my united-mobile sim. I will use callbackworld including the pin2dest feature to bring that down. Other relatives who might call us have the AT&T plan, so they will have the benefit of those lower rates.

I checked the rates with Cingular just to see how high the charges would be - but I had no idea it would be that high! $3.50/minutes for roaming is real money.

I thank you so very much for all of this good information!! I was going to go to the Cingular store today but decided to ask the knowledable Fodorites..again so many thanks xyz, noe and DC for taking the time to educate me.

I will print this out tomorrow. And of course I will read and do the same with the other website. I will certainly be much more educated about all of this.

Sometimes I wonder how everyone managed before Fodor's LOL.