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The crazy world of “Handys”
Will a US cell phone work in Europe?
Does ein Handy work in the US?
When is a cell phone not a cell phone? When it’s a German Handy... and it uses a different frequency and a different standard than its North American cousins.
In Europe the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) digital mobile phone system is used for German Handys and digital cell phones across most of the continent. Germany has four main competing digital phone standards: D1, D2, E2, and e-plus (all are GSM). In the Americas, the wireless phone situation is much more tangled. There are several different major digital systems. To really understand it all, you need to know terms like CDMA, TDMA, PCS, and other tech abbreviations. (See our “Handy” Glossary for help.)
Attempts to achieve a world-wide mobile phone standard have been thwarted by competing technology companies and political interests — even resulting in a dispute between the US and Europe over a universal mobile telephone standard. Europe has largely achieved digital wireless standardization already with the GSM system, while the US and Canada continue to have incompatible digital networks run by competing operators using either CDMA (code division) or TDMA (time division) technology. But because it offers several technical and marketing advantages, there is a growing trend towards GSM in the US wireless phone market. GSM phones are provided in the US by T-Mobile and AT&T, but they use a different frequency band than the European GSM systems.
GSM has taken on true worldwide dominance in wireless phone systems, with well over 475 million users in over 130 countries, including the United States. In Europe, Africa, and much of Asia the GSM system is the only technology used for mobile phones. This means that GSM has more users worldwide than all the other digital wireless systems combined. It also means that a normal US, non-GSM mobile phone is useless in most other parts of the world. But see below...
Possible Solutions
For North Americans going to German-speaking Europe or vice versa, there are several possible solutions to the Handy dilemma:
1 Rent a GSM cell phone during your trip to Europe. Several firms rent out GSM wireless phones on a short term basis. Using a SIM card in a rental even allows you to use your home mobile phone number in Germany. But renting may be more expensive than buying—especially for long-term rentals. Even though they have come down somewhat, the per-minute charges are usually also higher, because even a local call in Europe is an international call if you're using a US rental cell phone. Rental phones also tend to be “locked” so that they can not be used with other (German, European) SIM chips. (See more about renting vs buying in the links below and in “Handy” Tips - Part 2.)
2 Buy a multi-band GSM cell phone that can function in the several incarnations of the GSM system—in Europe and North America. Such phones are made by all the major cell phone manufacturers. You can buy one before you leave or in Europe, but you must be aware of the difference between US and European GSM phones. A dual-band or multi-band AT&T or T-Mobile cell phone can be used in both the US and European GSM networks.
3 Buy a GSM prepaid wireless phone in Germany that includes call time. You can buy a decent cell phone in Germany for under US$50 (in euros) that includes prepaid minutes and a “refillable” SIM chip.* The per-minute rate for a typical Xtra or CallYa prepaid phone is higher than with a cell-phone contract, but you get to choose one number you can call for a much lower rate and you don’t need to have a German address or a German fixed network phone number, a distinct advantage for travelers. For some people, particularly business people who want to use their US cell phone number in Germany, methods one or two might be better. However, a prepaid Handy is the cheapest, most hassle-free way. On weekends, prepaid wireless calls to any local number are only about 10 cents/min. There are German “Handy” stores on almost every block of any shopping district. You can even buy the prepaid phones in many German department stores and shopping malls. Many German sales people also speak English, if that’s a problem for you.
*In Berlin in late 2007 I purchased a basic GSM Samsung cell phone for about 33 euros ($47 US at the exchange rate then) from T-Mobile that included a pay-as-you-go SIM card with a call value of 5 euros preloaded.
Another Option: Buy an unlocked GSM phone that can be used with any SIM chip. If you buy a European mobile phone that is unlocked, you are free to use any chip (even a SIM card from the US) with it. A good unlocked phone will run about $120-200 in most of Europe. But if it's not a multi-band model, it can only be used in Europe or other GSM regions. This is a good option for people who will be in Europe frequently.
4 Iridium Sat Phone | The Iridium global satellite phone option almost vanished not long ago when Iridium went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The new Iridium is a much more attractive option than before, but it's still not something for the average traveler. Iridium now offers smaller, lighter phones, free incoming calls and a more competitive rate of $1.50/min. for outgoing calls. There are currently several global satellite phone options available from Iridium, Globalstar, and others. With any satellite phone, the main drawback is the cost of the handset itself, usually running around $1,000. For a comparison of the various satellite phone services, see Maflink’s Sat Phone Comparison Chart plus our own “Handy” Glossary and "Handy" Links pages.
No One Solution for All
Since no single solution is best for everyone, you’ll have to make a decision based on your own requirements. If you will be going back and forth between Europe and North America fairly often, you may want a single phone that is compatible with the various GSM systems. But you can also use a GSM phone in Europe and your regular US wireless phone at home. (Remember that GSM networks on both sides of the Atlantic use differing frequencies. See our Glossary and “Handy” Tips - Part 2 for more. Dual and multi-band GSM phones can help solve this problem.)
Most GSM phones also take advantage of SIM card technology, a tiny smart card that can be inserted in the phone to allow the use of more than one phone number. This makes it possible, for example, to use your home phone number and a European number on the same phone.
For more about using a cell phone in Europe and North America, see “Some GSM phone tips” by seasoned traveler Sebastian Harrison in Part Two, plus our Glossary and Links pages.
NEXT > Part 2
Related Pages
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- “Handy” Phone Tips - Part 2 - First-hand tips on using a wireless phone in North America and Europe
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- Expat Page - Advice and links for expats in German Europe.
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- About WebNotes - If you would like to receive our free WebNotes e-newsletter with updates for this site, simply click on the link to learn more or to subscribe.
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