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05-02-2017, 04:30 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Abilene, Texas
Trailer: Escape 21' May 2017
Posts: 417
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Anyone try a Mobal international phone? Help!
I am trying to get phone access when we go to Chilliwack and Osoyoos this month. I found out that I can not unlock my Total Wireless no contract phone until 2 more months, so getting a sim card for it is out of the question.
I read about the Mobal phone, you pay for each call and it is pricey, but I am not even sure it is even good coverage in Chilliwack and Osoyoos.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Nancy
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05-02-2017, 05:39 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Trailer: 2012 Escape-19
Posts: 383
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I will try to help. My wife just went to P.I. and needed a phone over there. Very basic info: There are two formats, The Verizon format will not work internationally. ATT format is the international format. We bought a ATT unlocked cell Samsung from Amazon and plan to use it at home later. The phone is the same one I use and is now $70 at Wally world. My ATT Go Phone uses a SIM card and I think you could use the ATT go phone from Wally World and just get a Canadian sim card. If you have a ATT Go phone plan I think I paid $5 or $10 to use mine in Canada a month.
I'm sure others know more about it than I do.
Eddie
I found out not may cell phone sales people have a clue about international use. I lucked out and got help from a phone salesman at Wall World who traveled overseas.
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05-02-2017, 05:58 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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There's a bit more to it than that. AT&T uses GSM, and Verizon uses CDMA. GSM is the format most common and compatible internationally. But, the newer Verizon phones are LTE, and LTE is based on GSM technology. Newer Verizon phones like the iPhone 7 are network unlocked. That means in most cases, if you're traveling overseas, you can just remove the SIM and insert a GSM global SIM and your Verizon phone will work fine. I travel weekly on business, and sometimes overseas. I've used my Verizon phone internationally without issues by just doing a SIM swap, and in some countries, even that is not necessary.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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05-02-2017, 05:59 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,234
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We were just on a trip in Italy, Croatia, Greece and Amsterdam and we used our Verizon phone everywhere with no SIM swap. We just bought a small international add on plan from Verizon before we left. Mexico and Canada are included without a daily fee on the Verizon Unlimited plan with other plans it is $5 per day to use your plan there. We're just going to bump up to the unlimited plan during the months we travel in Canada.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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05-02-2017, 06:28 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,812
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The unlocked situation is a nuisance. It depends on what you want to do with the phone and who you're calling.
We've used other sim cards and add-ons but that doesn't help you with a locked phone. Have you used WhatsApp? If you have any wi-fi at all and the people you want to call also have WhatsApp you can phone them for free. We used to use Skype all the time but WhatsApp is so much better and more convenient.
Ron
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05-02-2017, 09:53 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Abilene, Texas
Trailer: Escape 21' May 2017
Posts: 417
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Thanks Ron, that sounds like something I can look into, I know folks with contracts like Verison don't have much of a problem calling internationally.
I use to have Verison and liked the reception but not the cost. I really don't want to sign a contract to have a phone I can use internationally for 10 days. As usual you get what you pay for.
Nancy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron in BC
The unlocked situation is a nuisance. It depends on what you want to do with the phone and who you're calling.
We've used other sim cards and add-ons but that doesn't help you with a locked phone. Have you used WhatsApp? If you have any wi-fi at all and the people you want to call also have WhatsApp you can phone them for free. We used to use Skype all the time but WhatsApp is so much better and more convenient.
Ron
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05-02-2017, 09:59 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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For ten days, you could tell the family in advance that you will be gone, if possible, and contact them when back in the country. We were in Canada for many weeks and paid for phone service that did not work.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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05-03-2017, 01:20 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,812
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Quote:
Originally Posted by float5
For ten days, you could tell the family in advance that you will be gone, if possible, and contact them when back in the country.
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That is the real advantage of having WhatsApp on your phone and relatives that you want to stay in contact with also having it. The phone calls are made with your cell phone number but use wi-fi, not your phone plan.
As long as your relatives have their wi-fi enabled on their phones you can call anytime you have wi-fi. And there's tons of places that have free wi-fi. No need to be out of touch for 10 days.
Ron
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05-03-2017, 02:28 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
There's a bit more to it than that. AT&T uses GSM, and Verizon uses CDMA. GSM is the format most common and compatible internationally. But, the newer Verizon phones are LTE, and LTE is based on GSM technology.
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While LTE is derived from GSM, LTE is supported by both the Canadian networks which used GSM (Rogers) and the Canadian networks which used CDMA (Telus and Bell)... so LTE is the "unification" standard which works with all companies, although only where their network is up to current standards. If you are in LTE coverage, it doesn't matter whether the company providing it was in the CDMA camp or the GSM camp. Unfortunately, not everywhere - and especially not everywhere rural - has LTE.
In Canada, if you can't get LTE, CDMA coverage has historically been much better than GSM coverage. There have been very frustrated people stuck with corporate Rogers plans in rural areas, although perhaps this has improved in the last couple of years. When people say that GSM was the most common "internationally", I think they really mean "outside of North America".
Unfortunately, the commercial agreements of mobile network companies are another layer of complication which makes the compatibility of phones locked to companies even less straightforward than the technical compatibility.
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05-03-2017, 06:03 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,552
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P
In Canada, if you can't get LTE, CDMA coverage has historically been much better than GSM coverage. There have been very frustrated people stuck with corporate Rogers plans in rural areas, although perhaps this has improved in the last couple of years. When people say that GSM was the most common "internationally", I think they really mean "outside of North America".
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I find this mostly true, being with Telus. The one exception, whether good or bad, is at our land NW of Sundre, where Telus gets no reception yet Bell and Rogers do. Kinda nice to abandon the phone for the time there, and if needed I can do a short 1/2 km walk/ride/drive up from the river bed and get reception. Or, borrow someone else's phone.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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05-03-2017, 07:25 AM
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#11
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Canada is certainly a different case. My comments about GSM vs CDMA were more directed toward overseas countries. My Verizon phone works just fine, anywhere in Canada. Well, at least anywhere I've been. [emoji6]
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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05-03-2017, 08:25 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: ,, Oklahoma
Trailer: 17
Posts: 840
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Verizon has "travel pass". 2 bucks a day when in Canada. Then stop it when back in usa. You Activate it online under your account. Then text yourself a test message once across the border and it's activated. Back in the usa we didnt have to do anything, the GPS knows you are in USA and it the option was over.
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