Cell Phones

If you have travelled overseas with your cell phone in the past few years, you may have encountered some problems with cell phone compatibility.  This is because, while most of the world operates on a digital (GSM) cell-phone frequency of 900 or 1800 MHz, in the US and Canada, single band non-GSM phones typically operate on 850 or 1900 MHz.  Thankfully, in the past few years more and more manufacturers are offering multi-band/GSM phones that have the capacity to operate both in North America and internationally (iPhone, Blackberry, Samsung 3G, etc.). 

But having a compatible phone is only 50% of the equation; in order for you to be able to use your multi-band/GSM phone overseas, your cell phone service provider must also have a roaming agreement with international cell phone providers.

There are so many cell phone models and cell phone service providers that for us to provide specific information would be impossible. But, as we make it a requirement that all of our program participants travel with a cell phone that is fully operational before their departure and compatible with the local network of the host country of their program, we do have some suggestions to get you started:

• Start with what you already have: Contact your cell phone service provider to find out if your child's phone will work in their destination country. Many major cell phone service providers can provide international SIM cards and/or have roaming agreements with overseas service providers. Assuming your child's phone is multi-band/GSM, for a small fee you can usually upgrade your domestic plan to an international plan for the duration of your child's program.
• If you are planning on purchasing a phone for your child to take overseas, be sure that it will work in their destination country and that the service provider you select can support international phone activity.
• You may prefer to rent a phone for your child's trip, but if you do, make sure the phone is operational when they travel (the whole point of having your child travel with a cell phone is so they can use it en route in the event that they encounter any delays or problems). There are a number of retail/rental companies that you can contact, including: roadpost.com, mobalrental.com, cellularabroad.com and worldcr.com (we are not endorsing these companies but clients have purchased/rented from them in the past with success).

Cell phone information changes on a regular basis so please use any information we provide as a guideline only. You should always check with your local cell phone provider for the most up-to-date info on international cell phones.

Questions about cell phones? Call us toll-free on 1 888 386 1411