September 19, 2007 10:00 AM PDT
Tackling the cell phone unlock game
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Many have heard that they can switch out their phone's SIM card--the Subscriber Identity Module, or tiny smart card that identifies a phone and its subscriber--for a local one, but they weren't sure what this entailed. A phone that would work on foreign mobile networks and an impending trip to the U.K. made it an ideal time for me to give it a try.
Here's what I found: Using an alternative SIM card for your phone while traveling can be cheap and easy, but there are some tricky negotiations along the way.
Step 1: Getting the mysterious unlock code
Persuading your phone network carrier to give you the unlock code to your cell phone may be the most difficult part of the entire process.
The code is a number entered into U.S. phones to allow a SIM card from a third-party carrier to work with your cell phone. Internet message boards are full of complaints about carriers withholding codes along with offers of software or services for unlocking. But I also found a number of postings from people who said they got the code from their carrier simply by asking.
I called AT&T as a customer and explained my situation: I was going to the U.K. for one week, and would like to avoid high roaming fees by using a local SIM card. I explained that I had no wish to permanently change carriers, as I had a two-year contract and was happy with their service. Could I please have the unlock code for my phone?
I was met with a little reluctance. The first customer service representative told me this would require her to "submit a case" for getting the unlock code and that once approved it could take up to a week for the "unlock code team" to figure out the code for my particular phone. Her supervisor then tried to sell me an international plan that would reduce the usual $1.29 per-minute charge to "only" 99 cents per minute. I promptly declined. He then told me that it could take a week to get the code because it must be sent from the manufacturer.
I had already learned from AT&T's public relations team via another reporter that retrieving the unlock code merely involves looking up the manufacturer's corresponding unlock code for a particular phone's IMEI (serial number). They also said that the process should not take a week.
So, I politely persisted with my plea. After a total of 22 minutes on the phone, we agreed that AT&T would try its best to send the code in time for my trip and would call me the next day to update me on the status of my request.
About five hours later, AT&T sent the unlock code and instructions on how to use it to my personal e-mail account. (I took pains to keep a low profile, but AT&T may have easily figured out I was with CNET by simply Googling my name. I'm interested to hear from others who have made this request of their carrier.)
Step 2: Unlocking your phone, activating the SIM card
I chose Vodafone as my test case and went to its store in Paddington Station upon arriving in London. Gabriel, the Vodafone employee who helped me, was kind enough to let me verify that the unlock code and the Vodafone SIM card worked before he charged me for the SIM card.
Before doing anything, I confirmed my phone's IMEI by typing in "*#06#" and "send". AT&T had sent the unlock code for the correct IMEI.
Next, I removed my old SIM card, inserted the new prepaid Vodafone SIM card and turned on my phone. I was immediately prompted to enter my eight-digit unlock code and instructed to press "OK". Doing this made the SIM and my phone available for use.
Vodafone's activation process was simple. You activate, get your phone number, set up voice mail, check your balance and add to your balance by punching in a numeric code for each function and pressing send. The company gives you a little book and cheat sheet to remember the codes.
The SIM card kit, which costs $10 (5 pounds) and includes $2 worth of talk time and free weekend calls and texts, remains active as long as you use it at least once every nine months. This means you can reuse the same SIM card and phone number the next time you travel where that network is available.
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assuming I had had the phone for at least 90 days. I had read
that somewhere, so when I wanted to unlock an old phone of
mine to bring along on a trip overseas, In called them up and
they gave it to me over the phone - right there and then. The
guy even walkled me through it. Very easy.
I also once owned an AT&T Palm phone (I can't remember the
model). While it was sold unlocked in Canada, it was locked to
AT&T here in the U.S. I called them up and asked them to give
the unlock code. Their response: "We do not give out unlock
codes.". Great! Needless to say, I got rid of the phone (this was a
work phone) and I have not been with AT&T since.
One suggestion: Bring two phones when you travel. Keep your
U.S. SIM chip in your primary phone, so that people can reach
you under your U.S. number. Bring a second phone (maybe an
older once that's sitting in a box somewhere) and put the
foreign SIM chip in that phone.
It took them almost a week to send the code though. I have seen some online code calculators which can generate the same code in 30 seconds, but I am not sure how much I can trust them.
My customer service rep was more than happy to submit the case as soon as I told him about needing to go overseas and use a prepaid sim card.
Having been an adopted customer (started Cellular One, then AT&T, then Cingular, and now at&t) I've always kidded the Cingular call takers about holding out until they become AT&T, who knew...
About three years ago I stumbled across a pan-europe (and now most of the world) prepaid card that I could use when I travel. Used to go by the name of Riiing but now goes by the name of united mobile.
www.united-mobile.com
They'll even sign you up and send you the SIM before you take off to Europe so that you know your phone number and can give it to people. Same gig, prepaid that can be refilled over the internet. very useful
I have to say though, T-Mobile treats their customers much better than Verizon (who, obviously can't give you unlock codes as your phone is tethered to their network).
I bought a couple phones over the past several years and have to travel internationally. I usually stay about three months or six months in another country. I was told that after a period of several months I could get them "unlocked". The phones I bought I couldn't use on my carriers in the other countries. When I tried to call from the other country back to the US to get my codes, they wouldn't give it to me because of not being able to verify the number I was calling from. A real headache and total waste of money buying phones that can't be used internationally.
You paid for your phone. It should be yours to use any way you want to use it, and with any carrier that you choose.
For example, say you bought a television, then the company you bought the television from tells you that you can only use it to watch the channels they provide. It wouldn't be your television. You'd basically be leasing it.
Same idea with the phone. You bought it, but actually if the company locked it, then you don't own the phone, you're leasing it.
There should be a regulations against selling phones that are "locked". I buy phones in Asia often, and they are never locked. I now prefer to buy the latest model phones in Asia, and use them in the US when I come back. when I buy them, they are my phones, not controlled by a phone company.
I'm not really sure how the phone companies can get away with this practice for so long.
I will try it on my next trip.
http://www.newmobilefreedom.com/blackberry-imei-unlock-p-99.html
worked prefect! and I got it the same day.
Hope this helps
Is there anyone out there with a solution, other than going to the FCC? I will be going away to asia and australia and can use this phone,; it is a PDA and therefore, it has all my important phone contact numbers and such.
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by jamesgeoffory
August 17, 2008 3:11 AM PDT
- Hi,
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See all 30 Comments >>If you want to avoid the time and hassle of trying to persuade your cell company to give you an unlock code,
Check out www.FreeYourCellphone.com
Fast, reliable and cheap.
They Unlocked 3 phones for me, a T-Mobile Blackberry 8320, a Nokia n95 8GB(Rogers) and a Nokia 6300 from Fido which no one else was able to unlock.
I was pleased with there service
Hope this helps.
Rick