If you have started looking into ways to avoid high roaming rates, you have probably discovered that in many cases, the first step is to unlock your phone.

What is an unlocked phone, and how can you unlock your current phone or purchase a new phone that isn’t locked?  These sound like issues that only an IT professional could come to grips with, but in fact, this is technology that an ordinary person can cope with.

First, the basics.

What is an unlocked phone?  In the simplest terms, it’s a phone that has not been locked to a specific provider’s network.  For instance, if you purchase a phone from a North American network provider such as Sprint, Nextel or Horizon, they will lock the phone so that it only works on their own network.  Because the phone is often sold at a deep discount, they need to lock you into an exclusive service agreement to make sure they make their money back on the monthly fees they charge you.  The drawback is that this severely limits your network options.  Instead of being free to choose the network that offers you the best rates, you are locked to a default provider.  And chances are, they are charging you high roaming rates.

In contrast, using an unlocked phone allows you to choose the network provider that offers you the most competitive roaming rates. At this point, you’re probably asking yourself:

Can my phone be unlocked?

As a general rule, all GSM phones can be unlocked.  A GSM phone is the most popular standard for digital mobile phones in the world, and many North American phones are GSM.

Here is a handy tip: if your phone was purchased from T-Mobile or AT&T (or Cingular, which was acquired by AT&T), it will be a phone that works on a GSM network, and can be unlocked. If your service is with Sprint, Nextel or Verizon, then your phone will not be a GSM phone and can’t be unlocked. You can scroll to the bottom of this post for a list of GSM phone brands.  If your phone brand is listed, it’s a GSM phone and can be unlocked.

I have a locked GSM phone—how do I unlock it?

If your phone is a GSM, there are a number of ways to unlock it so that it will work with a range of different networks.  First, you can try contacting the company or network provider who originally sold you your handset and asking them to help you unlock it.  According to PC World Magazine, T-Mobile’s policy is to provide unlocking codes after 90 days has passed on your subscription, while Sprint’s policy is not to unlock their phones at any time.

If your provider will not provide you with the unlocking codes for your phone, you can find a number of phone unlocking services and software on the Internet.  You can do a Google search to find one, or start with www.gsmphonesource.com.

If your phone is unlocked…

If your phone is unlocked, you are on your way to enjoying the lowest roaming rates available, wherever in the world you choose to roam.  With an unlocked phone, you can swap SIM cards in and out of your phone to hop on to any network you want.

The most convenient way to take advantage of the most competitive global roaming rates is to purchase a Roam Mobility SIM card.  You can buy one through their online store for just USD$49.99, and connect to the lowest rates worldwide, including free incoming calls in 65 countries and free incoming text messages anywhere in the world.

Roam Mobility SIM cards connect to the networks with the lowest rates all over the world, providing you with seamless coverage at up to 90% savings on the roaming rates offered by your regular network provider.

My phone can’t be unlocked—now what?

If your current phone can’t be unlocked, don’t worry about it. Purchasing an unlocked phone can be inexpensive and is an excellent investment, saving you hundreds and even thousands of dollars over the long term. Roam Mobility offers unlocked GSM phone plus SIM card packages starting at just USD$99.00.

Remember, there’s no reason to be chained to a specific provider if they can’t offer you the affordable roaming rates you need to stay connected while traveling.  If you have more questions about how to get the most out of your mobile phone service, leave a comment here and we’ll do our best to respond with the information you need.

Phone brand that can be unlocked include:

Apple iPhones
Audiovox GSM Phones
Hewlett-Packard PDAs
HTC GSM Phones
LG Mobile GSM Phones
Motorola GSM Phones
NEC GSM Phones
Nokia GSM Phones
Qtek GSM Phones
Panasonic GSM Phones
Pantech GSM Phones
Samsung GSM Phones
Sony Ericsson GSM Phones
SoftBank Cell Phones
Blackberry Handheld Devices
PalmOne Handheld Devices
Kingston Flash Memory Cards
SanDisk Flash Memory Cards
Siemens Dummy Phones
Sierra Wireless PC Cards
VTech Cordless Phones
CellPoint Bluetooth Headsets
Jabra Bluetooth Headsets
Plantronics Bluetooth Headsets
Golla Cell Phone Carrying Cases
mr Handsfree Cell Phone Accessories
Vonage VoIP Phone Accessories
i-mate Smartphones

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