Re: T-Mobile GSM phones for Europe/Asia?

John E. wrote:
> Considering going with T-Mobile here in USA. I like Nokia phones (brand name
> loyalty based on good experience). Need a speaker phone. Camera, messaging,
> etc. not important. Working in Europe or Asia a possibility next year.
Ok.
>
> I understand that outside USA, GMS is the most "universal" standard. Is this
> right?
GSM is used in a great lot of countries. More than any other standard.
>
> WIll any of these phones work in Europe/Asia?
>
> 6800 GSM/GPRS 850/1900
No
> 6610 GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900
Yes
> 6600 GSM/GPRS/HSCSD 900/1800/1900
Yes
> 3660 GSM 900/1800/1900
Yes
> 3650 GSM 900/1800/1900
Yes
> 3220 GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/1800/1900
Yes

900 and 1800 are used outside North America
850 (new) and 1900 in North America
>
> Of the different standards (GMS/GPRS/HSCSD/EDGE), which are 1) most widely
> supported 2) "better" (technically?) 3) anything else you'd like to say about
> them?
- CSD is the "normal" GSM data standard which all data phones can use
and virtually all networks are using this at 9600-14000 bit/sec. This is
billed to the minute.

- HSCSD is the "highspeed" version of this using more than one channel,
so it is able to have 2 to 4 times the thruput of CSD. This is billed to
the minute at the same of CSD for several channels or sometimes per
channel. Not available with all phones and all networks.

- GPRS is using packeted data not using full speech channels. Used on
most networks and most newer phones. You can stay always on with this
because its billed to the amount of data sent and received. Interesing
for "data push scenarios". Speed often upload capacity is less than the
capacity for download. Speed can be higher than HSCSD.

- EDGE can give even higher data throuput via better modulation.
Not used very often until now.

Wolfgang