No data connection in Eastern Mediterranean

[herbinseattle]

Took my Motorola Droid 2 Global on cruise to Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Greece. With my Data Package, I was unable to connect with Internet anywhere except Turkey. I tried everything - battery removal, double checked all settings and still NOTHING. Couldn't even reach Verizon for international trouble shooting. Very discouraging and calling Verizon on my return didn't provide any comfort for future trips.

Any thoughts?

herbinseattle

 

[vey]

There are two major cell phone systems: CDMA and GSM.
Verizon and the US uses CDMA. AT&T and most of the rest of the world uses GSM. For people that travel a lot, using AT&T is probably a better bet.

But all is not totally lost. There are phones, very few, that are "universal" in that they can do both. If you want to stay with Verizon, you could get one of these phones, then set up an account with a GSM based company (maybe where you hang out the most? Turkey and Egypt are pretty easy places to do business -- Greece and Italy, not so much) and use the GSM when you are there.

To me, that is more expense and trouble than it is worth, but it is possible.

I just had another thought. Maybe you could look at a US company called TRU http://www.truphone.com/en-US/Products/Tru-for-you/ . I think they will let you "bring your own phone." So you would pick up a cheap used GSM phone on ebay or craig's list, stick in a sim card from Tru for when you travel. It is a prepaid thing. But data in foreign countries is REALLY expensive.

 

[herbinseattle]

Thanks for quick reply. I was told by Verizon when I bought the phone that they have "arrangements" with Vodaphone to connect all over Europe - not sure if they mentioned Middle East. Anyway, my next trip is to Italy and I'm going to be real disappointed if my Global Droid can't connect to Internet with Verizon/Vodaphone there.

herbinseattle

 

[vey]

I'm sorry. I missed the word "Global" and was thinking you had a regular Droid 2. In theory, that phone is supposed to switch back and forth automatically between GSM and CDMA. GSM uses a sim card., so I would take it to a dealer that understands the phone and ask them to check the sim card. Problem is that you won't be able to check to see if it works until you go there again.

Alternatively, when you are there again try and find a vodafone office (it is their sim card) or one of those places that say "Cell Phone Repair" and see what they can do with it. Sometimes just removing the sim card (it is under the battery) and putting it back in will make it work.

 

[SANhacker]

I had the same problem with a D2G in Tel Aviv last year. I just purchased a cheap phone with ~100 minutes and called it a day.
Turns out the minutes were cheaper than they would have been on the D2G due to roaming charges. Go figure.