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Thread ID: 67635 2006-04-02 02:21:00 Using a US cellphone in NZ Andrew B (867) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
442988 2006-04-02 02:21:00 My brother is coming to NZ for a week and wants to know if his cellphone will work here if he uses a NZ Vodaphone sim card. He says his phone is a triband 850,1800,1900. Andrew B (867)
442989 2006-04-02 02:29:00 I would ring Vodaphone / whoever here, to find out.

You may get an answer, faster.
Speedy Gonzales (78)
442990 2006-04-02 02:31:00 No, as far as I know.

NZ uses GSM 900, the 850 variant is peculiar to South America and some areas in the US.

A more detailed list is here:
allworldcellphones.com
godfather (25)
442991 2006-04-02 03:25:00 OK, thanks for your replies, I will email him a link to this thread. Andrew B (867)
442992 2006-04-02 03:57:00 Vodafone Suppports GSm 900 and 1800 Ninjabear (2948)
442993 2006-04-02 09:39:00 Andrew,

Yes, your brother's phone will work just fine here in NZ.

My wife and I bought 2 Sonny Ericsson phones in Seattle a couple of years ago when we were over there for a one month holiday.

Upon returning to NZ, we went into the local Vodafone store in Johnsonville, paid a few dollars, got new Sim cards and were promptly subscribed to the NZ network, all within the space of a few hours :)
Zippity (58)
442994 2006-04-02 10:56:00 Andrew,

Yes, your brother's phone will work just fine here in NZ.

My wife and I bought 2 Sonny Ericsson phones in Seattle a couple of years ago when we were over there for a one month holiday.

Upon returning to NZ, we went into the local Vodafone store in Johnsonville, paid a few dollars, got new Sim cards and were promptly subscribed to the NZ network, all within the space of a few hours :)

Zippity, please take care with such statements.

Perhaps this quote explains it

GSM cell phones use frequencies within four different frequency bands :



850 MHz (824.2 - 848.8 MHz Tx; 869.2 - 893.8 MHz Rx)


900 MHz (880-2 - 914.8 MHz Tx; 925.2 - 959.8 MHz Rx)


1800 MHz (1710.2 - 1784.8 MHz Tx; 1805.2 - 1879.8 MHz Rx)


1900 MHz (1850.2 - 1909.8 MHz Tx; 1930.2 - 1989.8 MHz Rx)


Although 850 and 900, and 1800 and 1900 are very close together, a phone that works in one frequency band unfortunately can not also work in the frequency band next to it unless added as a specific extra frequency band.

If the phone was dual/tri/quad band that also included the 900 MHz band it would work. Yours plainly were, but Andrew has only mentioned 850 MHz, which will NOT work in NZ. Not all phones are multi-band.
godfather (25)
442995 2006-04-02 11:06:00 but Andrew has only mentioned 850 MHz, which will NOT work in NZ. Not all phones are multi-bandOops...
his phone is a triband 850,1800,1900
Greg (193)
442996 2006-04-02 21:16:00 Oops...

But it needs to be a quad band, 850/900/1800/1900.
Not all phones are multi (quad) band, this one appears not being the more common tri-band, my opinion therefore remains, it will not work here despite the advice of Zippity.
godfather (25)
442997 2006-04-03 01:13:00 It does not need to be quad band at all.

Please check your facts, or would you rather check my phone which I have been using here for the last 2 years?
Zippity (58)
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