Do you know of any cellular rentals in Pakistan. I will be there for a couple of weeks and would like to carry a cellphone. Any ideas?.
Few choices:
1- Take a cheap cellphone from here that can be decoded to Pakistani signal system (I heard they do that there - never tried myself) and then just use the chip. You'd still need a connection. Which can either be a chip or a card. For a chip based connection, you have to physically go to there located offices and deposite the money upfront. With card, I believe you just scratch it off and use the number upto the limit you've bought the card for.
2- Buy a cheap phone there and do the same.
3- Borrow a cellphone with the chip from someone there. Use it, pay its charges etc and then return after two weeks. I did that last time I was in Pakistan. Borrowed the phone from someone and chip from someone else and then just took care of the charges and monthly line rent. Worked out pretty good.
I need it. Madhanee, do I come across as someone who needs a cellphone clipped to his belt to show off?.
Roman, thanks buddy. I like the idea of taking the phone from here ( I got at least 6 of them sitting around) and decode it.
Rrrrrright! :k:
desi-o , for someone living in today's world it isn't abnormal to have old cellphones lying around at home. And if someone thinks carrying a cellphone is a status symbol then either they are without a cellphone or are over 40.
Oh for impressing those idiots I am taking the new Tablet PC. I will take down their addresses and phone contacts and send it to Recycle Bin.
I heard boneless chicken is also making inroads into the trendy desi community. Do you know anything on that?. Do pakistanis eat Turkey?
so any kind of cell phone can work there? or anything specific?
Pakistan does not have PCS... so Sprint phones won't work. But Pak has GSM and Analog carriers.
FG, u r way too much… and all the while I thought u are heading off to the land of the pure to introduce ‘SWIFTERS’ (reference homeconomics forum) into the local market.
MAdhanee “clip it on your belt fungo” . Dare I say together with that Fungo wud need those 80’s dark glasses, rebock kay snickers and the cap having Chicago Bulls inscribed on it… ah, and not to forget his shirt tightly tucked in to lend glamor to that wide belt with the phone on it…
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by funguy: *
**Oh for impressing those idiots * I am taking the new Tablet PC. I will take down their addresses and phone contacts and send it to Recycle Bin.
I heard boneless chicken is also making inroads into the trendy desi community. Do you know anything on that?. Do pakistanis eat Turkey?
[/QUOTE]
That would be rather be quite depressing
Sadly US phones are tri-band. The rest of the world with the exception of Japan uses mainly Dual Band. Its the 110 220 thing. The nice thing about Song Ericssons is that they cover both. From what i know Nokia et al dont. They have divided their markets. For a phone you need one that switches in between both systems.
GSM etc are what your providers uses. Providers in general have contracts through one another all over the planet. Just check with your provider, mind you it can be some dinky little place in Utah that covers you for 3 states only.
So ignore what system your provider uses.
Phones that i know for sure work both in the US and around the world are Sony-Ericssons.
Re: Cellphones for Pakistani visitors
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by funguy: *
Do you know of any cellular rentals in Pakistan. I will be there for a couple of weeks and would like to carry a cellphone. Any ideas?.
[/QUOTE]
Get Thuraya.
Re: Cellphones for Pakistani visitors
Yeah … if you’re in the US, I hope you’re using a GSM phone … because if you are, you can just unlock your phone (which, if you have a Nokia you can do via gsmgeek.com for free … It’s a real good friend of mine’s site, so I know it works for real. I got my phone unlocked with him, too … I don’t know about wherever you are, but I do know in Chicago they can charge up to $50 for unlocking in some places. (Crazy, if you ask me.)
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by CM: *
Sadly US phones are tri-band. The rest of the world with the exception of Japan uses mainly Dual Band. Its the 110 220 thing. The nice thing about Song Ericssons is that they cover both. From what i know Nokia et al dont. They have divided their markets. For a phone you need one that switches in between both systems.
[/QUOTE]
Tri-band phones can be used almost anywhere ... And most of Nokia's newer phones (and by newer I mean those that came out in the past 2-3 years) ARE tri-band.
You can get a phone+connection for around Rs 5000 if you go for Paktel or instaphone, less than $100. If you have a GSM phone that uses a SIM, you can get a mobilink SIM for less than Rs 3000.
As Akif suggested you can get the SIM locally and use it with a phone that you bring from here (make sure its a triband phone - i.e. GSM 900 / 1800 /1900 MHz) as in USA we use 1900 MHz and in Pakistan they use 900 MHz.
Or you can get the T-Mobile service which has a partnership with Mobilink in Pakistan. Here’s their website: T-Mobile/Mobilink. You can even rent one of the T-Mobile phones. Some companies have their phones SIM-locked, so make sure its not so. AT&T GSM phones usually are (my Palm Tungsten W is locked, can’t use it there, even though its tri-band).
I liked that comment that you are going to wear the phone to show ppl. How mature of that person!!!
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by CM: *
Sadly US phones are tri-band. The rest of the world with the exception of Japan uses mainly Dual Band. Its the 110 220 thing.
[/QUOTE]
Do you know what 'tri' means? Tri works fine in Dual Band areas.
Coming back to the topic, soon the Pakistan problem with excessive static found in Mobilink and Ufone will be gone. I have some good classmates from NUST who are working on that project. I have been following their research very closely. They are raising it to the upper EM band slightly, which will reduce the infringing effect the bare electric poles is all cities (except Islamabad) has on reception. Paktel is also in the phase of testing out its GSM circuitory, and will soon be opational as a GSM service provided, from what I have heard from an employee (Iffat Agha) there.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Spock: *
Do you know what 'tri' means? Tri works fine in Dual Band areas.
[/QUOTE]
Areas are not dual or tri band. Phones are!! Depending the on govt. approval a country uses one or another band. See my post up top for details between Pak and USA bands. Dual band phones available in the USA won't work in Pak because the dual-band phones available in the USA only cover 1800 and 1900 MHz (no 900 MHz) so you won't be able to use it in Pakistan.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by TofiBaba: *
Areas are not dual or tri band. Phones are!! Depending the on govt. approval a country uses one or another band. See my post up top for details between Pak and USA bands. Dual band phones available in the USA won't work in Pak because the dual-band phones available in the USA only cover 1800 and 1900 MHz (no 900 MHz) so you won't be able to use it in Pakistan.
[/QUOTE]
Sir, Im talking about tri-bands... not dual bands...
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Madhanee: *
If you really wana impress, carry a PDF with you, the little gizmo that you write on with a pen-like thing.
[/QUOTE]
uncle PDF naheen, PDA..