| Some time ago, I was in charge of
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| | their phone in many parts of the world.
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| developing a business concern on the
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| | One of the key differences with GSM is
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| beautiful island of Sri Lanka while based
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| | that the phone itself is not directly
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| in the United States. At one point, I
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| | linked to you. Rather, the removable
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| needed to send an employee there to set
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| | "SIM" (Subscriber Information Module)
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| up the quality control program. This
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| | chip is encoded with a unique serial
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| employee did not have a GSM cell phone
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| | number which is what now identifies you
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| so I lent him mine to use "in case of
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| | to the wireless provider.
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| emergency only". The employee spent
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| | Having your info embedded into a
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| time each night chatting with family on
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| | removable SIM chip rather than into
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| the cell phone and came back with a
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| | your cell phone is what makes this all so
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| $3,000 phone bill in two short weeks.
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| | interesting. If you place your SIM chip
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| If you have a US GSM cell phone and
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| | into a compatible cell phone, you can use
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| service account, you may find that it
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| | that phone as your own because the
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| will cost you something in the range of
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| | service provider will recognize the SIM
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| $3 per minute to use your phone
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| | chip inside of it as yours. Conversely,
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| overseas due to international roaming. As
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| | you can buy compatible SIM chips from
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| an example, on one trip to Hamburg, I
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| | the country you are about to visit and
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| had lost my party at a very large
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| | use them in your phone. This is what
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| exposition. I used my cell phone to
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| | allows you to avoid the ugly
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| call them and found out that instead of
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| | international roaming charges mentioned
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| it being a local call, it went to the
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| | above.
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| US and back via their networks thus
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| | Before you can do this, however, you will
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| charging me for two international calls!
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| | most likely need to "Unlock" your cell
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| A little while later I was on a plane to
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| | phone. Most wireless service providers
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| Sri Lanka. As we were about to land,
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| | "lock" their cell phones which means
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| the gentleman next to me took out a small
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| | that they program them to only work
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| bag and dumped the contents into his
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| | with SIM chips issued by their company.
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| palm. They were SIM chips. I asked him
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| | Unlocking a cell phone is basically
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| what this was all about and he told me
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| | reversing this programming. The process
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| he was looking for his chip for Sri
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| | is very easy and quick.
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| Lanka. He informed me that the chip
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| | There are many service providers online
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| enabled him to make calls in and from
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| | that specialize in mobile unlocking.
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| Sri Lanka without incurring the extremely
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| | Once the cell phone is unlocked, it is
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| high roaming charges my friend above
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| | permanently unlocked.
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| met with. He traveled throughout Europe
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| | Now I wanted a SIM chip that would work
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| and Asia and had chips for each major
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| | in the country I was headed too, again,
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| locale.
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| | Sri Lanka. I was told that the best way
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| I was intrigued by this idea and did some
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| | was to find a cell phone store there in
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| research on what it took to use these
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| | Colombo but this sounded difficult as my
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| local chips in my cell phone. Here is
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| | schedule would be very busy. While
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| what I found:
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| | searching for an alternative, I was
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| Your basic cell phone service provider
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| | directed to as a source of chips via the
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| places a unique serial number into your
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| | internet. I found that I could buy a
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| cell phone. This unique number is called
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| | chip from Sri Lanka with pre- paid
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| an "ESN" and it is used by the service
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| | minutes on it. They did also offer a
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| provider to identify who you are. The
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| | great variety of SIM chips from most
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| service provider uses this number to
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| | major destinations around the world. The
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| know where to send phone calls too when
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| | process was quick and painless and I
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| someone dials your number.
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| | found the cost to be very reasonable ($79
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| A GSM phone is a little different animal.
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| | vs. $3,000!). The only drawback to the
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| "GSM" (Global System for Mobile
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| | system was that this did give me a new
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| Communications) is a type of digital
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| | phone number which I had to pass out to
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| mobile phone service. GSM is the most
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| | family and business associates prior to
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| common standard for cell phones in the
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| | departure.
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| world. GSM service is common in over
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| | The trip went well as I was able to
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| 210 countries around the world with over
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| | coordinate activities with local
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| 1.5 billion users. The popularity of
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| | vendors and business associates without
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| GSM makes international roaming very
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| | feeling like I had to hang up the phone
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| common between cell phone operators,
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| | after two sentences.
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| enabling the user to successfully use
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