Expert: DebiN - 8/28/2009

Question
QUESTION: I'm an old person and totally new to cell phones which I may get just for emergencies. I would buy a Verizon phone from a dealer to use with a plan called PagePlus Cellular, they use Verizon's towers. But just curious, do different plans/companies require certain phones be used that are compatible with them, or can any kind of a cell phone be used with any plan/company whether it's verizon or sprint or AT&T, etc.? Thanks

ANSWER: In the US, there are basically three different types of networks, CDMA (used by Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular, MetroPCS and some others), iDEN (used by the Nextel side of Sprint) and GSM (used by AT&T and T-Mobile mainly). Outside the US, the standard is about 85% GSM. Every cell phone has an internal radio that works on a specific type of network. There are some phones that have dual radios, but for the most part, a cell phone will have either a CDMA or a GSM radio chipset inside of it, therefore, it will only work on the network that is compatible with the radio antenna.

In addition to the hardware that I mentioned above, each cell phone provider "locks" the phones that they sell to their network, meaning that the phone you purchase from them will only work on their network. If you try to make it work on another carrier's network, it won't. AT&T and T-Mobile "SIM lock" their devices and if the device is "SIM Unlocked" either by the carrier or a third party who is basically breaking the lock code (the carrier knows the codes - all are unique to a device), then it can be used with any other carrier who uses the same network. So if an AT&T phone is SIM unlocked, a person with T-Mobile can use it with their T-Mobile SIM card.

With CDMA, they don't use SIM cards. Phones are activated via the ESN number through the carrier. To use a Verizon phone on the Sprint network, it would need to be "flashed" with the Sprint firmware for that particular model of phone and the ESN cloned or added to Sprint's network in order to activate it.

In a nutshell, the processes are not simple and the cell phone providers in the US never intended for anyone to use anything except the phones that they sell (and highly subsidize) on their networks. Outside of the US, where most carriers use GSM, those carriers rarely subsidize the cost of a phone and they are very expensive, however, they can be used with any carrier. People outside the US got used to buying a phone separately from the service and then people in the US thought that they could easily do the same. Unfortunately, that is not the case and they forget or don't know that not all carriers use the same technology and that the carriers provide phones for free or little charge and basically, you can't have your cake and eat it too - i.e., if the carrier subsidizes the phone and gives it to you for free in exchange for a 2 year contract with them, why would they let you just walk away and use that phone that they paid several hundred dollars for and go to another carrier without penalty (early termination fee) or the ability to use that phone anywhere?

I know this was a long detailed answer, but I hope it made sense and helped. So in a bigger nutshell, you can't use your phone that you get from PagePlus on any other network. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for all the info. Just to clarify, could the Verizon phone I buy new from a dealer/store and use with the PagePlus plan also be used with a Sprint plan or other plan that is also on the CDNA network if I decided to leave Pageplus?
And because I would be buying a Pageplus minutes card from a dealer (the minimum is an 83 minute card for $10 every 120 days) he said the phone would cost $80 since it's not a contract for lots of minutes. I was expecting to get a free phone but I guess that makes sense or am I being ripped off?
I also wondered if his store ever goes out of business and I have a problem with the phone or need a new one, are cell phones, in this case a Verizon on CDMA network, easily found? Several questions I know, sorry. Thanks

Answer
Unfortunately, the phone you buy from PagePlus will not work with a Sprint plan or any other CDMA carrier's plans unless you find someone who can "flash" it to work with their network. There is a cost associated with this and it's not always guaranteed to work.

Personally, if I were you, you might want to look into Verizon's prepaid phones and service to see if the deal that they are offering is better (I have a feeling that it is). I'm not aware of any company who offers a free phone with prepaid service. Phones are subsidized by the carriers when you sign a 2 year contract, so it's not likely that a carrier would provide a free phone without something in return (i.e., a contract). Verizon offers prepaid where you can get a $100 worth of minutes (equating to $0.10 a minute) and the minutes last for a year. If you go with more minutes, they last longer. 120 days is not a lot of time for minutes. You know, there are also plans available for senior citizens where they are less expensive and designed to be used the way that you are wanting to use them. Have you spoken to Verizon about these plans?

If you decide to stay with the store, don't worry about them going out of business. PagePlus will support you if that store goes away, but if you are concerned, you might be better off with a national company for either post-paid seniors or prepaid where you can refill your card by calling or via the internet and not worry about going to the store.

One thing that I wouldn't count on though, is using your phone with another carrier. Like I mentioned above, it's not free and not certain that it will work and in all honesty, cell phones have a pretty limited lifetime, so this phone may not last for more than a couple of years. You really ought to consider Verizon directly if they have the best network coverage in your area. Let me know if you need more info. Thanks. Debin