Click below to
find interesting
information from our
August 2011
newsletter
relating to:
Roaming
Travel
Mobile phones
Roaming
No
roaming,
even if
you want
to
US network
Verizon Wireless
confirmed that
its 4G phones
will not be
compatible with
other networks
because "the
phones will be
on different
frequencies,"
according to
spokeswoman
Brenda Raney.
The
new 4G LTE
systems used by
Verizon,
MetroPCS, and
soon AT&T (with
Cricket and
Lightsquared
also planning
networks) run on
SIM cards, being
theoretically
able to switch
unlocked phones
from network to
network. But
Verizon may be
designing its
phones to only
run on Verizon's
very specific
wireless
frequency,
locking out all
other possible
carriers.
The result
will be an
incompatible
welter of
devices, likely
to continue long
into the future.
If you're
dreaming that 4G
would allow one
device to work
on several US
networks, dream
on. Outside the
US, things only
get worse. The
International
Telecommunication
Union has
approved
many different
bands for
LTE, including
700, 800, 850,
900, 1500, 1700,
1800, 1900,
2000, 2100,
2300, and
2600MHz. That
may make it
impossible for
LTE phones built
with current
technologies to
roam truly
globally - there
are just too
many bands.
Expect the
era of
incompatible
phones to
continue.
While you can
still roam,
use our vSIM
post-paid
alternative
for cheaper
roaming.
Travel
Currency
fact
What
is the
world's
most
common
currency?
Most
people would
(rightly) guess
the US dollar to
be the most
available
currency
globally, but
very few would
guess the
second-most
common.
Frequent-flyer
points is the
answer, handily
beating out the
Euro. Airlines
have issued vast
numbers of these
since the
concept was
invented 30
years ago.
Between 15 and
20 trillion
frequent-flyer
miles remain
outstanding and
unredeemed.
Around
two-thirds of
points are sold
by airlines to
hotels,
credit-card
issuers and
other reward
schemes, and
were sold for
between 1 and 2
cents per point
(mile) but may
have more value
to the customer
(that's you and
me).
So there are
more than $1
trillion of
these floating
around in flyer
accounts.
Mobile phones
Phone rage
An airline
passenger who
hit, tapped or
pushed the arm
of a 15-year boy
sitting across
the aisle from
him on a
Southwest
Airlines flight
out of Las Vegas
faced jail for
assault because
the boy didn’t
turn off his
mobile phone
during takeoff.
Russell
Miller said that
media reports
“indicating he
punched or
slugged the boy”
were incorrect.
“I tapped him on
the arm to get
his attention,”
Miller told the
court.
“I think, Mr
Miller, that you
overreacted,”
the magistrate
responded.
“(You) took on a
role reserved
for airline
personnel. You
overstepped your
bounds.” When
asked in
December why he
felt compelled
to hit or tap
the teen on the
arm, Miller
said: “I’m old
school. You
abide by the
rules. They have
them for a
reason.”
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