GSM With Bell?

So I have a Bell pay-as-you-go plan right now, but my LG6200 (CDMA) was fried in the washing machine. :X. Now I still want to keep my number, so I am still on the plan, but I need a phone. I am really liking the Sony Ericsson w600i (GSM) and I am wondering how I can get the phone, still be on Bell, without a SIM card.

I have found unlocked w600i's on ebay, one that I think I like. I do not have a SIM card in my phone, so how is the w600i going to work? Will Bell give me an SIM card if I ask them?

Please help! Thanks,

Ian

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SIM cards are for phones that work on the GSM network type. Bell employes the use of a CDMA network, which is not compatible with GSM.

It's sort of like trying to stick a DVD in a VHS player. Won't work.

I have a Bell pay-as-you-go plan right now, but my LG6200 (CDMA) was fried in the washing machine.

Hmmm. Interesting. I can see that if your cell phone was turned on while in the washing machine, that the phone would short circuit. But from what I have read on other sites, if you do not turn the phone on, remove the battery, fully dry the phone, that the phone should work.

My experience: phone (Samsung SPH-A500) dropped into picnic cooler, sat in water for an hour.
Being a moron, I just wiped off the phone & opened the clamshell cover which powered on the phone. Bad idea. Poof ! Started acting wacky.
Shut off phone. Completely disassembled phone & dried it out.

Phone lost all its settings. Not just the phone book, or the call history, or the alarm clock settings, or the memos, nor the downloaded ring tones. But the ESN (electronic serial number) necessary to connect to the cell network, the MIN (mobile identifier number, ie your phone number), the SID (service provider identifier number) among other settings.

My cellphone, Samsung SPH-A500 was purchased locally, here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from a MTS (manitoba telecom services) dealer about 2002 or 2003. Attempting to get my submarined cellphone back in service, I have learned much about cellphone hardware, software, keypad programming, service providers, etc.

Interesting history: manufactured in Korea. Sent to USA for Sprint. Sent to Ontario, Canada for Bell Mobility. Sent to Manitoba, Canada to be eventually sold to me by MTS (manitoba telecom services). Well travelled phone !

Now, when I turn on my cellphone, I see the Samsung logo during bootup, just like the past 4 years. But the MTS logo is replaced by the Bell logo. The software layering done by the MTS dealer 4 yrs. ago is lost. It looks like all the software settings went back to the default. Other than the Bell logo, it looks, feels, smells the same (only cleaner, much cleaner - 4 yrs of pocket lint gone).

I learned how to access the Service Menu using the keypad (many thanks to the Sprint USA techs & 1-800 number). I learned to reprogram the NAM (resetting the MIN, the SID, the IMSI (international mobile serviceprovider identifier), the Country Code, etc.

How does the phone work ? Well........so far whenever I make a call, I can only reach my service provider.

The next step is to find out how to reset my ESN. Appears to need an "akey" (authentication key, or code).

Almost there.

Good luck with your submarined phone.

It is true, if the phone is off and you dry it out completely, it "should" start working again.

So...there is absolutely nothing you can do to use a GSM phone with Bell?

That sucks -_-" there's this plan from Bell that's cheap and...suits my need I guess. But I want to be able to use it with my current SE phone cause, no offense, but Bell's phones suck lol.

Btw, what's the difference between GSM and CDMA? Which one is better? Why did Bell choose to use that over GSM? (since GSM is more widely used...I think...)

GSM and CDMA work differently when you get down to the core network. Basically how the network communicates with the handsets and how it distributes it's calls is different. Fundamentally, there are some engineering differences, kind of hard to explain without going into the engineering side of things.

CDMA phones require chipsets that are properitary to Qualcomm, who owns the rights to them. This is why the handset selection is considerably less, since royalties need to be paid to Qualcomm. I prefer CDMA myself, it is more secure, and albeit people will argue this one, the voice quality is superior.

That all said, what don't you like about Bell's lineup ? I think it's gotten pretty good in the last 12 months....

i would agree bells linup is getting good. better than fidos even. i think other carriers need to start getting more popular phone expecially ones on cdma network because thier customers cant buy unlocked phones.

I heard that Telus and Bell are going GSM. Especially after Bell was bought by the teachers union, one of the things they said they would do was go GSM. When is that supposed to start?? I am with Bell now, but was thinking about going with Rogers because the GSM phones are WAY COOLER, but if Bell is going to go GSM, then I might just stick around

When digital technology first came out there were two systems in North America. CDMA and TDMA. Rogers used TDMA and Bell CDMA. Europe used GSM.

Those first digital phones sounded so crappy. Like you were talking through a tin can.

Anyway, Rogers couldn't wait to change to GSM because at that time - early 90's) it sounded better than TDMA (this was mostly a handset issue though). Plus the chip idea eliminated the need for programming to be done.

Bell stayed with CDMA....don't know why. Cost maybe? But will be integrating it's network with GSM.

Bell currently has two GSM phones. The Blackberry (forget the model) and a Motorola flip phone. Most likely they will offer more in the future. One reason people switch to Rogers from Bell is because they want to use GSM and Bell is aware of this.

Originally Posted by moongirl11

Bell stayed with CDMA....don't know why. Cost maybe? But will be integrating it's network with GSM.

Bell currently has two GSM phones. The Blackberry (forget the model) and a Motorola flip phone. Most likely they will offer more in the future. One reason people switch to Rogers from Bell is because they want to use GSM and Bell is aware of this.

Bell is not integrating its network with GSM, not sure where you heard that.

Bell has 2 GSM capable devices, yes. However, they are not able to connect to North American GSM bands (800 MHz and 1900 MHz).

Bell is pushing forward with CDMA, including all the money they've just invested in 1xEvDO equipment down south and 1xRTT equipment in the north.

Sorry, I didn't mean that Bell would be changing to GSM, I just meant that Bell would be offering more phones available for use on GSM network ~ yes, Europe ~ Sorry again.

No worries, just making sure we're all on the same page and that we don't all need to buy new phones anytime soon

But yes, you are correct, Bell is offering more CDMA / GSM dual mode capable phones.

Just a quick update to this post. I work at Bell and we had a meeting last week indicating that Bell will be looking at GSM in the future. I don't know if this means just offering CDMA/GSM on all hardware or if the whole network will be changing, there were no real details given. If I find out any more info I will post it.

I'd expect all network operators at some point, someday, to converge into 1 global standard. I don't think anytime soon though, but someday.

That would be great if Bell finally got with the rest of the world and dumped CDMA and Qualcomm. The selection of CDMA phones is horrid, after living in Europe for several years where there is a HUGE selection of phones it was painful to try to have to find a decent cell being back in Canada and being up in the Yukon makes it a nightmare. Made me almost give up on even having one. If Bell sticks with and expands the CDMA network I really hope Rogers or some other operator moves up here. I would ditch Bell in a second, plus the service I have received is some of the worst in the world.