When travel to China, many travelers want to know if their cellphone can use in China. What’s the cheapest way to make phone call and surf the internet in the travel? First, you need to make sure your cellphone is compatible with the main frequencies provided by China telecommunication carrier, then you can decide if you want to have international roaming service or buy a Chinese SIM card.
Do You Have a Compatible Phone
Many travelers find that their cellphones, like iPhone, can’t work in China while there are many Chinese use it on the street, so what’s wrong? That’s because their cellphones are locked to a specific carrier, like T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, etc. Locked to a carrier means your cellphone can only use the SIM card of your carrier. In this case, you can call your carrier and ask them to unlock your handset.
Another thing you need to notice is that your cellphone is able to connect to the local networks in China, which means your cellphone covers the frequencies provided by China telecommunication carriers. China’s biggest telecommunication carriers works on two main frequencies: 900 Mhz and 1800 Mhz, so check if your cellphone satisfy this before leaving for China. You can check this information in the user guide of the phone or just go online and search for the phone specs.
If you have solved the above problem, then it’s time to decide whether you want an international roaming service or purchase a local SIM card.
For reference: there are three telecommunication carriers in China: China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, and the communication standards they use are:
China Mobile: GSM, TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE
China Unicom: GSM, WCAMA, FDD-LTE, TD-LTE
China Telecom: CDMA2000, EVDO, TD-LTE, FDD-LTE
International Roaming or Local SIM Card
Carriers may charge very high rates for the international roaming service. It’s recommended to check the detailed rates for the international roaming service with your carrier before your trip. Normally, you will be surprised by the price. So, unless you must keep in contact with this number during the travel, we suggest it’s better to replace a local SIM card in the travel.
