How does the Global capability work?

[gragacia]

I'm really embarassed to be asking such a noob question, especially since I pride myself in being substantially knowledgeable about technology, but I have a question about how the global aspect of a global phone works on Verizon.

A global phone should have a SIM card, right? I was wondering if it's possible to temporarily swap that SIM card with another SIM card from another network. I am going to Mexico next month, and rather than pay exorbitant fees on my Verizon service for using this phone abroad, I'd rather get a prepaid Telcel SIM card and put it on my brand new Trophy and just use the phone like that. Would something like that work?

[Jax_Omen]

If you've had VzW for a while, yeah, you just have to have their global tech support team unlock your phone. They do this once a year, per line, for anyone who meets their eligibility requirements. Give customer service a call (1 800 922 0204 or *611) once you have your Trophy and ask.

Their requirements are:

- You have to be a Verizon Wireless customer.
- The line must be active at least 60 days, and the account has to also be in good standing for that period of time (no past due)
- It has to be your current phone

Hope that helps!

[gragacia]

Where did you read/hear/see this? Can you please provide a link to official Verizon Wireless documentation? If it really is a once-a-year-only thing, I might as well save it for December when I go to Mexico again because I will be staying longer.

[Jax_Omen · Accepted solution]

Your unlock doesn't go away when you come back. It's once a year as in you can't get a new global phone every month and unlock them all. The unlock is permanent.

To be more clear, when you unlock the SIM card slot, all you're doing is enabling the ability to use another carrier's SIM card. After you do that you can swap sim cards whenever you want.


http://community.vzw.com/t5/DROID-2-by-Motorola/Unlocking-Droid-2-Global/m-p/365596/message-uid/3655...
Post 7 has a VzW rep confirming this information. Apparently it's every 10 months, not every year.

[gragacia]

Gotcha. Thanks so much. If only the Verizon employees were as helpful as you. All they care about is signing us up for email spam.

[#6]

That is an option to switch SIM cards to a different provider's service if the device is capable of doing so.  There is only one department that can do that, so I will give you their number so you can just bypass the customer service level: 800-711-8300.

Another option (probably cheaper than getting SIM if you plan on calling the U.S.) would be to just switch to our Mexico Plan for that month.  Then the following month just switch your plan back.  We have plans that will cover you for voice and texting, but not data.  You can call customer service and request that plan and information as well.    

There are lots of international options, and I hope we gave you some good ones.