Mobilphone use in Seattle - I am from Denmark

NO -In the US it is NOT easy to get a sim card with out shelling out some serious bucks. Your phone will probably work though since it's probably more advanced.

I hope it will. I worked last year in Colorado, but not in Arizona, Utah and California!

First thing to do is ask Telia. My guess is that they have a roaming agreement in the United States. My guess is also that your calls will be very</i> expensive. If you won't be here for long and/or won't be making many calls, then I wouldn't go to the trouble of getting a different phone and/or SIMM card.

But if you'll be here for a while or will be making a lot of calls, then you should contact Cingular when you arrive about getting a "Go Phone." This is their brand of pre-paid cellular service. There is no long-term service obligation. Calls will almost certainly be cheaper than Telia will charge you, but you will need to specifically inquire about calls to Denmark. I suspect they will be expensive even under the relatively cheap Go Phone plan.

Again, if you'll make only a few calls to Denmark, then it's not worth worrying about. But if you'll make a lot of calls there, then you ought to consider buying a long-distance calling card. I have used Nobelcom in Europe with great success, and I have no doubt they would be fine in the other direction.

With a calling card, you dial a toll-free ("800") number, enter a personal identification number ("PIN code") provided when you sign up for the card, and then dial the number. If you you use it from a mobile phone, regular domestic cellphone rates will apply plus whatever Nobelcom charges to call Denmark. If you use it from a pay phone, you'll pay a per-call surcharge of about $0.65 to access the "800" number plus Nobelcom's regular charges. If you use it from your hotel room, you'll pay nothing for "800" access plus Nobelcom's charges. This is the way all calling cards work, whether you use Nobelcom or find someone else.

There are four cellphone carriers serving Seattle: Verizon, Cingular, Sprint and T-Mobile. Of those four, Cingular and T-Mobile use the GSM system, which means that if Telia has a roaming agreement here it will be with one of them. Of those two, Cingular has a better network although within the city you could use either one without noticing much if any difference. If you're going to get local service rather than roam on Telia, if I were you I'd pick a GSM carrier because then you need merely to get a different SIMM card and can use the same phone. If you pick Sprint or Verizon, you'd need to get a second phone because their networks use the CDMA technology, which requires a different handset.

Note: If you use a calling card from a hotel room, some hotels might impose a surcharge to call an "800" number. The highest such charge I have encountered is $1 per call. But those charges have become rare in recent years, and it's likely you will not be charged.

Here is a link to the Cingular service I mentioned above.

Note: In the states phones are locked to one carrier and you cant just buy a cheap sim card and pop it in like Bangkok, Europe, Middle East, etc. When I lived in Seattle first Tmobile was good then Cingular then verizon then tmobile -reception would change as they moved the towers. encountered lots of dead zones with all. Encountered HORRIBLE customer service with cingular but maybe that has changed.

I've actually had great customer service with Cingular.

OP, how long are you going to be here? If for a month or more, I would suggest going with Cingular's Pick a Plan prepaid service over their Go Phone service. Just make sure your phone is unlocked and you should be able to call home. Pick a Plan is more like regular monthly services here, albeit more expensive, but will give you free nights and weekends as well.

woohoo! free nights and weekends! Good to know someone "actually" had good experience with cingular. I think after the at&t thing they got more infrastructure...

Well, nights don't start until 9 pm, but still, it's better than most other prepaid services out there. And I confirmed with them that I have international service on my phone as well.