Will my GSM phone work in Panama?

In short, probably not. Panama uses GSM 850 as opposed to GSM 900/1800 used in Europe and Asia and GSM 1900 used in the states and Canada.

GSM 850 is a relatively new standard designed to be implemented on top of old TDMA networks, without applying for a new license.

The main problem is that none of the current world phones support it. I dont think you can buy any in Europe that do. Cingular in the US use the same frequency so their phones should work here.

Generally speaking if you are trying to buy a GSM phone to bring down here. Buy US models that specifically list GSM850. The Sony Ericsson T616 is one such model. You can also buy a fairly large range of these phones locally in Panama, which would probably save you trouble in the long run.

If you really want to roam to Panama, take your sim card with you and put it into one of the prepaid gsm phones on sale here. Which you should probably buy with a local sim card (it’s only $5) as local calls will be cheaper.

This entry was posted in the following Categories: Telecommunications

Comments:

It should also be noted that the GSM system is only offered by Cable & Wireless, which does not exactly have a great reputation locally for being client oriented and good service.

The main competitor is Bellsouth. Personally I like to go to their office in the town of La Chorrera, where service is personal, friendly, quick and efficient, and above all they serve great espresso even when you're just there to pay your bill.

Posted by: Okke Ornstein at March 11, 2004 01:55 AM