WILLING TO HELP

[grävling]

About not losing the ability to play when you ditch T-mobile ....

Yes, you don't really have to do anything, you will still be set. However, if what you really want to do is to turn your phone into an 'occasional use' phone, then what you want is a pre-paid sim card. They are ubiquitous here in Sweden, and very common all over Europe. You put something in the range of 20 Euros on your phone, and then, as long as you use the
phone at least once a year, you don't have to do anything else. It will cost to use the phone, of course, but you can refill your sim card.

When travelling in the USA I just get one here. www.usasims.com/FAQ.html

Strangely, there seems to be no way to just go to the store -- or the airport --- anywhere in the USA to buy cards, unlike in Europe where you can get them pretty much everywhere. Note, you need to unlock your phone to use them. But that's not much of a chore.

Good luck, and welcome to the fora

Grävling

[LordofSyn]

Grävling,

Here in America, we are still actually behind the times. Capitalism is strong, and so our wireless networks are severely downgraded compared to Europe/Asia,etc.
While your phones, and the ability to use pre paid Sim cards is normal practice for most of the rest of the world...America just locks you down to one Wireless plan or another. (yes I know some companies don't contract)

In the last few years, other phones have become more International. Meaning you could take them from here to anywhere in Europe or Asia and buy a cheap sim. Sadly, less than half (no real reference, just a guess on statistics) of the phones in use in the US are not "smart" enough to be global phones.

I would cite wireless architecture and the differences between how our country works communications infrastructure vs. European infrastructure, but I don't have that much time.
LordofSyn