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Telephony

• Overview

  • Cell phones are very pervasive in India. Access is excellent even in rural areas. Even Riksha-pullers and housemaids own cell phones (referred to more commonly as Mobile).India supports both GSM and CDMA. The carriers use 900 or 1800 MHZ.

• Using your US cell phone

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  • You can call your carrier to enable access in India. (People have had trouble with this and it can be expensive)
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  • If you have an unlocked GSM phone, you can buy a SIM card in India and use it. (The phone must be UNLOCKED)

• Alternatives

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  • Purchasing a low end cell phone in India is a good option. You can buy it for 25-30$ . You can purchase a pre-paid SIM card that is guaranteed to work. Incoming calls in the local area are free.
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  • A good site for information about cell phones

• Landlines

  • Cell phones have overtaken landline service. In urban areas hotels and other places have landline connections. But in rural areas cell phones will be the way to go.

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