Oppylock wrote...

> Anyway ... I'm currently on a plain old GSM SIM from the old days The
> phone does work with a GSM SIM, but it seems mean to hobble it in that way.
> Onward and upward, so they say...
> I rarely use data and the small amount I do use is trivial in size. SMS
> message sized chit-chat back to a server, for example. So I'm not really
> going to be a big user of 3G services at all, other than voice 99% of the
> time.

SMS "data" doesn't use the 3G network. However, MMS may if it's available.
Otherwise it uses 2G over the internet but it's a hell of a lot slower.

if you're with NextG then MMSes will go via the internet but at
significantly faster speeds.

> Should I be going to NextG or 3G?

Go with NextG. Coverage is heaps better than GSM (and 3/Telstra 3G),
particularly as you get outside of the major metro areas such as
Melbourne, Sydney, etc..

> Is the only practical difference the frequency of those 2 3G networks?
> I see 3G as being advertised as 3G/GSM. This implies, to me at least, that
> the 3G network falls back to GSM, whereas NextG doesn't. Is this the case?

Yes, that's how it works. Not totally sure what NextG does, though as I've
never been in an area where there is say, GSM but no NextG. Either there
is NextG or there is nothing if there is no GSM coverage.

> Are there international roaming issues with either network?

Yep, cost. If you're using it for business or work then this is probably
not an issue. But if you travel a bit O/S and want to take the phone with
you, then you're better off getting a pre-paid SIM card when you get there
and using that.