On 26 Jul 2005 00:53:08 -0700, "eugene" <eugenefodor@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>My GSM phone service provider has roaming agreements with two networks
>in Japan: NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone. Does this mean it's possible to use
>my plain old GSM handset in Osaka? Anyone who has done so, please let
>me know.
>
>thanks

Certainly not with DoCoMo.  I am not sure of GSM availability in
Japan. Vodaphone in most of the world is GSM, but they are part owners
of CDMA systems in the USA.

 The Japanese system is called PDC, and while it has a number of
technical similiarites to GSM, just as IS-136 has, there is no
interoperatbility that I am aware of, not to mention that the
frequency allocations for PDC are 'bizarre'. (it is in several
discontinuous pieces).