Using US phone with "bad ESN" on GSN networks in NZ

Forums › Mobile handsets › Using US phone with "bad ESN" on GSN networks in NZ

badbadmonkey

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Topic # 173403 21-May-2015 19:41

Will this work? I am looking at getting a (cheap) HTC phone from the US which has a bad ESN w.r.t. US networks. Someone didn't pay their phone bill I guess.

I would be wanting to use it in NZ on GSM networks, Skinny or 2degrees. I don't care about US or any other CDMA networks.

I have the IMEI #, which reports via various checkers
- Vodafone -> AMT, ok
- Skinny, ok
- Spark, ok
- 2degrees txt "check #" to 255, claims IMEI is invalid and should be 15 characters (it is)
- TCF, cannot check because their site cocks out.

There are some old threads on GZ re this topic but mostly apply to old Telecom CDMA so unhelpful.

Any reason this won't work? Anyone with prior experience?

n4

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Reply # 1309523 21-May-2015 19:47

Bad ESM implies it is CDMA and so useless on GSM/UMTS networks here in NZ I would think. Possibly why 2degrees fails it?

Huawei Mate 7, on 2degrees

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

Reply # 1309525 21-May-2015 19:48

One person supports this post

Someone didn't pay their phone bill I guess.

Or, you know, it's stolen.

JoshWright

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Reply # 1309538 21-May-2015 20:16

n4: Bad ESM implies it is CDMA and so useless on GSM/UMTS networks here in NZ I would think. Possibly why 2degrees fails it?

Not necessarily, my sister's using an iPhone 5c we got off eBay with a bad ESN from Verizon. The phone supports both CDMA and GSM, and was a real bargain.

badbadmonkey

28 posts

Geek

Reply # 1309542 21-May-2015 20:36

n4: Bad ESM implies it is CDMA and so useless on GSM/UMTS networks here in NZ I would think. Possibly why 2degrees fails it?

It's a late model HTC One so is GSM compatible.

2degrees doesn't fail it so much as tell me the IMEI # is invalid because it needs to be 15 digits, when it is. No idea what that's about.

freitasm

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Reply # 1309555 21-May-2015 21:04

If you want to to use on GSM (2G) then it excludes Skinny or Spark as those are WCDMA (3G) and LTE (4G) only. Unless of course you are confusing things.

Also even if it is 3G, does it support 850MHz, which is the band you need for these networks?

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