The other problem is that most countries use GSM, which uses
> frequencies that differ from the "GSM" used by some carriers in the > US.
From *some* carriers in the US? All carriers in the US use either
1900 Mhz "PCS" or 800/850 Mhz "cellular" frequencies. Most of the rest of the world except for the Americas uses 900 and 1800 Mhz (with a very few minor exceptions in South America [Venezuela] and Cuba.)
I think the US protocol is also somewhat bastardized. Be sure you
> get a phone that is intended to roam in the country you intend to send > it to.
And what is *that* supposed to mean? GSM is GSM and the specifications are the same no matter where it's used.