Using GPRS data in Brazil...

Savvy international travelers carry an unlocked GSM phone, and buy pre-paid SIM cards from local wireless operators where they travel. This way they get a local number, and make cheaper calls. But nowadays, international travelers also want to use data services to check e-mail, send photos, etc. Therefore many people ask: can I use GPRS while in Brazil?

The answer is yes. Cingular and T-Mobile USA have GPRS roaming agreements with Brazilian carriers, so you can just use the same SIM card you have at home to check your e-mail.

If you are going to buy a pre-paid SIM card in Brazil, I recommend using Claro because it supports GPRS data in pre-paid. But you also need to properly configure your phone, and it will be difficult to get anyone at Claro to help you. (Their sales people don't know how to do it because Claro phones are pre-configured with the proper settings.)

The proper data settings to use with Claro are:

For WAP:
APN: wap.claro.com.br
login: claro
password: claro
WAP Gateway: 200.169.126.11
Port: 9201
home URL: http://wap.claro.com.br

For MMS:
APN: mms.claro.com.br
login: claro
password: claro
Gateway: 200.169.126.10
Port: 9201
server URL: http://mms.claro.com.br

If you have a CDMA phone from Verizon, you can get it activated on a pre-paid account with the Brazilian CDMA carrier Vivo. The pre-paid Vivo account supports 1X data, but unfortunately you also need to configure certain network settings on the phone, and in CDMA phones these settings are not accessible by the user.

If you already have your Verizon 1x phone with you in Brazil and really want to use data services, it may be worth a try to contact the local technical representative of the phone's manufacturer (e.g., Motorola or LG). The Vivo store will give you the address of the nearest one.

Sprint phones are usually locked and don't work with Vivo.