Thank you both very much. I bought this from a phone store on the Web.
They described it as a three-band "world phone," and didn't say
anything about its being used. I was a little surprised when I received
it and found it branded as an AT&T. It has been unlocked though -- I
can roam in the U.S. with a Virgin Mobile sim card.  But maybe it's not
going to work on the other bands. If AT&T had requested a modification
would that likely involve the firmware?

It may also be that he was sold a single-band look-alike. The voice of
experience is speaking here. I got burned on one of those. Check the numbers
on the tag under the battery. You may have just been taken.

I do not think they can remove the ability to change bands. That make
not sense! I use this phone briefly a while back. You have to chang
the band manually under the "network selection" menu. There should b
an option to change bands. Currently the 1900 band will have
checkmark next to it. Use the up/down menu button to select th
900/1800 band when you get to UK.

Look very well. Here is an excerpt from the manual:

Change Band
The country where you purchased your phone determines the
default band that it uses. Phones purchased in the USA default to
the GSM 1900 band. Phones purchased elsewhere normally
default to the GSM 900/1800 band. When you travel abroad, you
must remember to change to an appropriate band.
Use this option to change the band of operation for your phone.
The country where you purchased your phone also determines
which of the following options are available:
• GSM 900/1800 (referred to as 900/1800)
• GSM 1900 (referred to as 1900)
When you select Change Band, your phone prompts you to
Select Band. Press O and then use the ª key to scroll
through the options. Press O to select the band you require.
When you select a new band, your phone displays the
confirmation message Changed to XXX. and then automatically
searches all the available networks.
Your phone then attempts to register with a preferred network
within the selected band.
If you re-select the currently selected band, the confirmation
message still appears but the band is not changed and the phone
does not attempt to register with any other network.
When selected, this option will scan to see which networks are
operating in your current location. When the scan is complete,
press the ª key to scroll through the list. When you see a
network you wish to register with or store in your preferred list,
press the O key. You will now enter the Register Now and
Make Preferred sub-menu

--
mrcamp

My L7089, T250 and T280 all required manual switching. My V500 and V545
can be switched to one of 900/1800, 850/1900 or "Automatic".

Does anyone know if using "Automatic" to listen on all 4 bands uses more
power than having it set for 900/1800 (and switching it when I'm in
USA/Canada)?

Thanks a lot. I'll check that out.

George