Take this a different direction... What kind of email/internet will be available in the desert? Will I be able to use my gmail address or will I have to get another one? I have heard about 2 15 min calls per week, but will a Cingular phone work in Japan, Qatar, Iraq, Sig, or where else I may end up?
I have no idea about Iraq, Qatar, etc, but when I was in SE Asia I saw a lot of guys who had Cingular phones with the service chips. I can't remember the specific name of the chip but it's the little one in the back of most Cingular phones, under the battery. Anyways, just buy a chip from a cell phone company in whatever country and it should work just fine on that network. Plus, most of the companies I saw over there were all pay as you go, so no contracts.