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Using your cell phone internationally can lead to exorbitant bills if you’re not careful. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure you stay connected to friends and family while traveling—without paying more than you have to.
UNLOCK YOUR GSM PHONE
Not all cell phones will
work in every country, so your best bet is to carry a phone that will operate
on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network. Ideally you
want a quad-band phone, which can operate on any of the four GSM bands and will
work almost anywhere. Tri-band phones will also work in certain countries.
If you’ve got a GSM phone
already, call your wireless company and ask to have it unlocked. Once your
phone is unlocked you’ll be able to access other mobile carrier networks around
the world. Not all phone companies will unlock all types of phones and
oftentimes your account needs to be in good standing, has been open for more
than 90 days, or your phone has to be completely paid for and off-contract.
If you’ve tried to unlock
your phone in the past but were told by your carrier that you couldn’t,
you should try again. That’s because a new Consumer Code
for Wireless Service was adopted in 2014; even more flexibility
and freedoms will become available to consumers when the final steps of the
code are implemented in February of 2015. You can learn more about unlocking a phone or tablet
from the Federal Communications Commission.
Finally, you’ll need to
buy and install a local SIM (subscriber identification module) memory chip that
will work in the country you’re visiting. This little circuit stores
information like your identity, local cell phone number, address book
information, and other bits of data. When you put a local SIM chip in your
phone, it’s like getting a brand new phone that will work on the local mobile
carrier’s network. The chip does need to be activated so you can either go to a
mobile store in the country you’re visiting and have everything taken care of
on the spot, or try to order one in advance and activate it online.
BUY OR RENT A CELL PHONE FOR YOUR INTERNATIONAL TRIPS
If you don’t want to go
through the hassle of unlocking your phone and installing a local SIM, you can
simply buy or rent a cell phone that will work abroad. Cellular Abroad sells and rents unlocked
GSM phones and SIM cards that will work in dozens of countries around the
world. The company also rents the National
Geographic Talk Abroad Travel Phone, which works in 200
different countries. It’s the ideal solution for travelers visiting more than
one country during the same trip. Most U.S.–based mobile carriers like AT&T
and Verizon also have rental programs. Give them a call to find out what
options are available to you.
OPT FOR AN INTERNATIONAL PHONE PLAN
Your phone company will
also offer international phone plans, but these are quite often the most
expensive options out there, with high international roaming fees and data
charges. For example, AT&T’s roaming plan for European countries starts
at $30 per month and includes a certain number of minutes (30-, 80-,
and 200-minute packages are available). Any call beyond the packaged number of
minutes will cost $1.00 per minute. Plans can often be added and cancelled at
will so you can use them for the length of your trip and then opt out again.
Call your carrier for information on the available options.
WAYS TO REDUCE CELL PHONE CHARGES OVERSEAS
If you can live with
limited service during your trip, bring along your phone but be sure to turn
off data usage and the "fetch new data" option. Those are two
important ways to reduce your cell phone bill during an international trip.
Also look for complimentary Wi-Fi spots and use free messaging services like Skype (be sure your phone is subscribed to
a free Wi-Fi hotspot first), Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, and WeChat. You can also buy a pre-paid phone
card, which usually costs less per minute than your mobile carrier’s
international roaming rates.
Finally, be sure to bring along a universal
phone charger and plug adapters that are compatible with the electrical systems
in the countries you’ll be visiting.
:-)
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for the very useful tips to keep in mind while traveling abroad. It was very helpful for a new traveler like me. Especially the necessity to take an unlocked mobile phone to avoid huge international roaming bills. Unfortunately my cell phone was still under contract and not able to unlock it through my service provider. Luckily I got the accurate unlock code for my cell phone from Mobile-Unlocker.com at low cost with 24/7 customer support.
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