Planning on traveling abroad soon? Whether it is for business or pleasure, you will want to think about things like updating your passport, obtaining international currency and, of course, figuring out how you can use your mobile device while on your trip.
There are several questions to take into consideration while traveling and using your phone. Do you need to use your phone often? For instance, are you traveling for work and will need it to complete your work? Or will you be traveling for fun and want to use it minimally to detox from technology? Also, you will want to consider your budget when deciding on how you will use your mobile devices.
Reasons for Using Your Phone Abroad
This seems like a no brainer, but many people who travel use their smartphone for directions on Google Maps or to translate languages they do not understand using translation apps. Others need their smartphone to stay connected to work and international offices. In both instances, it is quite important that you have access to your phone while traveling.
What are the Options for Using Mobile Out of the Country?
There are several options to choose from when traveling. There is always the option to use your current phone and sign up for the international calling plan. Then there is the option to get a local SIM card for the country or countries where you are traveling. Or there is always the temporary data pass that comes in handy while away on business or pleasure. Let’s take a closer look at each and examine the pros and cons of each.
Option 1 – Stay with your Current Phone and Carrier
If you are not traveling for long periods of time or are looking for the easiest option, staying with your current phone and carrier may work for you. Most major cell phone companies have some sort of international roaming option. This option is expensive and you must check with your carrier to enable “roaming data.” If your carrier is T-Mobile, Sprint, or Google Project Fi, you’re covered with some kind of unlimited data in most countries around the world. Other carriers have data packs that can be purchased that we will look at as well.
Option 2 – Purchase a Temporary Data Package
If you have AT&T or Verizon you may want to explore temporary data packs as their pay-per-use international plans are mightily expensive. Most temporary data packs are referred to by different names but they operate on the same idea. They provide a set amount of roaming data, usable for a certain amount of time, for one price.
Option 3 – Purchase a SIM Card for your Local Area
A SIM, or subscriber identity module, is a removable chip roughly the size of a microSD card. It lets your current phone work in another country as if you bought the phone there: local number, cheap and fast data, and so on. As soon as you land in your travel destination visit a telecom store (similar to a Verizon or AT&T store) and purchase a SIM card for your local area. These are usually good for approximately a month and are a better option for the budget conscious.
Do you need help setting up your employees as they travel for business? Or do you just have questions about your mobile devices? Call M&H Consulting for more information at 1-866-964-8324 or visit our website.
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