Using phones in other countries getting cheaper, easier (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Remember when turning on your mobile phone while roaming in another country felt like opening up your wallet on a windy day? Thankfully, that ripped off feeling is on the wane.
Recently AT&T announced that it will add free roaming in Canada and Mexico. This comes on the heels of Verizon’s recent introduction of the helpful, cheaper TravelPass plan. And it all started with T-Mobile’s Simple Choice plan, offering free data and texting and 20-cent calls in 140+ countries.
AT&T:
Starting this Friday, all AT&T customers on Mobile Share Value 15GB and higher plans will have unlimited calling, texting and use of their plan data in Mexico. (Customers currently on one of these plans just have to call, use the MyAT&T app, go online to www.att.com to enroll.
Also starting this Friday, new and existing customers with AT&T’s new Unlimited Plan will have unlimited talk, text and data in both Mexico and Canada. To add the AT&T Roam North America feature on your phone or tablet, just go to www.att.com. (AT&T plan details here)
Business customers on a MSV 15GB or higher plan can get the new features as well. Business customers who activate on new Mobile Select plans priced $20 per month or higher will automatically receive Mexico roaming benefits.
Image: Verizon
Verizon:
If Verizon is your smartphone carrier and you travel the world a lot, you have a new option called TravelPass. Priced at $2 a day per line in Mexico and Canada and $10 a day in 65 other countries, the new plan lets you “take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you,” Verizon says.
The $2 per day deal is excellent for quick trips to Mexico and Canada. But that $10 daily fee
Using TravelPass in Australia was easy…and much cheaper than last time I was there! (Chris McGinnis)
elsewhere still seems pretty high, even though it’s at least better than Verizon’s pricey monthly plans.
Once you sign up for TravelPass, the fee kicks in when you receive a call, connect to a data service, or send a text inside one of the 100+ countries where it works. Once that 24 hours is up, the daily fee won’t kick in again until you receive a call, connect to a data service, or send a text – at which point another TravelPass day will begin.
To sign up go to MyVerizon.com and select “manage international services” or use the MyVerizon app on your phone to activate it before embarking on a trip. Once at your destination, you’ll receive a text message welcoming you to the country and reminding you of the service and the daily fee.
T-Mobile:
T-Mobile has the most economical plan for international travelers– unlimited calling, data and texting in the U.S., Mexico, & Canada is automatically included with its Simple Choice plans.
The Simple Choice Plan also offers unlimited data and texting in what it says are “95% of the places Americans travel most” That is currently 140+ countries and destinations. Details on using T-Mobile overseas.
I just wish T-Mobile worked better inside my house and around SF!
Which carrier do you use when traveling overseas? Do you instead rely on wi-fi connected apps like Viber? Are you happy with your current plan? Please leave your comments and tips for other readers below.
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I use an unlocked cell phone and buy a local SIM card when I travel internationally (6-8 months of the year). I recently purchased a MetroPCS SIM card for use in the US (T-Mobile network) and I am very dissatisfied with US coverage in the 10 states I have visited in the last month. I find that the AT&T network has much better coverage.
Not sure why the article omits Sprint, but they also have a plan similar to T-Mobile with free data roaming pretty much same places as TM. And their network is finally upgraded and fast.
I use Wi-Fi to connect. My carrier, Verizon is the worst with the rip off factor. They say you have to sign up for their fees to roam out of the country, but they don’t even connect in some countries in South America (where I travel frequently) and when they do have service (usually CLARO), it costs an arm and two legs. I loved my T-Mobile account and had it forever, but like you, Chris, I have very bad connection at home. Oh well…someday, maybe our carriers will become more progressive!
I have ATT and this plan is worthless, except for Mexico and Canada. Recently did an extended intl trip and signed up for T-Mobile. Put the sim in my ATT (unlocked) phone and add unlimited data in 10 different countries. Also, phone calls for $.20. Actually did wifi in most places with no extra charges, including WIFI with kids. All for $50 a month.
I’m cruising soon and added Verizon’s preferred pricing for a month. Cost $40, enough for ship, Canada, Iceland and United Kingdom while using limited on vacation. cheaper than $10 a day should people text me.
I’m a Verizon customer and all of their 4G phones are unlocked, On my trip to Malaysia last fall, I just stopped at one of those local carrier counters in KLIA on arrival. For RM 100 (about $25 at the time), I got a sim card, 30 min of calls and 1GB of data. It was perfect for using Google maps in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and even post a few Instagram’s for my family. It was also convenient to have a local number to give to people like the local guide we used in Borneo. Via a text message, the carrier offered an additional 500MB of data for RM 10. The plan lasted for my entire 2 weeks in Malaysia and I had excellent reception, even in Borneo! So yes, I think that Verizon’s $10 a day plan is too expensive. For $2 a day, I will try there plan on my trip to Canada later this year.
The main reason I’m with Sprint is because they offer free international roaming, very similar to what T-Mobile offers. Free texts and free data (usually 2G speed, but sometimes 3G) and calls are only $0.20 per minute from abroad. I just turn my phone on when I land somewhere and it just works. It’s a great service, so much better/cheaper than what Verizon and AT&T offer.
Sprint has decent coverage at my house in Sonoma, whereas T-Mobile is virtually non-existent. Sprint also rolled out Wifi calling a year or so ago, so I just use the wifi network in my house for clear calls and fast texts.
That’s fairly common on Verizon and ATT too. My guess is that the phone is trying to find a domestic network connection before giving up and connecting to the international network. But that’s just my theory
petermjensen Reply: actually you can talk and surf at the same time on Verizon. It’s been like that since Sept 2014.
Thanks, Eli! I wish I could say the same. T-Mobile has suggested the router for home use, but then I’m irritated by dropped calls when walking thru my neighborhood, or driving in the car throughout SF. My Verizon phone does not have reception issues. But I do pay more for it than I paid T-Mobile.
For business use where you drive and travel al lot within and outside the US, it just needs to work all the time (no dropped calls, fast data, etc.). It’s not worth saving $30 per month for T Mobile which is great many places, but not all and it’s always the most important cal that is dropped. That leaves you with the choice of ATT and VZN. I’ve used both all around the world and they work just fine. ATT has improved a lot since the initial iPhone rollout where I’d have a dropped call three times on my way to Napa from S.F. The main reason I switched back to ATT is VZN’s inability to handle voice and data at the same time. It’s simple: WHen I am on a conference call driving from a to B, I also need to use gps, maps, read emails, use the hotspot feature to connect my laptop, etc. Can’t do that with VZN So that leaves me with ATT.
Chris, I’m in SF and T-Mobile works great and in the house too! They have a “free” ($25 deposit) and very good wireless router that boosts the signal in the house and puts your calls through via wifi. Check it out!
That seamless North America service is the bomb! Just came back from Canada and I picked up LTE service from Telus, Rogers, Bell, wherever I was at. Perfect!