The Cell Phone Junkie

Summer is here which means many people are starting to think about summer travel.  If you’re fortunate enough to be heading internationally this summer, you’re likely starting to think about what phone options you have and how to best stay connected.  Last year we posted our Traveling Internationally with The Cell Phone Junkie that walked through a number of options that you have to keep your phone bill low.  Ars Technica has posted these tips on the basics you’ll need to know before you head across the pond:

• Check with your mobile phone service to find out whether your phone will work abroad – “Don’t assume that your phone will work abroad,” the FCC warns. “And even if your phone does work for voice calling, some of its other functions—such as sending and receiving data or text messages—might not work.”

• If you have an international plan, figure it out now – CTIA has a list of links to the travel guide pages of the big four carriers: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Verizon’s site is particularly impressive, with a global map of its coverage areas, options associated with each region, and specific pages on e-mail, text messaging, and roaming.  You want to pay particular attention to roaming charges—that is, the rates you pay when making calls outside of your carrier’s service area.

• Consider other options – With many handsets, you can just purchase and pop a new subscriber identity module (SIM) card into the device, turning it into a phone local to the area where you are staying. Not sure whether your gadget qualifies, or how to do it? Youtube.com has tons of SIM card tutorials for every qualifying gizmo (e.g., iPhone andBlackBerry).  Then, of course, there’s always VoIP via WiFi on some handsets; if the connection is good quality, you might just turn off your cellular radio altogether and stick with WiFi to avoid nasty billing surprises.

Source: ARS