International Cell Phone Service

Using your own phone

Not all carriers even offer international cellular service and those that do are expensive. However, some travelers – specifically business travelers (and those who can afford to pay astronomical rates) appreciate the ability to be able to use their current phone and associated number seamlessly while traveling overseas. If your current carrier is based on the GSM system which is prevalent in most countries, your phone may, but is still not guaranteed, to work overseas. Most countries use the 900 and or 1800 GSM spectrum. However, in North America, 1900 and 850 is used. Therefore, a US or Canadian phone will not be compatible for use overseas unless it is a tri or quad band phone. Your best approach is to find out what bands your phone has and, what bands the countries to where you are traveling use. See our chart for a list of countries and respective GSM bands: www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html

The second step is to make sure that your domestic carrier has roaming agreements with carriers in that country. You must also make sure that the roaming option is set up on your service. Lastly, find out exactly what surcharges there are to make and receive calls in that country or countries so you can decide if it’s even worth it to take this approach. You are charged for incoming and outgoing calls and some countries charge up to $5 per minute so despite the convenience, this option is far from being the most economical.

Renting a cell phone

Travelers who wish to stay in touch overseas often opt for renting a cell phone. While this may be a good solution, rates as well as options are numerous and varied for international cell phone rentals. What the vast majority of phone rental companies do is to have you sign a binding contract, leave a hefty rental deposit and then bill you for your cell phone usage once you return the phone. This solution is available in airports as well as online. A word of caution: airport rentals are extremely expensive – usually more than roaming with your own phone. Renting a cell phone at the airport should be considered a last resort option. There are also many online retailers specializing in this category. While their rates are generally lower than getting a phone at the airport, they still make hefty profits on the usage.

A better approach is to use a pay as you go solution that doesn’t require signing a contract and has significantly better rates – including almost always unlimited free incoming calls. The way it works is the following. You of course need a compatible GSM handset which you can rent (or purchase). Together with the phone, you will need to get a prepaid SIM card that you will insert in the phone. A SIM card looks similar to a memory card for a digital camera and is just as easy to insert. The SIM card is what gives you the service as well as the phone number. You can purchase a pay as you go or “prepaid” SIM card with no binding contracts and significantly lower rates than the aforementioned solution. Like the gas in your car, you know exactly what you are paying. When it runs out of credit – or better yet – before it runs out, you can add more talk time to it by punching in a unique code on the keypad that you can purchase in most convenience stores or magazine stands overseas.  The only disadvantage of this solution is that you need to check your credit so that you do not run out. However, for the diligent traveler who wants an affordable solution, this is the way to go. Outgoing rates can be as low as ten cents a minute to make international calls and incoming calls are almost always free. Check www.cellularabroad.com for rates.

An important note is that there are two types of prepaid SIM cards; country specific and international. As the name implies, a country specific SIM card is for use in one specific country. For example, if you are going just to Italy, you would need an Italian prepaid SIM card. This SIM card would give you an Italian cell phone number and the exact same rates that the locals pay for their cellular service. However, while some country specific SIM cards allow you to use them outside of the specific country, it is not advisable as the rates are high and it is difficult to add more talk time outside of the home country. Travelers going to 2 or more countries should opt for an international SIM card. This solution, while usually more expensive for outgoing calls, offers free incoming calls in most countries and one phone number. Generally speaking, it is better than buying multiple country specific SIM cards. It probably only makes sense to buy multiple SIM cards for each country if you desire a phone number for that particular country (some business travelers prefer this as it gives them a apparent “presence” in that country) or, if you are going to only two or three countries where the rates just happen to be extremely inexpensive, for example, the UK and Germany where it’s only about a dime to call internationally. The bottom line is that you need to evaluate your needs and then select a suitable option.

Buying a new phone

If you travel internationally once or more each year, you should consider purchasing an international cell phone as opposed to renting. You can buy an unlocked tri band or quad band GSM cell phone and then the appropriate country specific or international SIM card. There are plenty of sites that sell GSM phones. EBay is also an option. However, keep in mind that you need to make sure that the vendor is reputable. Oftentimes, vendors sell refurbished phones as new or the manual is in a foreign language or the charger is incompatible for foreign travel or the phone is locked. Your best bet is to go to a reputable source or better yet, go to a reputable company that deals specifically with SIM/phone packages intended specifically for this purpose.

Unlocking your current phone

If your current phone is a GSM phone and happens to have the correct bands for overseas use, you may be able to use it overseas without having to pay your current carrier’s high roaming rates. More likely than not, however, there is a “subsidy” code associated with your phone that enables it to work only with your current carrier. This is standard practice in the US and Canada. The good news is that most carriers can and will give you the unlock code. Check with them as certain conditions usually apply such as you have to have had service with them for a certain amount of time. You may have to insist a bit or even “remind” them to send you the code as they are not too keen on giving it to you since they would rather make the huge profits by charging you for roaming. If you do go this route and get an international or country specific SIM card and the unlock code, make sure that you test the SIM in the phone before you leave. That way if for some reason you have questions or the code doesn’t work, it will be easier to resolve than if you are already abroad.

Conclusion

These are the main options for using a cell phone overseas. While there are a lot of variables, the good news is that there are also a lot of affordable choices. In sum, if your phone already works overseas and you do not care about the high rates or you positively need to retain your current phone number, then roaming with your current carrier is the way to go. If you want the convenience and security of a cell phone when you travel internationally but don’t want to pay the high rates, then a pay as you go solution combined either with a rented or bought phone, is the way to go. Hopefully this guide has provided a bit of clarity on the subject of international cellular service. For more information on purchasing or renting a phone or if this hasn’t addressed your questions, please visit www.cellularabroad.com