The idea of visiting a foreign
country no longer means disconnecting, as we are fortunate enough to
have been born in a generation, where due to technological
advancements and the increasing ubiquity of the Internet it's easier
to keep channels of communication open while travelling overseas.
However,
nothing can empty our wallets faster than calling home from halfway
across the globe, as our mobile phones can incur enormous roaming
charges. These are four of the most popular methods that can help
keeping your calling and surfing needs from draining your bank
account, at the same time staying connected irrespective of being
thousands of miles apart.
Carrier
Options
Signing up for an international calling plan with your carrier is
cheaper, if compared with paying international roaming rates, as
most carriers offer reduced rates for calling abroad through special
international calling plans. Before choosing this option you should
make sure your phone uses an antenna, which is compatible with your
international destination and works on the radio bands used in that
area. CDMA and GSM are two popular phone types, with CDMA widely used
in South America and Asia and GSM -- in Africa, Europe and the Middle
East. iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S II, along with certain GSM
phones, support up to 4 radio bands, thus accepting signals from the
two GSM signals used in the USA and the two used in Europe. Watch out
for international tariffs when researching carrier options, as it is
an ideal option, in case your carrier focuses on overseas
connectivity.
Sim
Cards
Sim
cards will help you keep your bills to a minimum while making
international calls.You
can buy local or regional SIM cards in any region that uses GSM,
including USA and most countries in Europe. These SIM cards let you
keep almost all the same benefits you enjoy at home. However, in this
case you will have to pay for local rates. Prepaid and pay-as-you-go
SIM cards allow you to make voice calls and provide access to data
from your own phone and you don't have to pay onerous long distance
fees. Telestial, Truphone, and XCom Global are among the companies
which let you purchase or rent international SIM cards for $5 a card.
The downside to getting a rental SIM card, is that you will have a
different number for your phone while using the new Sim card when you
are abroad, so keeping in touch with your relatives will mean having
to give them this number. You should also know that many of your
phone’s features, such as e-mail access, will be disabled when the
rental card is installed.
Mobile
Hotspots
This
is the cheapest route for unlimited data access on your laptop or
smart-phone, for checking your emails and text messages and even for
phone calls. Tep Wireless and XCom Global rent mobile hotspots and
charge based on the MB you use. XCom Global offers a hotspot with
unlimited data access for up to five devices at a rate of $14.95 per
day. You also have the option of USB modems. Today most ordinary
hotels in Europe and in other parts of the world offer free Wi-Fi,
this is an affordable option, if you don't need full 24/7
connectivity, in this case it doesn't cost anything, as long as
you're in a hotspot. By using free Wi-Fi, you can still bring along
your mobile phone for emergencies (if it is GSM-enabled), and your
cost risk is very low. Just don't forget to disable any automatic
downloads.
International
Calling applications
International
calling apps provide travelers with an affordable and easy way to get
in touch with their relatives back home. These apps are used from
PC, Mobile Phone, Tablet and landlines.
- Skype
The
Skype app, is probably the most popular service, it is available for
iOS and Android. Skype offers free video calls and instant messaging.
The unlimited calls can be made to mobile and landlines in such
countries as the US, Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
- Viber
Viber
also offers the option of free calls. It is available for Android,
Windows, Mac, iOS, Blackberry, and so on. This app distinguishes
other Viber users in your contact list with a purple badge. So, you
will know who you can call for free.
- Tango
Tango
is an app that can be used to make free long-distance calls to other
users. Download the free app, connect to free wifi, and enjoy free
calls or text messages. Tango is available on Android and iOS.
- Callimax
Callimax is also anaffordable option for cheap international calls to any destination of the world. It is just necessary to register cell or landline phone
numbers. It also offers the option of making free calls abroad from
Android device and iPhone.
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