DataRoaming
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O2 Travel add-on offers unlimited data in Europe for £2 per day
Roaming charges aren't something you should be worrying about on holiday, as most major UK carriers are well aware. Vodafone will let you use your usual call, text and data allowances abroad for as little as £2, while Three lets you do the same for absolutely nothing. After falling behind the curve somewhat, O2's now updated its Travel tariff to make roaming more attractive, leaving EE as the only network still following the old-school megabytes-for-money package model. For £1.99 per day, pay-monthly O2 customers can take advantage of unlimited data roaming across Europe, as well as favourable call and text rates. Pay-as-you-go customers can also purchase the travel bundle, but will only get 50MB of data each day. While it is truly unlimited for contract holders, O2's fair use policy means that after 100MB (or half that amount of streaming video/audio), your connection speeds will be throttled. Still, that's more than enough for checking email, using maps and posting the odd self-congratulatory Instagram snap.
Court dismisses Verizon attempt to halt FCC data roaming requirements
Verizon hasn't been fond of the FCC requiring data roaming agreements; it sued the agency last May on claims that the requirement overstepped the FCC's legal bounds. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals isn't quite so worried, as three judges at the court have unanimously ruled that the FCC was within the authority of the Communication Act to make data roaming deals mandatory. Regulators have been measured in developing the rule and aren't treating cellular networks like Verizon's as common carriers, the court says. Verizon hasn't yet commented on the court loss, although FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is more than pleased -- he sees the roaming rule encouraging competition and keeping more of our mobile gear online. We're sure smaller carriers would tend to agree now that they won't always have to build out wide-reaching (and expensive) cellular coverage of their own just to offer more than voice and texting for travelers.
24 wireless operators agree on data roaming alert mechanisms, do nothing about actual roaming rates
GSMA, also known as the entity that produces Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo each year, seems to be onto something. And by "something," we mean "getting 24 carriers around the globe to agree on a single point." That's no easy feat, mind you, and the latest release from Shanghai asserts that 24 operator groups have agreed to implement new measures in order to better inform jetsetters about data roaming rates when they land. America Movil, AT&T, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom-Orange, Hutchison 3 Group, SoftBank Mobile Corp., Verizon Communications, VimpelCom and Vodafone Group (among others) are all onboard, with the following measures to go into effect by the end of 2012. For one, texts will be sent to remind customers of their data roaming tariffs when they arrive in another country, and there will also be a monthly data roaming spending limit paired with the ability to "temporarily suspend" one's data when usage exceeds said threshold. Of course, alerting users to how they're about to be hosed only seems like part of the issue. Till that's addressed, we'll keep carrying an Xcom Global MiFi or hunting for a local SIM upon arrival.
Three UK offers flat-rate plan for unlimited European data roaming
Three UK is doing its best to stop you getting bill shock on your holidays by introducing a flat rate for European data roaming. The Euro Internet Pass will allow users to consume unlimited information in any "supported country" on the continent for £5 ($8) per day. Users can start using the plan from today, simply by texting the operator when you arrive at your destination, flip-flops in hand. There are some caveats however, the allocation lasts until midnight UK time, streaming probably won't work and you aren't allowed to use tethering -- your office will just have to struggle on without you.
AT&T cuts prices on international data roaming, goes easier on overages
Could it be? Is AT&T addressing bill shock by simply trying to make international data roaming costs reasonable? From the looks of its new Data Global Add-On deals, that might be the case. The baseline price is up from last year at $30 per month, but you'll get 120MB of data for your trouble -- an amount that used to cost $50. The next step up not only costs less than before, at $60 versus the old $100, but ups the data ever so gently to 300MB in the process. AT&T's maximum allotment is still a relatively modest 800MB, but at $120 a month, it's a lot easier to swallow for a European vacation than the earlier $200 for the same data cap. The real advantage for all three may be the overage rate: rather than bill by the byte, AT&T is now charging $30 for every 120MB over your limit, so you won't have to fork over the equivalent of a car payment just because you couldn't resist posting to Instagram from the Alps. We still think dedicated international services like Xcom Global (or an unlocked phone and a prepaid SIM) are the most efficient ways to go, but the carrier-bound among us will catch a big break when the new international plans take effect June 1st.
Verizon's ZTE-built Jetpack 890L 4G hotspot ships May 24th, promises globetrotting for $20
Verizon has just finished trotting out the last of its known 2012 Jetpack hotspots through the arrival of the ZTE-made model we saw back at CES in January. Now carrying a bit more Verizon red on the surface and a bit less Chinese in the name, the Jetpack 890L can share its 4G LTE sugar with as many as 10 WiFi devices at once. There's no removable battery like its Novatel-made Jetpack cousin, but you do get Global Ready (read: HSPA) roaming abroad. We're most liking the price. At $20 on a contract after a $50 mail-in rebate, the 890L will be the most frugal way to board the LTE hotspot train once it reaches stores on May 24th.
Europe votes to cap data roaming prices, will make it cheaper to tweet from Ibiza
European Union countries already had a data roaming cutoff law in place to prevent bill shock after your next Balearic vacation, but the price of the data in question should get much cheaper very soon. The European Parliament has just voted 578 to 10 to cap the price customers pay at no more than 70 Euro cents (91 US cents) per megabyte starting from July 1st, with that price eventually dipping to 45 Euro cents (58c US) a year later and just 20 Euro cents (26 US cents) in 2014. Voice and text price caps are going down to as little as 19 and nine Euro cents (25 and 12 cents US) in that two-year span, and if you're visiting from outside the EU, you'll be glad to hear that the anti-bill shock rule will apply to you this year as well. So, while you still might want to avoid uploading large videos from your phone while in Spain, you'll at least have the option of checking in on Foursquare without having to take out a small mortgage.
FCC counters Verizon, aims to dismiss its data roaming complaints
Verizon and the FCC have been going at it for sometime over a variety of issues, but one of the more notable has been the data roaming rules that narrowly passed last year. In May of 2011 the carrier filed suit against the commission, claiming it had overstepped its authority by demanding larger providers enter into voice and data roaming agreements with its smaller "competitors." The regulatory agency has finally responded in kind, by saying that Verizon's case is invalid and that its powers are clearly spelled out under Title III of the Communications Act of 1934. Now its just a matter of waiting to see if Big Red's case is indeed dismissed, or if the FCC is headed to court. Stayed tuned to find out -- we know we will.
T-Mobile to tighten the purse strings, limit data roaming starting April 5th
We've just come across an internal T-Mobile memo that will certainly give a few customers a moment of pause: come April 5th, it seems the carrier will impose new, restrictive limits that affect data usage when roaming. Hot on the heels of the network's roaming pact with AT&T, the change would restrict subscribers to a fixed allotment of roaming data that's proportionate to their current data plan. While most customers are unlikely to notice the change, it's almost certain that some will be left out in the cold. Once the roaming limit is met, users will be unable to consume any additional data on non-Magenta networks until the start of a new billing cycle. T-Mobile suggests the move is in effort to keep its prices competitive, but one thing is for certain: it's hardly the Full Monty.
iPass wants a world of interconnected WiFi, a roaming 'renaissance'
Some ideas are undeniably sensible, and zero-click WiFi roaming across carriers and countries is one of them. That's why iPass has set itself the unenviable but likely profitable task of convincing global telecoms giants to overlook their differences and form an "Open Mobile Exchange" based on its cloud-based authentication technology. It won't be the first to embark on such a voyage of persuasion: Skype is already on the case and Boingo is too (at least, sort of), but there are still plenty of fragmented hotspot services out there waiting to be crushed and blended by an effortless roaming technology. We just hope iPass has perfected its pleading email template: "Dearest Carrier, have you considered...?" Full PR after the break.
Verizon iPad 2s feel the need to roam ... constantly [Updated]
Update: All Things D reports that Apple is aware of the issue and working on it. A number of owners of Verizon iPad 2s are reporting that their devices seem to be having issues accessing the Verizon 3G network. As discussed in the Apple support forums and reported by GigaOM's The Apple Blog, the iPads are fine fresh out of the box, displaying Verizon as the carrier in the upper left of the iPad status bar. It's when owners activate an account with Verizon that things start getting a little strange. Once the account has been set up, the word "Roaming" appears where the carrier name should be. This is usually an indication that a user is no longer on his or her carrier's network, and is using data roaming. The problem gets even stranger -- to use data service, even in an area with only a strong Verizon network signal, the iPad owner has to turn data roaming on. GigaOM's Charles Jade notes that the problem may be related to the Preferred Roaming List, which is an internal database common to CDMA devices that determines how the device connects to a network. Some Verizon iPad 2s just aren't recognizing Verizon cell towers, so they display the "Roaming" indicator. Verizon doesn't charge subscribers for U.S. data roaming, so there's no extra cost involved, but the issue is still annoying. Affected iPad 2s can be returned to Apple or Verizon stores for replacement, although the replacement models may still exhibit the same symptoms. There is some discussion that iOS 4.3.2 might include a fix for the roaming problem, but until then Verizon iPad 2 owners who are seeing the issue will have to be content to roam.
FCC mandates data roaming after 3-2 vote, AT&T and Verizon aren't too happy about it
Good news for small cellular carriers, and bad news for big ones today -- the Federal Communications Commission has decided to mandate data roaming by a 3-2 vote. Simply put, major carriers like AT&T and Verizon will be required to let you check your email and perform VoIP calls over their federally-licensed airwaves even if you're actually paying a regional carrier for your cellular coverage instead -- just as they've been required to do for voice and messaging since 2007. As you can imagine, Big Red and Ma Bell aren't exactly jumping for joy at the news, with both threatening to slow expansion into niche markets if they'll be forced to share their infrastructure. The victorious members of the FCC claim that this doesn't constitute common carriage because the big boys still get to negotiate "commercially reasonable" rates. Considering that two dissenting commissioners say that it is, indeed, common carriage, though, and thus beyond the powers granted to the FCC, we imagine we haven't heard the last of this debate. What happened to simply "incenting" the carriers to come to an agreement? Find statements from most every concerned party at the links below.
FCC proposing data roaming rules, not interested in commonizing carriers
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski briefly mentioned data roaming at CTIA last week, but now he's telling Congress that action is inbound, to ensure rural carriers don't get left behind the rest of the cellular industry. You see, in 2007 the Commission mandated cheap roaming agreements for voice and messaging services to let regional carriers compete, but cellular data is what's important now and those existing agreements won't protect the Tiny Tims of telecom in a world of VoLTE anyhow. So, as he explains in a letter sent to members of the Senate and House, the chairman has come up with a set of rules, which will "incent potential roaming partners to come to the bargaining table to negotiate private commercial deals." "The draft order under consideration eschews a common carriage approach and leaves mobile service providers free to negotiate and determine, on a customer-by-customer basis, the commercially reasonable terms of data roaming agreements," reads another letter. Needless to say, we're looking forward to hearing how the FCC will encourage competition while still letting the big boys negotiate from their multi-billion-dollar spectrum holding positions.
European limits on roaming charges go into effect today
Roaming gouging has been an ongoing issue in Europe for some time -- an issue EU officials have been looking to solve as of late -- and a big step in capping that garbage goes into effect as of today, July 1. Data roaming will now be automatically cut off by law when a user's roaming bill breaks the €50 ($62) mark, though users can call their carrier to set up an alternative cap if they're going to need more (or less). The maximum charges for voice roaming is also falling, with outgoing calls dropping to €0.39 from €0.43 per minute and incoming calls hitting €0.15 from €0.19 previously. It's still not cheap, but considering how easy it is to get from London to Paris to Vienna and back, it's a critical start.
AT&T's international iPad 3G data plans will make you yearn for free Wi-Fi
You've just picked up that nice iPad 3G and now you're heading off on vacation in Europe in a month. You'd like to keep up with news about Icelandic volcanoes, so you're taking your iPad with you. How much is it going to cost you to do data roaming as you wander the streets of Venice? Unfortunately, a lot. AT&T has added the iPad to the list of devices that use the Data Global Add-On Package for data roaming. If you're traveling to any of these countries where AT&T has a discounted rate plan in place, you'll need to buy one of the following packages -- preferably before you leave on your trip (all prices are US dollars): $24.99/month: 20 MB Data $59.99/month: 50 MB Data $119.99/month: 100 MB Data $199.99/month: 200 MB Data But wait, it gets better! If you go over the purchased amount of data, you'll get to pay a $0.005 per KB overage fee (that's about $5 per MB). Wandering out of the 90 countries that AT&T has agreements with will also cost you a bit more -- $0.0195 per KB (about $20 per MB) if you're using the 20 MB data plan, or $0.010 per KB (about $10 per MB) for the other plans. How far will 20 MB of data get you? Take a look at this old post by TUAW blogger Erica Sadun for an idea of how quickly you can rip through 5 MB, and what happens when you start paying those overage fees. Her experience of spending $24 to look at a picture of a dog on Flickr will send chills of terror down your back. Just to give you an indication of how expensive these rates really are, remember that the AT&T Unlimited 3G plan is only $29.95 a month. It's probably not a bad idea to think about using as little 3G data roaming as possible while overseas, and then use as much free Wi-Fi at coffee shops, bars, and hotels as you can. Your wallet will thank you.
T-Mobile produces official statement regarding international G1 data roaming
Okay G1 owners, so here's the end-all answer to your data roaming quandaries. For those not caught up, there has been quite the hubbub going around about the G1's inability to not suck down data whilst traveling aboard. Allegedly, the handset would continue to digest pricey bits and bytes overseas even after users had selected that data roaming be disabled. Now, T-Mobile has issued an official response (posted in full after the break) to clear things up, and the gist of it is this: for users with a bone stock G1, the "Off" selection in data roaming should work fine, but third-party applications can essentially override this command and wreak havoc on one's phone bill. From the horse's mouth: "Some third-party applications available for download on Android Market require access to the internet and have the ability to turn on data roaming when in use. Customers are informed whether an application will use this feature prior to downloading, but should also be aware when traveling outside the country."
UK T-Mobile G1s now have option to disable / forge ahead with data roaming
The intarwebz have been ablaze with unruly individuals kicking up all sorts of dust about the G1's apparent inability to disable data roaming when traveling overseas, and now a fix is in effect for those in the UK. According to an official tidbit from T-Mobile UK: "In order to ensure that customers do not incur unexpected costs, roaming is disabled on new UK G1 models; there is an option which allows users to enable roaming, but when this is selected the user will receive a message to confirm that there will be additional costs incurred." That whole "new UK G1 models" has us curious about the "old" models, but hopefully those newfangled firmware updates brought along this functionality -- anyone care to hop a flight and see?[Via modmyGphone, thanks neerhaj]
Verizon brings new bolt-on international data plans to vanilla handsets
Verizon just put the finishing touches on an international data plan rework back in August, but it's now gearing up to offer a pair of roaming options for those without a smartphone / PDA phone. Starting November 16th, VZW customers who own a down-to-Earth dumbphone will be able to pay $19.99 per month for 10MB of international data or $29.99 per month for 20MB; the plan will allow users to access picture / video messaging, Visual Voicemail, mobile IM, BREW downloads or the world wide web. Of course, this cheaper data only works in VZW's list of Preferred Data Coverage countries, which includes just Bermuda, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Saipan, Guam and South Korea. Wait, is that GSM we hear laughing in the corner? Oh, it is.
