roaming
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National roaming: why mobile operators are fighting the UK government
The concept of national roaming first appeared back in June, when Culture Secretary Sajid Javid began advocating a system that would allow UK mobiles to switch networks in places where the carrier they're supposed to be on offers no signal. The idea is to rid Britain of so-called mobile "not-spots," rural areas where populations are small and coverage is minimal, by coercing the major carriers to share their networks with each other. The government recently launched a consultation to explore ways it can achieve this goal. Operators, however, have been vociferous in their opposition to the plans. What's their excuse?
KnowRoaming sticker SIMs can now help more people avoid roaming charges
Remember KnowRoaming? That seemingly magical sticker SIM supposed to be attached on top of your usual one, so you can avoid expensive roaming charges? It's finally available for purchase. KnowRoaming works with a GSM Android, iPhone or Windows mobile device and connects you to a local carrier as soon as leave your home country (where it stays dormant) and enter another one. We first heard of it in 2013, when the startup was trying to raise money for production through a KickStarter campaign. It started shipping kits to its backers in February this year while it was still in beta, but after 12 months of testing, it's now ready for a wider release.
UK considers forcing phone carriers to allow roaming between networks
Despite carriers pushing back on the idea, a plan to force operators into allowing cross-network roaming is reportedly in the works. Sources for The Telegraph claim that the government may soon put an end to cellular black holes. Culture Secretary Sajid Javid is apparently exploring legislation that would require roaming between British carriers. O2 might have to let you use your EE phone on its towers if it's the only option, for instance.
Vodafone launches faster 4G and expands LTE roaming to 23 countries
Are you a Vodafone 4G customer? Good news, your downloads could soon get that much quicker. As part of a billion pound investment into its network, the carrier has begun rolling out the UK's first widely accessible LTE Advanced network. LTE-A, as it's known, will go live in Birmingham, Manchester or London in the coming weeks, promising to boost signal and improve 4G speeds thanks to increased network capacity. LTE-A is actually capable of blistering maximum download speeds of 300Mbps, but that requires a Cat 6 LTE smartphone, which aren't sold in the UK currently (though you can import a compatible device from somewhere like Korea if you're so inclined). Faster 4G will come to more cities by the end of the year, allowing Vodafone to increase its lead over EE, which is currently conducting closed testing of its own LTE-A service.
AT&T's new travel plans let you text as much as you want
AT&T's international cellphone plans have become more affordable over time, but they've still been wildly expensive in some cases -- besides the low data caps, even frequent texting can cost a lot of money. Things just got a little more reasonable with the carrier's new Passport plans, however. The smartphone add-ons still ask you to pay between $30 to $120 per month for a paltry 120MB to 800MB of data, but they now include unlimited SMS messaging and WiFi service (on Android and iOS) in the bargain. In short, you won't run into any nasty overage fees simply because you got into a deep text conversation or uploaded too many vacation photos through one of AT&T's hotspot partners. These new one-time tiers are available now, and regular Global plans have received a matching upgrade if you routinely venture abroad. [Image credit: Shutterstock]
AT&T adds new Passport international roaming plans
AT&T Wireless customers planning on traveling out of the country soon should take a look at the company's new international roaming plans. Called Passport, the plans offer unlimited messaging and Wi-Fi, "affordable" calling rates, and data for a 30-day period. The packages start at just US$30 for the basic Passport plan. That covers the aforementioned unlimited messaging and Wi-Fi, provides calling at $1.00 per minute, and 120 MB of data, with an overage charge of $0.25 per MB. If you plan on using additional data or making more voice calls, the $60 Passport Plus plan drops the cost of calling to $0.50 per minute and bumps the data cap to 300 MB (overage charge of $0.20/MB applies). For those who want to talk a lot and do some surfing on the side, the Passport Pro plan tops out at $120 with $0.35 per minute international calling rates, 800 MB of data, and an overage fee of $0.15 per MB. While those rates and the included data amounts don't seem all that generous, the Passport plans are much less expensive than using AT&T's pay-per-use rates. Those are $0.015/KB in Canada, $0.0195/KB for the rest of the world. That's about $15.36 per MB in Canada and $19.96 per MB on the rest of the planet.
Sprint offers free international WiFi calls for your next overseas jaunt
There's just enough time to pop off for a far-flung holiday before summer ends, and Sprint's trying to make calling home from Guangzhou a little easier. The canary-hued carrier announced the other day that it's launching free international WiFi calling for a handful of compatible Android smartphones. For better or worse, some older hardware is getting the nod first: Samsung's Spark-friendly Galaxy S 4 will get the update before the ten other devices capable of making WiFi calls. Curiously enough, the name Sprint chose is actually sort of a misnomer. Yes, you can gab with your folks back home over WiFi, but you can fire off messages free of charge too. Just remember that it's only WiFi calls to the US from abroad that don't cost anything -- WiFi calling Bangkok from the States will hit your wallet, as will international Wi-Fi calls to non-US numbers. Got it? Good.
EE expands 4G roaming to 14 more countries, but the USA's still MIA
EE has today announced a fresh batch of countries its customers can take advantage of 4G roaming in, after starting out in France and Spain earlier this year. It's a diverse list, with 4G now available in several other European destinations (Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Moldova, Russia), as well as Canada, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and from tomorrow, South Korea. The USA is the only country absent from the list that EE said would be added by summer, but the network is promising to reach "all major travel destinations" by year's end. While the carrier might be making progress towards this goal, it's still using the tiresome model of selling capped data bundles to travellers. O2 and Vodafone, on the other hand, let you take your normal allowances abroad for a small fee, and Three being Three, provides the same service for free.
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.
Exploring Asia with T-Mobile's free global roaming
On a mild fall day last October, I attended a free Shakira concert in New York City, along with thousands of screaming fans and T-Mobile customers. The occasion? T-Mobile's Un-carrier 3.0 event, where CEO John Legere announced a shockingly generous benefit for Simple Choice customers. Anyone on a $50-and-up monthly plan would have access to unlimited data and texting in more than 120 countries around the world. As a frequent traveler, I was ecstatic -- I spend hundreds of dollars on local SIM cards or roaming products every year -- but as with anything that sounds too good to be true, there was a catch here.
Vodafone's WorldTraveller makes roaming cheaper in eight expensive countries
Vodafone's decided to do away with itemised roaming charges in eight far-away countries, today announcing that customers will be able to use their existing voice, text and data allowances in the USA, India, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Ghana, Qatar and South Africa for £5 per day. This WorldTraveller add-on complements Vodafone's existing EuroTraveller offering, which covers allowances in numerous European countries for £2 per day (£3 after August 31st). However, both bundles fall noticeably short of Three's Feel at Home service, which offers free roaming in 16 countries, although Vodafone does cast a wider net than its rival. To opt-in, pay monthly customers can dial 5555 when they touchdown in any supported country, and they'll only be charged for days they use the phone.
Europe's next roaming charge cut comes into force on July 1st
From July, anyone travelling in any of the EU member countries with their smartphone will enjoy a few less numbers on their bill. As part of new roaming caps coming into effect next week, the European Commission has cut the price of data downloads by 55 percent. This means the most you'll pay for a megabyte is 20 cents instead of 45. As promised by the Commission's VP Neelie Kroes, the new price caps will also drop call charges by 21 percent to 19 cents per minute, while receiving calls will be reduced to 5 cents per minute. Text message costs are down 25 percent to 6 cents, but it's the lower cost of data roaming that's the banner announcement, meaning smartphone owners can safely sneak in a quick tweet or Instagram upload while they're making their way across Europe. Some customers, like those on Three in the UK, can bypass charges completely by way of free roaming plans, but for those who find themselves in an unsupported country, the new rates could lighten possible bill shocks in the future.
Three extends free roaming to France and four other countries
Not content with offering free roaming to customers travelling in the US and other far-away locales, Three has extended its Feel At Home service to five countries a little closer to home. From July 1st, Three customers can enjoy data, text and calls at no extra charge when they visit France, Switzerland, Israel, Finland or Norway. That takes the operator's total tally up to 16 countries and throws shade on rival roaming plans, which have come down in price but still require customers to add travel bolt-ons to their existing tariff. Calls to non-UK numbers will incur a charge but Three makes Feel At Home available to anyone on its network -- perfect for uploading Instagram selfies from the beach or sharing Vines by the side of the pool.
KnowRoaming review: This SIM 'sticker' makes it easy for travelers to save on data
Thanks in no small part to T-Mobile's free global data initiative, US carriers have begun to lighten the fee load when it comes time to roam. But you'll still pay an arm and a leg in many countries, and discounted plans from AT&T and Verizon, while more reasonable than they once were, require a monthly subscription that can be a hassle to add and remove. If you're expecting to use gobs of data abroad, KeepGo's disposable-SIM program is probably your best bet, but an intriguing alternative from KnowRoaming will keep leisure travelers and other casual users connected in 220 countries without the need to worry about coming home to an enormous bill. That solution, an incredibly thin card with passthrough leads and an adhesive back, simply sits atop your existing SIM, springing into action whenever you arrive in a foreign country. Join me as I travel to Europe and beyond to see how well this sticker works.
Sprint's partnering with smaller carriers for coast-to-coast LTE coverage
Instead of building its own coverage infrastructure in areas where the deer and antelope play, Sprint is teaming up with smaller carriers to create a cross-country roaming network. At its conference tomorrow, the Competitive Carrier Association (CCA) is expected to announce the launch of its Data Access Hub and a partnership with Sprint, which will create a coast-to-coast 4G network that's comprised of many smaller regional networks that are all stitched together. As CNET tells it, this could give Sprint (and possibly T-Mobile, should it join) customers access to rural data networks -- areas that are typically dead zones -- and those on the rural networks would gain access to urban LTE coverage; the street would go both ways here it seems. The CCA's president, Steve Berry, says that the reasoning behind the shift is simple: it'd take billions of dollars and several years for the Now network or the magenta carrier to build their own rural coverage areas to rival the likes of AT&T and Verizon. This move could help level the playing field for the smaller carriers, he says, and possibly provide a better experience for pretty much everyone involved. [Image credit: Rennett Stowe / Flickr]
EE takes 4G roaming to France and Spain, more destinations to follow
If you're an EE customer, and reading this on the 12:15 from St Pancras International, then you can continue to do so -- over 4G -- once you emerge from the tunnel without it costing you un bras or une jambe. That's because the UK network has just announced it's offering 4G roaming in France and Spain. EE states that you'll be able to get 100MB of 4G roaming data for £3, which is probably less than the price of a Eurostar coffee. While the deal covers just the two countries at the moment, EE states that this is the beginning of a broader scheme that will see similar agreements in the USA, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands just in time for your summer holiday.
AT&T expands LTE roaming to 13 more countries
Mobile World Congress is in Spain, which is lucky, because today's the day that AT&T allows its users to use LTE while they're there. Following the deal with Rogers in Canada, 'Ma Bell has pushed out a list of 13 countries, including Japan, Russia and South Korea, where road warriors can now suck down super-fast data in peace. In order to make sure you're not going over on your plan, the the company has also launched a new travel app for iOS and Android devices that'll alert you if you get close to your cap. Someone should have brought MWC forward by a fortnight -- that way everyone could have used LTE while during the Winter Olympics.
T-Mobile's eSIM eliminates roaming charges for connected devices in US and Canada
Don LaFontaine: In a world where everything can connect to the Internet, one thing stands in the way of always-on communications: roaming charges. When your car, watch or blood sugar monitor is constantly transferring data to and from the cloud, you have to be concerned with where you go. These sorts of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications (sometimes obnoxiously referred to as "the internet of things") bring convenience but also their own set of unique problems. T-Mobile's eSIM addresses at least one (extremely narrow) sliver of those issues by eliminating roaming costs when moving between the US and Canada. The carrier gives the example of a trucking company that could easily rack up $2,400 in roaming charges per-year, per-truck thanks to navigation, email, tracking software and vehicle diagnostics. By building eSIM into its systems, even a company with a relatively small fleet of big rigs could save hundreds of thousands a year. Obviously though, that's just the start. Future medical implants that keep doctors abreast of changes in a blood sugar or pressure could also rack up steep roaming fees if the patient is a frequent traveler. T-Mobile is making eSIM available to businesses today and it's compatible with "multiple international carriers" right out of the box. While wandering between the US and Canada certainly limits its appeal at the moment, support in other countries will be announced over the course of the year.
KnowRoaming's international sticker SIMs begin shipping to backers today
KnowRoaming, the company behind the roaming SIM "stickers" that popped up on Kickstarter last year, has begun shipping its device to the first 500 backers. The $35 pre-order kit, which includes a SIM sticker and a single-use applicator, enables international roaming at rates far lower than what you'd normally get with your carrier (unless, of course, you're using a Simple Choice plan with free global data from T-Mobile). What makes KnowRoaming unique, however, is a design that integrates with your existing SIM. Once you attach the sticker to your carrier-issued card, your unlocked smartphone will detect when you've traveled abroad, switching your device over to a partner network. Current rates range from 13 cents per MB of data, 9 cents per minute of talk time and 16 cents per text in the UK, to a whopping $34.80 per MB, 27 cents per minute and $1.07 per SMS in Chad (though most countries offer tariffs at the cheaper end of the spectrum). CEO Gregory Gundelfinger plans to ship between 25 and 50 sets each day, so if your sticker isn't in this initial batch, you can expect to have it at your door soon. Update: KnowRoaming is currently in beta, and while data may work all the time, you should expect to experience some hiccups. If you absolutely need to be connected during your travels, we'd recommend using a service like Keepgo, which we've found to be both affordable and reliable, especially if you plan to consume large amounts of data.
Canada's Wind Mobile offers unlimited US roaming for $15 extra per month
Canadians frequently have to pay through the nose to use their phones in the US; at best, they'll get a paltry 50MB of data per day. They won't have that problem for long, though, since Wind Mobile is launching an unlimited US roaming plan on February 3rd. For $15 extra per month, subscribers will get to use as much data, text messaging and voice as they like while visiting their American neighbors. This isn't as sweet a deal as T-Mobile USA's free basic data, but it's still a huge bargain for traveling Canucks who'd rather not deal with an outrageous phone bill when they get home.
