With the global financial crisis hitting home and household and personal budgets under pressure you may find the time is right to review how you use your mobile phone, especially when travelling abroad.
Whilst the EU commission has succeeded in capping the mobile roaming charges applied by the major UK mobile networks in European Union member states, those networks have moved their focus to non EU destinations to recoup lost mobile roaming revenues. This means that whilst you enjoy cheaper outgoing and incoming calls in Europe compared with the past, you are still paying the extortionate rates outside the EU, especially in long haul destinations.
The following article is designed to guide you through the options of making sure you get the best value in Europe and to help you to avoid the heavy penalties of mobile roaming on long haul trips when you use your mobile phone.
Europe
In Europe it is now possible to use your mobile phone more cost effectively but you still pay to receive calls (approx 18 p/min) and also pay a premium to make outbound calls (approx 35 p/min). Text messaging is also still expensive and data charges remain high. The simplest solution for even greater savings despite the UK mobile network mobile roaming caps is to use a foreign a Global SIM card.
If you use a Global SIM card in your existing handset you will receive all your calls for FREE within the EU. Outgoing call rates are also reduced to around 30 p/min and text rates are cheaper at 12 p per text. The Global SIM card card can also be used in many other destinations to help avoid the higher roaming charges that the networks apply outside of Europe.
Pay-monthly mobile contracts can also help beat the reduced roaming charges in Europe. A French Pay-Monthly contract from 0044 will reduce call rates further in France to 20p/min and you can still aso receive calls for FREE.
USA
In the USA, for instance, a trip to Florida for some winter sun could see you paying over £1.00 per minute to make a call and around 80 p/min to receive a call. Pricing varies by network, but the basic facts are that you’ll pay a lot more compared to when you are in Europe. This is where the country specific solution comes into its own. The USA SIM, for instance, comes with a US number and allows you to make and receive calls from as little as 18 p/min, representing a huge saving compared to UK mobile roaming charges.
China
If you head east, let’s say to China, then the roaming rates increase even more. UK networks can get away with charging as much as £1.80 p/min to make a call and £1.20 p/min to receive a call so it makes sense to look for another more cost effective option. For real savings you should investigate a Chinese pre-paid or contract SIM. Call rates start from as little as 15 p/min to make a receive calls so the savings can be as much as 90% of what you’d normally pay with a UK SIM card.
Australia
If Australia is on your itinerary then there are local Australian SIM card solutions available in the same way that there are in the USA, but a Global SIM card will match those savings as well. So, if a UK number is important whilst you travel then the Global SIM card may well be a better solution for ‘down under.’
In conclusion, there are certainly many ways to save money when using your mobile aboard but it does pay to do some research first. What may be a good solution in one country may not be as suitable for other destinations. It also depends on the nature of your visit. If it’s for work or a gap year then a local number may be important so a local or foreign SIM is the answer. If your itinerary includes several destinations then a Global SIM card is usually going to be the most practical and cost effective solution.