International Travel – Be Aware of Data Roaming When You Travel Abroad

data roaming

Are you planning a holiday abroad? Do you have the habit of posting pictures on various social sites like Facebook, Instagram, etc. to make your friends jealous? If yes, then you should be aware about how to avoid data roaming charges while you are on an international trip?

Mr. David Jones, a resident of Canada went on a holiday and had a terrible experience due to data roaming costs. He went to Singapore for a holiday with his family. During the trip, he clicked pictures of the places visited and posted the same on his Facebook account and shared them with extended family members on WhatsApp and Viber. He also happened to check some of his clients emails and downloaded few attachments. However, after returning from the vacation, Mr. Jones could not believe his eyes as he received a mobile bill of $1000.

Since billing is not done on a real time basis, he was not aware of his usage and hence used more data than he intended to, thereby resulting in a huge bill amount. Therefore, considering the case of Mr. David Jones, it is strongly recommended to not turn on data while on roaming. Check the following ways how to avoid data roaming charges.

Use data in free Wi-Fi zones

While on international roaming, It is a wise decision to look for places which offer free Wi-Fi like bus stops, cafes, etc. Also those travelling to smart cities like Barcelona and Amsterdam will find using data very easy as these cities offer free Wi-Fi access across a wide range of streets.

Local SIM: Travellers’ best option

Taking a local SIM is certainly the most suitable option as the user not only gets a local number, which facilitates local calling but also data package can be taken by bearing some extra cost.

If you are travelling to Singapore, you may opt for a prepaid SIM card from SingTel. Popularly known as ‘hi!card’, the Sim card can be purchased by paying $8 and comes with a validity of 90 days.  A SIM card with data will cost you about $15-$30 which includes 100 GB data, along with the facility of making cheap calls and SMS. These SIM cards are easily available at stores like seven eleven.

Likewise in Dubai, those who are on a short trip, may prefer Etisalat’s combo pack of 20 MB and 5 local SMS for a daily rental of AED 2.5. Travelers on long trips might find the monthly combo pack useful which offers 60 minutes of calls, 100 MB data, 1 GB social data pack to access Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, BBM and LinkedIn.

Kanika Sharma

Kanika Sharma works as a Content Developer at Ajura. For the past 5 years, she has been writing for various renowned blogs. Being an engineering graduate, her background allows her to connect with cutting edge technologies and relate them with real world scenarios.
 
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