Beat Huge Wireless Roaming Charges When Abroad

Oct. 22, 2011— -- Frequent business traveler Chris Ritterhern remembers racking up a $1,700 bill while using his iPhone and BlackBerry during three weeks in Spain, France and England a couple of years ago.

Ritterhern, an executive management consultant in Laguna Hills, Calif., says wireless carriers' roaming charges abroad for voice calls, text messaging and data streaming are "brutal and excessive."

The European Union has imposed limits on roaming charges the past two years. However, charges still exist there and in other places around the globe. And, like Ritterhern, many travelers return from foreign countries to be startled by their wireless bills. With a bit of planning, though, there are many ways travelers can avoid exorbitant roaming charges abroad.

"They are a license to steal," says Long Island-based frequent traveler Alan Intrator, the president of a company that provides credit card processing referrals.

"Someone sent me a photo when I was in South Africa last November and, $55 later, (it) was downloaded into my BlackBerry. I saw Sprint laughing all the way to the bank."

International plans

Wireless carriers say customers can cut costs by subscribing to their international plans, which offer reduced rates for voice calls, text messaging and data streaming.

AT&T, for example, charges a "standard international roaming rate" of $1.39 a minute for wireless phone calls made or received in France. Subscribers to AT&T's World Traveler program — who pay $5.99 a month for reduced rates in more than 150 countries — pay 99 cents a minute in France.

AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel says customers should always call AT&T before traveling to discuss where they're going and their expected phone use. He says the company "almost always" recommends an international plan that can save hundreds of dollars.

But Mark Spoonauer, editor in chief of Laptop magazine, www.laptopmag.com warns travelers against jumping at wireless carriers' international plans.

"Even if you sign up for your service provider's international calling plan, you can still wind up paying through the nose," he says.

Per-minute rates in international plans vary by country and are often expensive, he says. Subscribers also are saddled with a monthly fee.

AT&T's Siegel says consumers have plenty of choices. But, he says, "If they want to be assured of dependable worldwide coverage, we offer a great alternative."

Wireless carriers' international plans for text messages also are no bargain, Spoonauer says.

AT&T's international plan charges $10 a month for 100 text messages. Non-subscribers pay 25 cents to send a text message and 20 cents to receive one.

Managing roaming charges

Spoonauer suggests these strategies to keep roaming charges abroad low:

•Consider using Truphone, XCom Global or Tep Wireless.

Truphone's Tru SIM international cards let you place a roaming SIM (subscriber identity module) card inside your GSM (global system for mobile communications) phone, a wireless technology standard used by AT&T and T-Mobile. With a basic Tru Essential plan, which costs $30 a month, you get 100 minutes to use in the USA, Britain, the Netherlands and Australia. Each additional minute costs 10 cents to 20 cents. Data costs are as low as 10 cents a megabyte, depending on the plan.