Cell Phone Use when Studying Abroad

By Michelle Campbell

Image source: deemable.com

It’s hard to image a day without texting, calling, Instagramming or tweeting. Mobile phones have become a crucial part of everyday life. Students, especially, have fully embraced the mobile lifestyle. Based on research, there are three primary methods for using a mobile device while abroad: signing up for an international plan with a major U.S. carrier, purchasing a SIM card, or using Wi-Fi to communicate through mobile applications. These methods will help students stay connected during their study abroad adventure.

International Plans
Most major U.S. carriers, such as AT&T and T-Mobile, offer users an international plan they can use when traveling outside of the country. Most plans will work with the phone you currently own. Forbes.com has more information about international data plans along with comparisons between AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. 

SIM Cards 
Using a prepaid or international SIM card tends to be more cost effective than using an international plan through a U.S. carrier. You are able to choose from two SIM cards: a local SIM card and an International roaming SIM card. 

Local SIM Card

Purchasing a local SIM card is a popular choice for students who spend most of their time in the country their program is primarily held. These SIM cards can be purchased online or in-person from your study abroad location.  When making an online purchase, it is important to select a SIM for the country you will be studying in. 

International Roaming SIM Card 

An international roaming SIM card will allow you to call from almost any country. OneSimCard and TravelSIM are examples of international roaming SIM cards. This type of SIM card is beneficial if you have plans to frequently traveling outside of the primary study abroad country. 

General Information about SIM Cards 
Typically, when using a prepaid SIM card, you will receive a new phone number that is local to the purchase country. SIM cards do not work for every phone. You must have an unlocked GSM phone in order to use a SIM card. You want to unlock any mobile devices before boarding your international flight. Doing it abroad tends to be more difficult. 

If you don’t own GSM phone, you can buy an unlocked phone while abroad. Students generally choose to purchase inexpensive prepaid or pay-as-you-go phones upon arrival.
Carriers abroad often offer free texting or calling between phones they provide. Therefore, friends frequently purchase their phones from the same carrier to take advantage of those deals.

There are ways to add money to prepaid SIM cards when needed. Prepaid cards are available at the carrier’s retail store. Some carriers offer 2 or 3G worth of web data for smartphones. If interested in this option, you should speak with the carrier that provided the SIM card. 

Using Applications and Wi-Fi

Any phone with built-in Wi-Fi is able to use it when in a Wi-Fi hot spot. Most hotels/hostels, shops, and heavily populated locations, such as train stations, should have Wi-Fi. A little research can help determine if there is Wi-Fi in a specific location.

There are many phone applications you can use to communicate while using Wi-Fi.  Google Voice, Skype, and Talkatone are just a few among the long list of CBS News' top 6 picks. App Crawlr provides a more extensive list of applications. Students generally use these types of applications to communication with family and friends in the U.S. while abroad.  

Additional Tips
When taking a phone from the U.S. to a study abroad location the cellular data and data roaming must be turned off to avoid high data costs.

If you plan on purchasing a new phone and SIM card abroad, most U.S. carriers will let you deactivate your original phone plan for the length of the program. This is especially useful for those participating in a semester or yearlong program.

Speak with your U.S. carrier before unlocking a phone. If a device is on contract, the carrier may not allow it to be unlocked. If you decide to unlock it anyways through other means and the phone is damaged somehow, there is no guarantee that the carrier will be able to fix or replace the phone since the contract was breached. For example, there is a very strict policy for those that want to unlock an iPhone 6 that is still under a 2-year contract through AT&T.

References:

• Reardon, M. (2009). FAQ: Swapping SIMs to save big on calls abroad. Retrieved from Cnet: http://www.cnet.com/news/faq-swapping-sims-to-save-big-on-calls-abroad/
• Tobias, M. W. (2013). How to choose the best international cellular data plan. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcwebertobias/2013/11/25/how-to-choose-the-best-international-cellular-data-plan/

Have advice or experience with using a cell phone abroad? Feel free to leave a comment!