Business Traveller offers tried-and-tested tips on getting more for your money. This month: communication
Pick the best network
When abroad, mobile phones automatically connect to the network with the strongest signal, which may not be the cheapest. Switch your settings to manual and choose the right provider for your contract – so if you’re an O2 customer, select its network.
Get a data bundle
If you need to use the internet on your phone abroad, invest in a “bolt-on” – Orange has daily (30MB for £3) or monthly (150MB for £50) bundles for customers travelling in Europe. Similar packages are available for making international calls. Set your emails to download text and not attachments, or costs will spiral. “Turn off app pushes,” says Nigel Turner, director of programme management, UK and Ireland, for Carlson Wagonlit Travel. “We have ours set to only pick up emails when you go into the account.” Some phones, such as Blackberrys, do not allow users to switch off the push function – in this case, turn off roaming completely and only connect using free wifi.
Find free hotspots
Whether you are at home or abroad, change your smartphone settings from data roaming to wifi and get to know where free spots are. Myhotspots.co.uk will trace your nearest options, including T-Mobile Hotspot and BT Openzone ones (you need to be signed up to a provider). The Cloud’s Fast Connect app (thecloud.net) locates free spots near you – it is free and available on 3G tablets, iOS, Android and Windows smartphones. Thousands of venues have signed up, including restaurants and rail stations.
Buy a local SIM card
If you travel to a country frequently, buy a local pay-as-you-go SIM and dongle. A German SIM from prepaidsimcard.org costs e30 and comes with 1,000MB of data usage. Tru (truphone.com) sells SIMs for international calls. A pay-as-you-go SIM with a UK number is £19.99, can be used in 220 countries and comes with £10 credit. It will cost 14p a minute to make a call in the US back to the UK and 10p per MB, while Orange pre-pay charges £1.10 a minute for calls and £8 per MB.
Use a phonecard
Pre-paid phonecards will often be the cheapest way to use local landlines, or even mobile phones, to make international calls. Cards generally cost £5, £10 or £20 and calls are charged at the local rate. Try 1st-phonecards.co.uk to find deals on a range of cards.
Get VoIP
A voice over internet protocol system allows you to make cheap calls over a computer network at home or work – you just need a landline and internet connection. Providers such as Gradwell can set it up. “Moving a small business to VoIP saves 20 per cent on phone calls,” says Peter Gradwell, its founder. International calls should be around 30 per cent cheaper, he adds. Apps such as Bria (from £5 on iTunes) can be downloaded to smartphones and synced with VoIP accounts to make cheap calls from mobiles, via wifi.
Try call apps
The benefits of using Skype are well known, but video call apps are also worth a try. Apple fans can use Facetime to make free video calls. Fring (fring.com) is a free app that can set up group calls on Apple, Android and Symbian devices – which Skype charges for. “Running video calls between iPads has been the most cost-effective video-conferencing [method] for us,” Gradwell says. “We
use a free app called VTOK [vtokapp.com], which we plug into our VoIP network.”
Avoid the hotel phone
Unless your hotel offers VoIP, use the phone only for pick-up calls – arrange for people to ring you at a pre-determined time.
Text, don’t call
Unlike calls, you will not pay to receive texts abroad. You could also try a free web-based text service such as cbfsms.com or sendafreesms.co.uk. VoIP services often offer free online texting.
Compare the costs
Search price comparison websites such as broadbandgenie.co.uk or broadbandchoices.co.uk for offers for businesses from internet providers such as Talk Talk and XLN Telecom.
Go for free hotel wifi
Hotel Indigo, Best Western, Radisson Blu and Four Points by Sheraton all offer free wifi in-room as standard. Some travel management companies negotiate this as part of the price. Turner says: “We’ve just launched our own value rates, which include things business travellers want – principally breakfast and wifi.”
Join loyalty schemes
Guoman and Thistle’s Signature programme offers members 30 minutes of free wifi every day from their first stay and unlimited wifi after 11 nights. Gold-level Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) and Hilton Gold HHonors members are entitled to unlimited free wifi.
Use serviced offices
If you work remotely a lot, serviced offices allow you to rent by the day or hour. Regus Businessworld (regus.co.uk) provides access to 150 UK offices for £15 a month, while £79 a month gets users access to 1,200 offices worldwide and £99 a month provides use of a private office. Wifi, local calls, printing and refreshments are included.
