Don’t let mobile data charges cut you off – use a wifi hotspot when you travel, says Steve Dinneen
Everyone has heard the horror stories – the girl who ran up £3,800 using Facebook on a trip to New York, or the couple on their honeymoon whose nest-egg was blown when their phone was stolen and used by thieves to browse the web. Roaming, and especially data roaming, can be a minefield – put a foot wrong and you can end up with some horrifying charges.
Enough people have been landed with outrageous mobile phone bills while travelling for the European Commission to step in. In July, the cost of outgoing calls within the EU was capped at about 21p (6p a minute to receive) and the cost for data was capped at around 39p per megabyte. Even better, phone companies are not allowed to charge more than £43 a month for data roaming unless you specifically ask for a greater allowance (after that, you’re on your own – don’t say you weren’t warned).
But don’t start Skyping willy-nilly just yet – these rules are only valid in the EU, and many operators are hiking international prices as a result. Politicians are trying to push through legislation to cap charges across continental boundaries but until then (and don’t hold your breath), if you step outside the EU, it’s open season on your mobile bill.
Price comparison website uswitch.com reckons a week’s worth of data usage outside Europe, including reasonable use of email, web and a small amount of video streaming, will cost almost £300 a week. Even voice calls can cost £1.50 a minute to make and receive (the same as UK premium-rate numbers) and texts around 40p.
To put the numbers into context: if you’re using Skype, a 20-minute session will use about 60MB of data for both upload and download. Depending on your contract, location and network provider (and there is little rhyme or reason to the way prices are set), you can easily top £5 per megabyte of data used.
At that price, that 30-minute chat to the folks back home would cost £450. If you were foolish enough to download an entire movie using mobile data (approximately 700MB for a low-quality version), the bill could be £3,500.
With mobile companies already experimenting with 5G connections fast enough to download a whole film in just one second, the possibilities for accessing content – and racking up humongous data bills – are mind-boggling (don’t fret too much, though – Samsung says 5G technology won’t be ready until at least 2020).
So what are your options? Well, you could join your hotel’s wifi network, but costs vary wildly.
Generally speaking – and somewhat unfairly – the more expensive your hotel, the more you’re expected to fork out for your in-room internet; often in the region of £15-20 a day (there are exceptions – chains including Best Western, Radisson Blu and Shangri-La offer free in-room wifi). If you’re only checking a few emails, £20 can work out more expensive than limited use of 3G.
The easiest way to avoid being stung is to switch data roaming off. You should also consider deactivating push notifications and auto-syncing, both of which silently leach data. And beware of turning your phone off and on again – some features may be reinstated without you realising.
But who wants to live in a communication vacuum when they’re abroad? We’re busy people and we need constant internet access.
Sensible regular travellers will consider investing in a pre-paid or fixed-cost wifi hotspot for data usage. This will allow you to connect your laptop or mobile to the net without running the risk of overspending. New models hitting the market this year are capable of connecting to 4G networks where available, allowing for super-fast downloads.
There are also apps designed to monitor how much data you are guzzling, helping to prevent nasty surprises when you get your bill through. For savvy mobile users, communicating while you’re away needn’t be a headache. Here are some top gadgets to help you rest a little easier.
1. GlobalGig
uk.globalgig.com
The Globalgig wifi hotspot is one of the best new devices on the market.
The gadget, which is the size and weight of a smartphone, allows you to connect up to five devices to its 3G hotspot and it works in 36 countries, including Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Sweden, the UK and the US. It offers a tiered payment system, so you can tailor how much data you need and how long for (30 days, three months or 12 months).
A 1GB limit on a 12-month contract will cost £21 per month, with the device thrown in free. For 5GB of data on a 12-month contract, the price goes up to £91 a month. If you’re only on a short trip, 1GB of data for 30 days will cost £39, with the device costing a one-off £50.
2. Monzoon World Flat
monzoon-worldflat.com
Monzoon World Flat is a nifty piece of software that allows you to connect your laptop, smartphone or tablet to the internet in more than one million locations, using a huge network of partnerships with wifi providers.
The service works in 111 countries, with good coverage in most major capital cities. Access to the software and/or app costs £34 a month and is easy to download from the Monzoon website (it is compatible with Windows, Android, iOS and Mac).
The interface is slick and easy to use, with an extensive map showing you where you can find the nearest hotspot. The drawback of any service relying on public wifi is that you run the risk of it cutting out at that crucial moment.
3. Goodspeed
uros.com/public/goodspeed.html
Goodspeed is a handsome, smartphone-sized (12.3cm x 6.3cm x 1.3cm) personal hotspot that uses local networks to make sure you don’t rack up gigantic roaming charges.
It offers connection speeds of up to 21.1MBps and upload speeds of 5.8MBps. Unlike other one-size-fits-all hotspots, the emphasis is on tailoring the device to your personal travelling schedule.
It has room for multiple SIM cards and you pick from a list of destinations around Europe, Asia, the US, South America, Africa and Australia. Up to three destinations costs e269, up to five e279 and up to nine e299.
Most destinations, from China to Liechtenstein, cost only e5.90 per day of internet usage (France is the exception at e9.90 per day), and the device will only charge you for a day’s use once it has been activated.
4. Novatel Wireless MiFi 2 Global 4G LTE Touchscreen Mobile Hotspot
nvtl.com
If you are a regular traveller to certain destinations, it is almost always cheaper to buy a local SIM. The problem is, most devices are locked to their native country and nobody wants to have to own a dozen devices and figure out which one works in each location.
This is where the Novatel Wireless MiFi2 comes in. The 4G LTE-enabled device is compatible with most major global networks – just buy a factory-unlocked version from amazon.co.uk, pick up a local SIM and slot it into the device for a fast, reliable connection at the same price you would get on a local deal.
It also has a nifty touchscreen display, which makes it the best-looking hotspot in its category. They retail for US$250, plus the cost of whatever local SIM deal(s) you pick up.
5. Verizon Jetpack
verizonwireless.com
If your number-one destination of travel is the US, the Verizon Jetpack (US$100 for the device) is a reliable, portable mobile hotspot that can connect up to ten wireless devices.
Within the US, a prepaid US$60 will get you 3GB of data for a month, which will be more than enough for a short stay unless you plan on watching or uploading a lot of video or viewing very large images. If the worst happens and you run out of credit, you can always top up again, safe in the knowledge you won’t be running up any nasty surprise bills.
The Jetpack can also be used for international roaming in more than 200 countries but you will have to sign up for a monthly contract, which will cost US$50 for 4GB of data, US$60 for 6GB, up to US$90 for 12GB while in the US, plus roaming charges of a frankly obscene US$20.50 per MB.
6. Clear Spot Voyager
clear.com
Business users who often work in the US and need to make sure they have access to super-fast internet should consider investing in a Clear Spot Voyager.
The US$50 device, which is about half the size of a smartphone and comes in a nice shade of blue, is a 4G-only connection for up to eight devices. It is available with two pricing plans: regular, which offers unlimited data and speeds capable of mobile gaming and heavy video use; or basic, which is also unlimited data but with slower speeds. They are priced at US$50 and US$35 a month respectively.
It won’t work while you are in any other country but when you’re in the US on that important trip, it won’t let you down. If you only need a connection for your laptop, rather than a tablet or smartphone, you can opt for the Clear Stick Atlas, a dongle that costs US$40 for the device and uses the same data contracts as the Voyager.
7. Tep
tepwireless.com
If your business tends to take you to Europe, you should consider investing in the Tep pocket wireless hotspot, an ultra-portable device that works in 18 countries across the continent, as well as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Unlike other devices that you buy, with Tep you simply rent the unit before you go away. The device with 150MB of data will cost you just £12 per day rising to £14 for 250MB data or £15.25 for unlimited data. Tep says the gadget will connect to the fastest network in the area (the firm has contracts with most major networks in the countries it operates in).
To get the device you can either arrange a delivery or, even better, pick it up and drop it off at Heathrow airport (all terminals) and London Paddington station.
8. Boingo
boingo.com
If you want global data without having to faff around with a separate portable wifi hotspot, consider Boingo. The service uses deals with native wifi providers to allow you to easily connect your smartphone or laptop to the net.
Boingo offers a host of pricing options. The Boingo Europe Plus package allows unlimited data usage across Europe, Africa and the Middle East for US$35 per month. The Boingo Global package offers worldwide data on any four devices, for up to 2,000 minutes, for US$59 a month.
Or if you just need wifi on your smartphone, you can get the Mobile package for US$8 a month, which allows unlimited data on any two mobile devices (not including laptops).
9. Roaming Angel from Orange
orange.com
If unexpected roaming charges are the devil then this free app could be the angel you’ve been looking for.
The handy application monitors how much data you have burnt through, and how much you have left. It will send push notifications when you hit certain milestones (when you spend £10, for example, or when you reach 25 per cent of your download limit).
The app attracted criticism in its early days for underestimating some customers’ data usage but updates seem to have solved the issues and recent feedback has been positive. If you’re an Orange customer who travels a lot, this app could save you a fortune.
10. My Data Manager
Apple App Store/Google Play
My Data Manager is another free app to help you keep tabs on your internet use. It features breakdowns of which apps are consuming most of your data, allowing you to better manage how you use your devices.
A map feature also plots where you have used your data most and various graphs show you your peak times of use, which are probably more for the “wow” factor than actually being useful.
You can also set alarms to alert you when you have passed a certain level of data.
