The best networks for mobile browsing abroad

With all the new smart phones out that are almost constantly connected to the internet, looking for updates to apps,checking for email, or many other features that they have. This can end up costing you a fortune, so we have taken alook at the best options for you data hungry travellers.

T-Mobile

Surfing on your phone, in countries in the EU will cost you 1.50 per megabyte (MB) of data, the equivalent of about15 of your holiday snaps being uploaded onto Facebook. This is if you are on holiday in Europe, whereas outside ofthe EU you can find yourself being charged 7.50 per MB of data, thats 50p per uploaded photo.

Vodafone

Vodafone offer a much more confusing service allowing you to pay for data at 2 a day for 25MB in selected EUcountries and 5MB in other countries in Europe. This would cost you about 14 if youre going away for a week, oryou can opt in to a contract add on for 10 a month where you get the same data usage a day. This is the best optionas you can opt out of the service after just one months usage.

If you havent opted in for data traveller it will cost you 1 per MB up to 5MB, then 5 for every 5 MBs used afterthat, if used in Europe. For everywhere else in the world it will cost you 3 a MB up to 5 MB and then 15 for every5MB after that. Confusing.

3

Three are less permitting when you are abroad and perhaps want to check the scores of your football team on yourmobile, costing between 1.28 and 10 per MB depending where you are and what data band you are under.Countries in the EU and selected other European countries come under band 1 costing 1.28 per MB.

Data Band 2 has countries such as Australia, USA, Cyprus and South Africa and will cost 3 per MB. Data Band 3covers all the other countries apart from the last seven and costs 6 per MB. Data band 4 has the se! ven coun triescosting a whopping 10 per Mb, thats a nugget for around 5 emails pushed to your phone, the seven countries onthis extortionate blacklist of data charges are; India, Thailand, Canada, Croatia, Kenya, Malaysia and Oman.

Orange

Orange has chosen to hide the different band and rates at which they charge, but you can find out what they chargefor the specific country you are visiting and is dependent on the cost plan you are on. What they also have in place,is a data limit of 16MB a month so that when you are travelling abroad, matter where you are in the EU you wontcome back to find 44 added to your bill for data usage. Seems like a nice touch, but since they make it hard toknow, Ill list a couple popular destinations and put their price with Orange.

Spain, France and various other EU countries 3 per MB
South Africa, Australia, Seychelles and other Tropical Destinations outside of the EU 8.

O2

The quite interesting data roaming rates from O2 are by far the easiest to understand, they charge 3.07 per MB inEurope and 6 per MB in the Rest of the world, but its not this that is the most interesting point. They have a 40charge limit for the month, but once you reach that, they will stop charging you and you can use up to 50 MB. It is alot of money, but if you are planning to use your phone a lot, then this option is by far the best as you will hit your40 limit after around 13 MB of data usage, and this service means you will get the next 37MB of data effectivelyfree of charge.

Conclusion

Data charges abroad are confusing, but aside from the frustratingly large charges for staying connected in a worldwhere it is demanded of us, there are some deals that are worth taking. Vodafones Data Traveller is by far thebest service, giving you a flat fee for the usage abroad, as long as you dont go over the data limit for each day.

Dee Bhasin is Product Manager at Sa! nctuary Spa Holidays.

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