Need a good solution for cell phone and internet service that I can use in Europe, the US and Martinique.
May 11, 2011 12:53 PM Subscribe
Need a good solution for cell phone and internet service that I can use in Europe, the US and Martinique.
I live part-time in the U.S. and part-time in Martinique and spend 1-2 months in Europe. I need a good solution for cell phone and internet service that I can use in all of these places. I am thinking about ATT iPhone and MiFi, but wondering if the data charges abroad will kill me. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
I live part-time in the U.S. and part-time in Martinique and spend 1-2 months in Europe. I need a good solution for cell phone and internet service that I can use in all of these places. I am thinking about ATT iPhone and MiFi, but wondering if the data charges abroad will kill me. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Best answer: There isn't a single solution for what you want to do.
Getting an iPhone from AT&T would be the most expensive thing you can do since they're locked to AT&T and so you could never swap out sims in other countries. So you'd be stuck with $20/mb a la carte data. Or a plan for $200/mth for 200 mb. Your AT&T bills will look like car payments for very casual use. The current baseband for iPhone 4 can't be unlocked via jailbreak.
Instead get an unlocked GSM phone and use prepaid SIMs wherever you go for voice. You can do the same thing with an unlocked mifi and data.
If you must get an iPhone, buy an unlocked one in Europe which you can use on any network. I've found that carriers will have the micro SIM at their own stores (not in a random shop). You can also get prepaid data. In the US go to tmobile and get an account from them since AT&T will see an iPhone on the network and may want you to get an iPhone plan.
Regardless of what you buy make sure it is unlocked the first hint is the phone will cost 100+ $/€ more than the carrier attached.
Currently I use my iPhone for data via its wifi and my mifi like device. I also have an Internet enabled phone that I can do light browsing. I travel most in Mexico and I pay 42 pesos for (about $3) for 200mb in 24 hours. That would cost me $4000 from AT&T a la carte.
Google Voice has a lot of promise but it is US. You can get a google voice number in the US and have it forward to you but you'll pay the per minute charge for the international call. Plus google voice SMS doesn't work international either. And you are still stuck consuming data/minutes when abroad.
posted by birdherder at 3:06 PM on May 11, 2011
Getting an iPhone from AT&T would be the most expensive thing you can do since they're locked to AT&T and so you could never swap out sims in other countries. So you'd be stuck with $20/mb a la carte data. Or a plan for $200/mth for 200 mb. Your AT&T bills will look like car payments for very casual use. The current baseband for iPhone 4 can't be unlocked via jailbreak.
Instead get an unlocked GSM phone and use prepaid SIMs wherever you go for voice. You can do the same thing with an unlocked mifi and data.
If you must get an iPhone, buy an unlocked one in Europe which you can use on any network. I've found that carriers will have the micro SIM at their own stores (not in a random shop). You can also get prepaid data. In the US go to tmobile and get an account from them since AT&T will see an iPhone on the network and may want you to get an iPhone plan.
Regardless of what you buy make sure it is unlocked the first hint is the phone will cost 100+ $/€ more than the carrier attached.
Currently I use my iPhone for data via its wifi and my mifi like device. I also have an Internet enabled phone that I can do light browsing. I travel most in Mexico and I pay 42 pesos for (about $3) for 200mb in 24 hours. That would cost me $4000 from AT&T a la carte.
Google Voice has a lot of promise but it is US. You can get a google voice number in the US and have it forward to you but you'll pay the per minute charge for the international call. Plus google voice SMS doesn't work international either. And you are still stuck consuming data/minutes when abroad.
posted by birdherder at 3:06 PM on May 11, 2011
Best answer: Oh. Check out expansys for unlocked phones and mifi devices And there are a few phones out there that can have 2 SIM cards at the same time.
posted by birdherder at 3:14 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by birdherder at 3:14 PM on May 11, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks so much for the excellent responses!
posted by traceymariel at 7:45 AM on May 18, 2011
posted by traceymariel at 7:45 AM on May 18, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
get google voice number that forwards your calls to what ever number you have for the country you are in.
swap sims when you are in whatever country,
done.
Result - one world wide number no unexpected bills
posted by kanemano at 1:03 PM on May 11, 2011