A Tip for Overseas Travelers: Leave Your Cellphones Home

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: Don Drake [don () drakeconsult com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 5:17 PM
To: David Farber
Subject: A Tip for Overseas Travelers: Leave Your Cellphones Home

Dave,

For IP.

Interesting column about using cell phones while out of the country....

-Don
--
Don Drake
www.drakeconsult.com<http://www.drakeconsult.com>
www.maillaunder.com<http://www.maillaunder.com>
312-560-1574
800-733-2143


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121735292432893795.html?mod=hps_us_editors_picks

A Tip for Overseas Travelers:
Leave Your Cellphones Home
July 29, 2008 3:26 p.m.

Anyone traveling abroad this summer must be reeling from shock. Places like Europe were expensive even in the old days. 
And that was before the Almighty Dollar had become the Yankee Peso.

But your biggest sticker shock may not come until you get home and open your cellphone bill.

Cellphones are invaluable when you travel. It's fantastic to know that folks back home can reach you if they need to, 
no matter where you are. Gone are the days when Americans in Paris had to visit the American Express office near the 
Opera to hear that Aunt Jane had died.

But using a cellphone overseas can be cripplingly expensive. The roaming charges are eye-watering. I remember getting 
stung once for a three-figure sum over a long weekend.

So if you are about to travel abroad this summer, here's a money-saving tip.

Leave your cellphone at home.

Instead, use the Internet to route calls to a local prepaid cellphone in the country you're visiting. This sounds 
complicated, but it's surprisingly easy and can save you a fortune. I am currently in London and I just set it up 
myself.

Here's how:

Step 1: Before leaving the U.S., open an account with a Voice over Internet Protocol provider such as Skype 
(skype.com), Gizmo Project (gizmo5.com), or Truphone (truphone.com). These allow you to make and receive phone calls 
cheaply over the Internet. I've used all three of these services: They all seem fine. I'm particularly impressed by the 
value offered by Gizmo and Truphone. There are plenty of alternatives, as well.

Your VoIP account should also come with an ordinary U.S. landline phone number, letting people call you from a regular 
phone. (You may have to pay a small amount for this number). Give this to those who may need to reach you, and leave it 
on your voicemail as well.

Step Two: When you arrive at your overseas destination, buy a cheap prepaid cellphone. In Europe you can pick up a 
working local mobile on any shopping street. (Incidentally, from my experience, doing it this way seems much easier 
than trying to order a cellphone in advance over the Internet).

Alternatively, you may be able to use your U.S. cellphone with a local SIM card. But the phone will need to be a model 
that works on overseas networks. And you will need to get your U.S. cellular provider to "unlock" it so that it will 
accept SIM cards from other companies. Contact your U.S. provider for details.

Step Three: Get onto the Internet, log in to your VoIP account, and set it up to redirect all calls to your new prepaid 
cellphone number. Most VoIP services have his facility.

The result? If someone back home wants to reach you, they can simply call the regular, 10-digit U.S. phone number 
associated with your VoIP account. Their call will then automatically be routed, cheaply, via the Internet to your new 
cellphone.

How much it will cost will depend on which services you use and where you are. But it is likely to be cents per minute 
rather than dollars. Folks back home will only pay for the U.S. leg of the call.

I've just started experimenting with this and so far it's working well. My Wall Street Journal cellphone remains -- 
switched off -- in my suitcase. (Yes, I'm saving Mr. Murdoch money.)

This is not a technology column, but I'm always looking for ways technology can help people save money. I'd love to 
hear from readers who have also made this work, or who have other suggestions along similar lines.

Write to Brett Arends at brett.arends () wsj com






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