Re: A Tip for Overseas Travelers: Leave Your Cellphones Home

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: David Chessler [chessler () usa net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:21 PM
To: David Farber
Subject: Fwd: [IP] A Tip for Overseas Travelers: Leave Your Cellphones Home

I disagree with this advice. If you have an unlocked GSM 3- or 4-band
cellphone from T-Mobile or AT&T, you can get a local chip in any country and
spend much less on local calls or in-europe calls.

AT&T does not willingly unlock its cellphones when last I checked, but there
are many people on the internet, including David Rowell, who will unlock them
for you.

I used a 3-band cellphone that I in England a few years
ago, and the Virgin Mobile English chip still seems to work -- and worked in
France last year.

International calls may be cheaper on the internet or by using a call-back
service.  But Email is even cheaper.

------ Original Message ------
Received: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:24:58 PM EDT
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
To: "ip" <ip () v2 listbox com>
Subject: [IP] A Tip for Overseas Travelers: Leave Your Cellphones Home


________________________________________
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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