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Roaming on U.S. carriers
Verizon: $25 per each 100MB when Gobal Data feature is activated. Exorbitant calling rates.
AT&T:
T-Mobile: Simple Choice plans (postpaid-only which requires credit pull, but you can cancel anytime) include unlimited data roaming at 2G speeds in 120+ countries. Calls between any of these countries are $.20 /min.
Sprint: - For some reason its a bit complicated - https://www.sprint.com/landings/openworld/index.html - http://www.sprint.com/landings/international-value-roaming/ - http://support.sprint.com/global/pdf/support/BizMultiCountryDataPack.pdf
intlroam.sprint.com
 


International SIM cards

Google Fi
All plans include coverage in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Unlimited Plus and Flexible also come with data in 200+ international destinations, and 5G in select countries for supported Pixel and Samsung phones. Try Fi for free: Test our coverage to see how we keep you connected. Our 7⁠-⁠day trial works right on your phone alongside your current service.

Toggle Mobile:
Covers the U.S., many European countries (though not Italy or Belgium), and Australia. Rates from these countries are £.03 to all USA and UK phones both mobile and landline, £.03 to landlines and £.09 to mobiles in many other countries, £.06 to Israel landlines and £.15 to Israel mobiles. SMS to most (looks like all) countries is £.07. Data bundles start at £5 for 500 MB in the UK and £20 for 1GB in the other Toggle countries. Incoming calls are free in 20+ countries.

SIMs can be ordered online and shipped free to many countries. You automatically receive a free permanent U.K. number. Before each trip you must register online for a local incoming number in the countries you are travelling to, which activates the roaming plan and lasts 30 days at no cost. You can pay £5 a year to keep numbers permanently.

Golan Telecom:
The 99₪ unlimited talk/text/internet/international calling plan, which also gives you up to 2 virtual foreign numbers, also includes for many countries (not all have launched yet) unlimited global data roaming (6GB high-speed), incoming calls & texts, and calls & texts to Israel.

Alternatively, Golan also offers a ₪29 per day data-only roaming plan which gives 100MB a day in these countries (all have been launched). These roaming options can be very useful for foreigners regardless of whether they need Golan for Israel.


VOIP calling apps

Vonage Mobile: Free calls to US/CA, very cheap int'l rates (see link). Uses your real number for outgoing caller ID, and also for incoming calls if you are a tmobile/AT&T customer and activate ReachMe roaming in the app.

Google Hangouts: Uses your Google Voice number over VOIP. Free calls to US/CA, very cheap int'l rates (see link).


Local SIM cards

Israel: See wiki on this thread.

Global MiFi
FreedomPop $10/500mb
https://www.freedompop.com/worldwide


eSims

See PlatinumGuys post for more info.

Perhaps this is common knowledge, but I was just mindblown. In 60 seconds online, I was able to buy a data package in a different country from Airalo and install it on my iPhone - keeping calls on the primary Verizon SIM and data on the Airalo eSim.

FWIW, they offer 15GB in Israel for $15 - and you can buy more easily online if it runs out, but I don't know which network Annatel resells

Airalo promo code FOUNDERS30 for 30% off up to $7 (I don't benefit in any way)

Another vendor is https://esim.knowroaming.com, I guess you have to compare destination to destination.
https://esimdb.com is a great database for vendors in different locations.

« Last edited by Suave on September 19, 2023, 07:25:51 AM »

Author Topic: International Sim Discussion  (Read 161699 times)

Offline Moshe90

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #460 on: August 23, 2014, 10:40:52 PM »

Anyone have experience going international with T-mobile?
How fast is data? can I make free calls via magic jack using the free data?
was now for 3 weeks in Switzerland, france, Prague, Belgium , the calls are excellent , the data in Switzerland was quite fast, but in Belgium and France it worked very slow. That's my experience

Offline smart brit

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #461 on: August 23, 2014, 10:45:11 PM »
Anyone have experience going international with T-mobile?
How fast is data? can I make free calls via magic jack using the free data?
depending on each country and location in that country IME
In the UK it was perfect, in Israel perfect, Spain was a little slow, Gibraltar very slow, Portugal good, Switzerland perfect, Canada perfect, Germany perfect

Offline cozmohoot

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #462 on: August 23, 2014, 10:55:53 PM »
When you guys say quite fast and perfect, do you know the speeds? Or can you say if streaming video or maps loaded properly.

Offline nobiggy

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #463 on: August 23, 2014, 11:06:09 PM »
depending on each country and location in that country IME
In the UK it was perfect, in Israel perfect, Spain was a little slow, Gibraltar very slow, Portugal good, Switzerland perfect, Canada perfect, Germany perfect

i can make calls from magic jack to america for free?

Also thanks everyone for the feedback and info!

Offline cozmohoot

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #464 on: August 23, 2014, 11:26:54 PM »
i can make calls from magic jack to america for free?

Also thanks everyone for the feedback and info!
Last post looked like you know magic jack details, this post not. Either way, dunno about magic but the Vonage app allows calls over wifi/3g for free.

Offline nobiggy

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #465 on: August 23, 2014, 11:28:13 PM »
I know magic jack. However I heard that t mobile might charge you when you make calls over wifi or the like.

Offline MeirS

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #466 on: August 23, 2014, 11:29:41 PM »
Wiki?

Offline cozmohoot

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #467 on: August 23, 2014, 11:31:06 PM »
Tmobile can't charge if you only use their data. If you are on wifi with a tmobile phone I believe they give free calls to usa, without any app.

Offline smart brit

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #468 on: August 24, 2014, 07:37:47 AM »
Tmobile can't charge if you only use their data. If you are on wifi with a tmobile phone I believe they give free calls to usa, without any app.
depending what device and Sim card you have.
You need it to be capable of wifi calling

Offline nobiggy

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #469 on: August 24, 2014, 08:47:24 AM »
depending what device and Sim card you have.
You need it to be capable of wifi calling

I'm in canada using t mobile it gives me 3G on Rogers. However if enable LTE data on my iPhone it shows up that I am using LTE at top left of screen. Will I be charged?

Offline smart brit

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #470 on: August 24, 2014, 12:21:44 PM »
I'm in canada using t mobile it gives me 3G on Rogers. However if enable LTE data on my iPhone it shows up that I am using LTE at top left of screen. Will I be charged?
99.9% percent sure that not

Offline Yordai Dooma

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #471 on: August 24, 2014, 12:25:55 PM »
In case anyone was wondering, vestalink worked perfectly around the world as long as i had a good Internet connection.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #472 on: August 25, 2014, 06:25:06 PM »
99.9% percent sure that not
+1. I had the same thing and I was not charged.

Offline cozmohoot

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #473 on: August 25, 2014, 06:38:40 PM »
+1. I had the same thing and I was not charged.
Question is how fast the speeds actually were?
99.9% percent sure that not

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #474 on: August 25, 2014, 06:43:00 PM »
Question is how fast the speeds actually were?
I didn't run a speed test, but they were fast.

Offline scr

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #475 on: August 26, 2014, 05:51:39 PM »
Does anyone have any advice on how to get an ATT phone which is in contract unlocked?  Will they do me a courtesy in return for my many years of loyalty?  Etc, etc, etc?  Thus far they're asking for $240 to do it!

Offline smart brit

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #476 on: August 26, 2014, 09:10:24 PM »
Does anyone have any advice on how to get an ATT phone which is in contract unlocked?  Will they do me a courtesy in return for my many years of loyalty?  Etc, etc, etc?  Thus far they're asking for $240 to do it!
they are supposed (legally) to unlock the phone for free

Offline cozmohoot

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #477 on: August 26, 2014, 09:18:32 PM »
they are supposed (legally) to unlock the phone for free
+1. Usually you have to go a customer for around 3 months

Offline MeirS

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #478 on: August 26, 2014, 10:59:37 PM »
Does anyone have any advice on how to get an ATT phone which is in contract unlocked?  Will they do me a courtesy in return for my many years of loyalty?  Etc, etc, etc?  Thus far they're asking for $240 to do it!
Don't tell them you want to transfer, tell them you're going out of the country and want to be able to use your device with a different Sim.

Offline scr

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Re: International Sim Discussion
« Reply #479 on: August 27, 2014, 09:25:47 AM »
I'm going to HUCA.  FYI - the $240 was to buy out my contract.