| Have you ever traveled abroad for business
and had a crisis?
You've got lost. You've had something stolen. You've missed
a connection. You've fallen ill. No matter how big or small, avoiding the unexpected at
home is impossible. So the idea you can do it while you're abroad is obviously crazy.
When you've had a crisis while traveling internationally,
do you remember the feeling?
Suddenly your heart rate skyrockets and panic quickly
starts to take over. What do you do?
Back home the chances are that you'll call someone who'll
help solve your problem. But that's not easy to do when you're in a strange country.
So how do the business travel experts handle the
unexpected?
They always take a reliable, quality international cell
phone service with them. And it makes sense for you to copy them.
Here Are the 5 Most Popular Ways to Use Your Cell Phones
While Traveling Internationally:
1. Use Your Own Cell Phone Abroad — Tricky!
This sounds like the perfect option doesn't it. You don't
have to change your number and you already know how to use your cell phone. But there's a
problem — approximately 80% of US cell phones cannot work internationally due to
pesky mobile technological incompatibilities.
First, check with your carrier, but be ready for extra
charges. You may need to pay to upgrade your account and handset. You'll also have to pay
more for your calls. Plus, you might get people who don't know you're traveling abroad
calling you just to check in on their business account. And because you’ll have to
pay for incoming calls this will be expensive unless you don’t care about their
business and don't answer!
2. Rent A Cell Phone — Old News!
Don't do this. Sorry to be so blunt, but renting a cell
phone is outdated. You wouldn't think about renting a suitcase every time you traveled,
would you? This is no different.
For the cost to rent a cell phone for about 2 weeks, you
could easily have bought your own second international cell phone, and it's yours for
life, ready for every future business trip you take.
3. Buy Local SIM Cards — Hidden Expenses!
Buying your own cell phone is a better value for your
money. However, there are 3 methods you can use. The first uses "local SIM
cards". You'll need a different local SIM card for each country you visit.
With local SIM cards you pay in advance for talk time, and
then you keep buying extra talk time to keep your service active.
The problem with local SIM cards is they can be expensive
to buy (e.g. the local SIM for Germany will cost you $60, and that's without a cell phone,
and before you've made calls). You run the risk of getting cut off during an important
call with a client or your boss if you run out of talk time. And you won’t be able to
find anywhere to buy more time immediately. Plus, your cell phone can only use one
carrier's network in each country, so you may not have great reception everywhere.
4. Buy A Global Call Back SIM Card — Questionable
Quality!
You can use this SIM card in lots of countries, but like
local SIM cards, you still have the hassle of pre-paying for your talk time with the
threat of getting cut off during an important business call. But this is not the main
headache, Global Call Back services use a complicated dialing system…
First, you call an access number and enter your Pin number.
Then you're prompted to enter the number you want to dial. Then you hang up. Then you're
called back and connected to the number you originally wanted to call. Just to place a
quick call!
But here's the real killer. Because it uses an extra
connection in the middle, it can really damage the quality of your calls, so you can't
always be sure you'll even be able to make your very important money making phone call.
5. Buy A Global Direct-Dial SIM Card — Best Quality!
Travel experts love this method! You get global coverage on
1 cell phone number. It's easy to use because it uses standard direct dialing like your
home phone unlike the complicated call back system above. And your service is continually
active whenever you need it so you'll never get cut off.
And most importantly, you get the best cell phone call
quality. It automatically chooses the strongest cell phone signal of all the carriers in
the area. It's the equivalent of your US cell phone being able to choose between
Cingular/AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Nextel and Sprint for the strongest signal every
time you make a call, so the quality is always the best.
And quality is obviously the most important feature of a
cell phone service for the successful international business traveler! |
