Useful Phone and Sim Resources
Traveling abroad has become easier and more common than ever. Students around the world are finding educational opportunities in new places, which brings exciting opportunity, but also inevitable challenges.
Before heading overseas, one thing to consider is how you will communicate in a new place. International roaming and phone services are not readily available worldwide. Taking your existing mobile service with you when you travel can result in large phone bills if you are consuming data, texts and making calls domestically and internationally.
To avoid this, we recommend either ordering a sim card for the specific country you’re visiting if you’d like to use your existing phone, or purchasing an international mobile phone that allows you to make low cost calls, text, and data in your host country.
To learn more about the different options, please choose either our Unlocked Phones or SIM Cards pages for more information:
Use your own mobile phone - Activate a SIM card
When you study abroad, you need to adapt – and so does your phone. When you arrive at your destination, your cellphone might not work. If the cellphone does allow you to make calls, your wireless provider will likely consider those calls made within your host country as international roaming. Even minor usage while roaming may result in a massive bill.
You can still bring your phone, but like you, it will need a way to adapt to being so far from home. Often, the easiest way to stay connected is with a SIM card. Providers like campusSIMS in the United States and PhoneBox in Canada offer SIM cards that allow your phone access to a local phone number, eliminating the need for expensive international roaming charges.
While purchasing a SIM card for your phone can be as simple as finding an airport vending machine, be careful! In the United States, providers often require an expensive two-year wireless contract. Your best option is to find a provider ahead of time that offers flexible plans.
Buy a new mobile phone to suit your needs
Did you know that the US mobile phone companies use different technologies to most of the rest of the world, including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Asia? This means that your mobile won’t work when you get over there. Stay in touch for less with a US mobile for the duration of your stay in the USA. Check out our unlocked phone options for the best value solution.
Click the links above to purchase a SIM card or unlocked mobile phone instantly, or to get more information.