T-Mobile introduces Tourist Plan for visitors to the US
Before traveling to a different country you should think about how much it will cost to use your smartphone there. Chances are you will be sharing photos with your friends, checking out places to visit, getting directions, talking to the family, and so on -- and those things are typically not included or covered entirely in your plan. So, what can you do?
Roaming is the comfortable option, but it can be a very expensive affair. Ideally, you would find an affordable local plan that gives you enough minutes and data traffic, and swap out your SIM as soon as you arrive. If you plan on visiting the US anytime soon, T-Mobile has introduced a plan that might just offer what you need to enjoy your trip.
The new Tourist Plan gives you access to T-Mobile's voice and data services in the US for three weeks. It includes 1,000 minutes for calls within the US, unlimited texting to US numbers and more than 140 countries and, probably most importantly, unlimited mobile data too. The cost? You will have to pay $30 for the aforementioned benefits.
There is a caveat regarding unlimited mobile data, and that is only the first 2GB are offered at 4G LTE speeds. After that limit is passed, you will have 2G wireless connectivity. Based on my experience, this easily beats roaming, because you will not get additional charges from the extra data traffic if you happen to need it.
Oh, and in case T-Mobile's data coverage is spotty, there is also 200MB of roaming data within the US. T-Mobile says that you will get a notification before reaching that limit, but you will not be able to buy more though.
To activate the Tourist Plan, you will have to be in the US and visit any of T-Mobile's stores or "some" dealers that offer T-Mobile pre-paid services. You will also need an unlocked smartphone, but if that is not the case T-Mobile will happily sell you one. A SIM card is provided free of charge.
Other things that you should know are listed in the Tourist Plan FAQ, which you can find here.
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