Travel Technology - New Verizon Data Roaming Rates

http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2012/04/pr2012-04-17s.html

$25/100MB, while better that what it used to be, is still insanely outrageous.
http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2012/04/pr2012-04-17s.html

I don't know. Compared to prepaid, absolutely. Compare it to the roaming options. It is cheaper than abroadbad, MaxRoam, etc. It is also better than ATT's comparable plan. It is may or may not be cheaper than iPhoneTrip depending on usage patterns (and assuming al countries are covered by Verizon).

If you go to the thread about what is going to replace the Blackberry, people are linking to a piece about a British tech writer who got a $1,600 data roaming bill using his iPhone in the US. he used 70 Meg's of roaming data. With this plan, he would have paid $25 Meg's and had data to spare.

I have iPhone unlimited International so my discussion is theoretical, but our holiday this summer is a driving trip through the Benelux plus FR, and DE. We also have a day trip to Jersey. The prepaid route wouldn't be practical here. I won't be in any place long enough. I need a roaming data package of some sort. Perhaps one of the Vodafone carriers will have a summer roaming special again Three isn't in most of the places I am visiting. Buying a new SIM and data package in these countries isn't a great deal. I have a contract SIM with Orange UK (OVP Virgin). Adding a roaming package to this might come close thanks to the new EU mandates, but it isn't great. I have a contract SIM (Flex Data for Tablets), but Telus is proudly proclaiming reduced roaming rates of CN$5 per meg. ATT's plan is double Verizon's, but I presume they will bring it down to match.


I actually think Verizon's plan isn't that bad

Addendum: compare it to this Vodafone plan:

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/personal/price-plans/managing-my-costs/travelling-abroad/using-the-internet-abroad/index.htm

I agree Stu, however these crooks need to reduce the price more. Just returned from Nigeria last week. I spent 2 weeks there. I used a local sim with my USB modem. But, to cover the occasional data usage on my Iphone, I added the $25/50MB (yeah, half of what's included in the verizon deal). I only used about 6 MB though. OTOH, on my local MTN Nigeria sim, I signed up for an approx $12/1GB package. Yes, that's how cheap data is with a local sim.


Having said all that, I hope AT&T matches the verizon plan. LOL!

I don't know. Compared to prepaid, absolutely. Compare it to the roaming options. It is cheaper than abroadbad, MaxRoam, etc. It is also better than ATT's comparable plan. It is may or may not be cheaper than iPhoneTrip depending on usage patterns (and assuming al countries are covered by Verizon).

If you go to the thread about what is going to replace the Blackberry, people are linking to a piece about a British tech writer who got a $1,600 data roaming bill using his iPhone in the US. he used 70 Meg's of roaming data. With this plan, he would have paid $25 Meg's and had data to spare.

I have iPhone unlimited International so my discussion is theoretical, but our holiday this summer is a driving trip through the Benelux plus FR, and DE. We also have a day trip to Jersey. The prepaid route wouldn't be practical here. I won't be in any place long enough. I need a roaming data package of some sort. Perhaps one of the Vodafone carriers will have a summer roaming special again Three isn't in most of the places I am visiting. Buying a new SIM and data package in these countries isn't a great deal. I have a contract SIM with Orange UK (OVP Virgin). Adding a roaming package to this might come close thanks to the new EU mandates, but it isn't great. I have a contract SIM (Flex Data for Tablets), but Telus is proudly proclaiming reduced roaming rates of CN$5 per meg. ATT's plan is double Verizon's, but I presume they will bring it down to match.


I actually think Verizon's plan isn't that bad

Addendum: compare it to this Vodafone plan:

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/personal/price-plans/managing-my-costs/travelling-abroad/using-the-internet-abroad/index.htm

I'm looking at a Panamanian SIM card for a trip for my wife data starts at $1a day unlimited and goes down from there if you buy a 1 week package. Forwarding a US number to Panama costs $0.07 a minute on my carrier (Voicetrading) with free incoming down there. ATT would charge $2 a minute with the $5.44 a month international roaming discount plan. Data is about $20 a meg.

The hotel wants $20 a day for internet. Guess which way we are going.

I can't remember what VZW offered me when I was forced off the intl global plan, but I think it was $40/250mb. I usually just go to the UK. I use T Mobile for 10 pounds a month. I can't remember my exact details but gives me unlimited data (says 2gb on paperwork but I've gone over, and employee said I wouldn't get charged, I haven't), 100 mins to the US, and I think 100 mins locally and some sort of text program, maybe a 250.

I can't remember what VZW offered me when I was forced off the intl global plan, but I think it was $40/250mb. I usually just go to the UK. I use T Mobile for 10 pounds a month. I can't remember my exact details but gives me unlimited data (says 2gb on paperwork but I've gone over, and employee said I wouldn't get charged, I haven't), 100 mins to the US, and I think 100 mins locally and some sort of text program, maybe a 250.

The difference is that I think your 250megs was absolutely everywhere, e.g. cruise ships, There are still excluded countries from this deal like the Bahamas which continues to charge six fortunes to roam there.

I don't have any proof of this other than a word of a sprint sales guy but I was told that sprint does have an unlimited international data addon for the iPhone that is only $40 per month. This is as of about 2 months ago. I was also told that just like on the old sprint international data plan that was available for the blackberry there shouldn't be any problem adding and removing it as needed. If this plan does exist it's an amazing deal. I will need to add it to my account mid July and will give it a try.

I can't remember what VZW offered me when I was forced off the intl global plan, but I think it was $40/250mb. I usually just go to the UK. I use T Mobile for 10 pounds a month. I can't remember my exact details but gives me unlimited data (says 2gb on paperwork but I've gone over, and employee said I wouldn't get charged, I haven't), 100 mins to the US, and I think 100 mins locally and some sort of text program, maybe a 250.

It's a shame that Verizon did this, not letting you stay on with a grandfathered feature. Sprint not only let's you keep the feature as long as you don't remove it but I've been able to successfully migrate it when upgrading to a newer blackberry. The only reason I still keep a blackberry with sprint is the unlimited international data.

It's a shame that Verizon did this, not letting you stay on with a grandfathered feature. Sprint not only let's you keep the feature as long as you don't remove it but I've been able to successfully migrate it when upgrading to a newer blackberry. The only reason I still keep a blackberry with sprint is the unlimited international data.

Lucky you. I go intl once or twice a month, that would come in handy.

Lucky you. I go intl once or twice a month, that would come in handy.

I have iPhone International from ATT and my wife has Blackberry International from ATT and feel the same way. I anticipate that they won't let us take it to LTE despite earlier promises that we could continue to upgrade our equipment and that there is no LTE roaming so the justification would be pretextual at this point. They tried this for a while with the HSPA+ upgrade and backed off.

I have iPhone International from ATT and my wife has Blackberry International from ATT and feel the same way. I anticipate that they won't let us take it to LTE despite earlier promises that we could continue to upgrade our equipment and that there is no LTE roaming so the justification would be pretextual at this point. They tried this for a while with the HSPA+ upgrade and backed off.

Yes, I actually dread iPhone updates at this point. I know I am going to have to decide whether it is worth it to attempt an upgrade and try to keep the grandfathered plan.