AT&T unveils “ridiculous” iPhone roaming plans

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 01 September 2008 19:07

Your IT - Mobility

AT&T has demonstrated yet another reason why Apple should set the iPhone 2G and 3G free, giving users the freedom to insert their own SIM cards when travelling internationally, rather than being forced to choose between two plans which can reduce bill shock but are still expensive.

Bill shock from overseas roaming with any mobile phone is a horrid thing, whether clocked up via voice calls or even more expensive data roaming charges which can actually make voice roaming seem almost cheap in comparison. Almost.

When the iPhone was first launched, users who travelled overseas came back to bill shock of thousands of dollars, of which a large part was for data roaming.

Part of the problem is that the iPhone, according to an article at Computerworld, uses ’10 times the data’ of competing smartphones, with anyone ever having used an iPhone and its data features easily able to agree with that statement.

After all, surfing the web with what is a desktop class browser in a handheld device means surfing the web is so much more pleasurable. Add the iPhone’s unparalleled finger controlled navigation system, plus its ability to receive email updates via “push”, as well as features such as Google Maps to hand, and if you’re not careful when overseas, all these data accesses will add up. Bigtime.

So, we’re seeing companies like AT&T introduce special roaming packs which can be activated for as little as one month at a time, something that’s actually a good thing as it means you can dip in and out of the service as you travel overseas.

In Australia, Vodafone offers a similar service for voice and data calls, giving you a cheaper rate when travelling overseas.

But one thing is for sure – all of these prices are still way too high, because the international carriers like the revenue stream that global roaming brings. Given that costs can soar into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars, it’s easy to see why, but it’s the customer that pays through the nose for these services.

The European Union has set rules in motion to lower the cost of international roaming, but it’s still too expensive, and sadly, the carriers will likely fight the lowering of international roaming charges as long as they can.

So, what’s AT&T charging? Please read on to page 2.