The Tech Gear Hub | Using your Business Mobiles while travelling abroad.

Using your Business Mobiles while travelling abroad.

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We regularly hear from the press, Ofcom and the networks themselves that our international roaming call charges will be tumbling in price.  Are there real changes on the horizon or have we heard this too often?

The Financial Director or controller of large and small companies is responsible for finding ways to reduce the cost of a business mobile and international roaming.

As businesses and consumers, we're often in the dark when we're left to use our business mobile phones overseas.  How much are we going to be charged? It is possible to use mobile minutes in foreign countries? Are there any alternatives and ways of saving money?

Let's take a quick look at what is available to you in the marketplace.

Orange business customers  cane call from the UK to 28 other countries from their minute bundle. This offer is comparable to those of o2 and T-mobile.  Orange also offer ‘Business World Traveller’ which will give up to 50% off standard voice roaming rates and up to 25% off roaming data.

Vodafone have a similar service called ‘Passport’.  It also offers reduced call charges whilst abroad.  Shell out a 75p connection charge for each call made abroad, then you can talk at your usual UK rate.  You can talk to Vodafone about the service directly by dialing 5555 on your handset.

o2 have what’s called ‘International Traveller Service’ which allows customers to call from Europe to the UK for £0.30p per minute.  However, if you are calling from other parts of the world then the charges can vary from between £0.81p to £1.20 per minute. 

T-mobile also have competitive roaming offers.  T-mobile charge between £0.38p and £0.55p per minute to call the UK from Europe.  Receiving calls with T-mobile have recently fallen meaning the cost is between £0.13p to £0.20p for Europe.

On selective tariffs and networks there are also options to add a bundle of international minutes for use in specified country.

If you are regularly visiting a country and using your business mobile phone to call the UK, one option is to buy a local SIM card.  In that case you have a local number for the country you are in.   Some countries require that you be a registered resident to access this.

Other options include purchasing international PAYG/Prepaid SIM cards in the UK which offer roaming savings, in some cases up to a 50% to 60% reduction in call charges.

Competition is beginning to heat up in the International roaming market, consequently networks are fighting for our business. I am positive that roaming call prices around the world will keep getting more and more competitive.  After all, the networks are in competition with one another which will drive prices down further. 

Finally, whilst the networks are bombarded with bad press for over charging on roaming I believe they are reacting in a positive way that will benefit business mobile users in the UK.

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