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Comment by random_savv | Hacker News Reader

For what it's worth, it's possible to get 1GB/mo of global roaming, for $130/mo - World offer here:

https://fiber.salt.ch/en/mobile/plans/standard

Fi has data roaming for 10$/GB, free after 6GB (speed reduced after 15GB, unless you opt-in to pay extra). This is actually the normal Fi plan- there are just no roaming charges. This is single #1 reason why I am on Fi, no more messing around with local SIMs.

https://fi.google.com/about/international-rates/

FWIW, T-Mobile US had free throttled global data roaming in most countries since a few years before Fi was launched. It was typically more expensive than Fi for a single line, although usually cheaper for family plans.

https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/9/4821692/t-mobile-announce...

Frustrating how individual plans in the US tend to be priced horribly compared to family plans (which are already awfully priced, generally). It's not like I'm going to get a spouse and kids just to save money on my monthly plan, and it also doesn't cost them anything extra, so why is it like this?

So you pool with friends, and keep each other paying the bill.

That's what I ended up doing. I think I pay something like $20 for what is now unlimited data, 6gb of tethering, and unlimited sms / phone.

It is annoying, but the various MVNO options recently have largely mitigated this problem as far as I can tell. A single line can be had for $20/month with most everything included, or cheaper on promotions (down to around $8-15/month depending on GB of data). That seems comparable with the western European countries in which I've gotten a SIM card, at least.

When most of the world's local Sims charge $1/GB, paying $10/GB seems like a high price to pay to avoid 10 minutes switching Sims at the airport.

It's not just 10 minutes. It's every time you go to a new country, having to figure out what the local pay as go is called, finding somewhere to buy a sim, picking a plan, figuring out how to reload. Likely none of this is in your native language. If you are going to several countries consecutively it gets old. And you still can't use your own phone number. Yes, you might save ~50$ a month while travelling, but I will happily 50$ not to deal with local sims anymore. I will only do it if you need a local number for interactions with local businesses.

If you need a lot of data it probably makes sense to get a local sim but if you are travelling through a few countries and really just need it for getting directions every now and then it makes much more sense.

Can you cite examples of prepay SIMs that charge only $1/GB without any strings attached? I've travelled overseas and have looked into local SIMs and can't really recall any that cheap with reasonable restrictions (e.g. valid for a good period of time). For example I recall one local SIMs marketed at the airport to foreign travellers I looked at that offered 40GB valid only for a few days making it more worthwhile to choose a different (marketed to locals) plan with lower data caps that lasted for a month as I was there for a week.

Iliad[1] in Italy has 120GB/10€: That is 0.08€/GB if you use them all. Ah, also unlimited calls and text.

Just a regular prepaid SIM card, no strings attached. If you use it for just 1 month, no problem, just don't top it up. The SIM itself costs 10€.

This is far from the norm though, this company basically undercut everyone else and they had to lower their prices. The fun part is that they're actually better than most because they don't try to charge you random fees every few months.

1: https://www.iliad.it

Check out www.glocalme.com

They sell you a hotspot that works in 80+ countries with an eSIM. When you land you top up 500 MB of that countries data for a few dollars, which is usually enough to get me to the hotel and then out to a shop where locals buy SIMs. Depending on the device they have 1-2 extra SIM slots and you an hot swap between them.

There is an upfront cost and it doesn't quite meet your price point - but it gives you the flexibility to do a bit more shopping past airport rates.

In Finland I can buy a prepaid and unlimited 200 Mbps for 25€ a month or 7.90€ a week. In Thailand I get $2.10 for 10GB / 5 days or $1 for unlimited 24 hour 8Mbps. In Cambodia basically any data package is around $1 / GB with month validity, but usually with all the promotions and extra data they throw in it ends up being much cheaper. Vietnam is so cheap it's basically free, first package I checked was $1.30, 7GB for 7 days.

Yeah I did Fi for a year while traveling before I finally overcame my laziness and started going local. Wish I could get that $1200 back.

yep, even for an infrequent traveler it is 100% worth it

When I travel I use airalo to get local e-sims for data and pay probably something like $10 on average for 5GB for 30 days. (Another option for people who's phones support e-sims)

I had no idea there was a company doing this already! I just downloaded their app, and will have to give it a try when my next travel destination opens its borders again.

Tips:

- Set up the sim before you leave. It's the worst trying to do it once you land. (Ask me how I know)

- You will get some interesting networks, but I've never had problems with them.

- I think they just fixed it on iOS, but be prepared to type in the details manually (not hard, just not seamless) because they expect you to scan a QR code???

Even with those quirks, it's been great, simple, no problems, and I've used in US/UK/Australia.

Before my provider offered worldwide roaming on my monthly plan for an additional fee of the equivalent of USD 6 (that you pay whether you use it or not), I've used Flexiroam for data when traveling abroad. Good prices if staying for less than a month.

What I need is something that could work on a boat, too. Couldn't find anything below several $,000 per month.

Iridium Go is not 1000s per month but still 100s.

But hopefully starlink will help drive prices down once they enable mesh communication.

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