Over the years of travelling, we’ve become more and more reliant on a decent Internet connection, more so now with working online daily while we travel When we first hit the road over twenty-five years ago, the personal Internet was a rare luxury as it started officially in 1990, we set off in 1996. It was always welcome but getting it outside of Internet cafes and hotel lobbies weren’t always possible. These days, it’s available almost everywhere and because of our jobs, it’s also mandatory and people have high expectations that you will be on a very good connection.

Mobile Internet or Mobile Broadband

The rise of smartphones over the past few years as lead to a greater demand for mobile wireless data plans. A mobile data plan is typically associated with cellphones/smartphones, however, telecom companies have flooded the market with hundreds of devices that make use of this diverse data stream. Depending on the country you’re in, the prices for this data can be relatively cheap or relatively expensive. Data in ist world countries are generally much more expensive than the rest of the world but prices seem to be constantly dropping everywhere.

My company actually penalise me if I miss a scheduled appointment through not covering their bookings or having time to cancel at the last minute. Therefore a backup is essential when working for somebody else. This is why we’ve put a helpful guide together for you!

The technology in this post includes 3G, 4G, LTE, Edge, UMTS, CDMA, HSPA, GSM and other similar data mobile telecommunication technologies. For simplicity sake, I will be referring to them all as 3G since this is the most widely used term in regards to mobile data. Please be aware that different carriers in different countries use different bands and technologies to deliver that data and as a result,

These days there are several ways to access this mobile data stream. Click on any of the following to go directly to their area. Mobile phones and tablets 4g, 5g are by far the most common however USB mobile Internet sticks (small USB stick’s with a SIM in them) are also becoming popular. There are also dedicated 3G routers such as MiFi with built-in SIM card support and even standard routers that will accept a USB stick. Some laptops even come with built-in mobile broadband, check with the retailer first. For those who live solely on their laptops, there’s also a PMCIA or Express card solutions. Those are similar enough to their USB counterparts. Check your outputs first before buying certain peripherals.

Besides these devices, to get online you will need to purchase a SIM card and subscribe to some sort of data plan to use them. Most countries allow you to buy a SIM card with a cheap data plan included, we found Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philipines very cheap for at least 1gb data per day and this is usually the cheapest route to go. Roaming charges outside of your home country while using your current SIM card can be ridiculously costly and using your normal SIM while travelling should usually be avoided.

Hence as my previous statement on travellers safely tips, as soon as you land is to find a sim card number, usually, a 7/11 will supply with showing your passport. This is also a huge safety factor as well as to keep in touch!

Now after extensive research, guidance and most of all through technology development, we have learned the following ALSO. updated 15-05-2020

One of the most common questions we’re asked is how wo stay connected while travelling. As important as it seems to have the fancy gadgets and gizmos as above, they are nothing without a stable WiFi connection.

Travel WiFi is the glue that holds connectivity together, whether you’re travelling for work or play.

We assume you already knew you need WiFi to stay connected during travel.

But do you know how to get it? Chances are, you’re locked into a cell phone data plan that has enormous fees for overseas travel usage and roaming data on international networks. Luckily, we have a couple of solutions when it comes to travelling WiFi.

#1. Unlock Your Phone to Use Any SIM Card for Travel

Most places you’ll visit have free WiFi available somewhere, but you can’t always count on finding a local café or shop to provide connectivity… There are only so many coffees you can order.

Unfortunately, a ‘locked’ cell phone or SIM card will not work on outside networks.

You are stuck with your current wireless carrier and may have to pay those crazy high prices for overseas data if you need to connect using the roaming option on your phone.

However, if you unlock your device, you can purchase a local number and opt for a cheaper data plan.

You’ll need to switch out your SIM card for one that is compatible with wireless carriers overseas.

This may sound like a complicated process, so we’ll break it down for you.

1. Start by checking with your current wireless carrier and ask about the requirements to unlock your phone from their network. Your phone may already be unlocked, and you don’t even know it!
2. You may have to sign a contract with your wireless carrier to unlock your phone and prove that your phone has not been lost or stolen. Be sure to handle these steps in advance so you have plenty of time before your trip.
3. While on your trip, buy a local SIM card. You can often find these at the airport, major shopping areas, and grocery stores. If you’re not sure where to look, ask a local or check with your cab driver.
4. The final step is actually to swap out the SIM card. The instructions for this process are different for every phone, but the most important thing to remember is that you must save your old SIM card. You will need it when you return home!

If You Want to Avoid This Process Altogether, We’ve Got Another Way!

#2. Take WiFi with you wherever you go with Skyroam

This affordable mobile hotspot provides incredible WiFi connectivity in more than 130 countries without having to switch out your SIM card. You can purchase or rent a Skyroam hotspot and activate day passes for the duration of your trip.

See the little round orange thingy at the bottom of the picture below? That is your portable wifi machine, aka – Skyroam!

Here are a few reasons why Skyroam is your best bet for travelling WiFi:

• No SIM card swapping! Don’t risk breaking your phone or damaging your SIM card just for some connection.
• Connect up to 5 devices! Your whole family can access it, or you can connect your phone, tablet, smartwatch, laptop, and fitness tracker all at once – whatever works for you.
• Rent a Skyroam hotspot and have all of your day passes included for your entire trip! This solution works best for family vacations and extended trips.
• Buy a Skyroam hotspot and activate 24-hour day passes as needed! This is perfect if you frequently travel for business and need connectivity on-the-go.
• Flat service fees! You will not be locked into a subscription model, and prices don’t surge while you travel.

If you have a trip planned we highly recommend either of the options above. You do NOT want to get stuck in the middle of a foreign city with no Google to guide you home 🙈

Feel free to use our 10% discount code 👉🏼 TOURANDTAKEIN for $10USD off your  Skyroam order.

Smartphones and 3G Tablets

Availability: Everywhere and in most countries, you find a stockist of the below
Budget: Cheap to costly depending on the model you buy
Simplicity: Fairly simple to use and set up
Popular Brands: Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Blackberry. I tend to now go for a smartphone around the 100 mark, as I seem to lose phones and I always don’t buy big brand names as they seem all to have the same features and made with the same boards inside, you’re sometimes paying for the brand name.

Most of these programs let you use your device as a WiFi Hotspot or via Bluetooth to share your Internet with nearby devices. Be aware that running a mobile hotspot takes a lot of power and can often quickly kill the batteries. Phones also usually have a limited WiFi broadcast range and speed is often dependent on the quality of the device as well as the plan it’s on.

Data tethering can include both wireless transmissions and also plugging your phone into a computer (usually via USB) This what I’ve been using for a back up for work, and it’s been great and using it as an old fashioned modem tried and tested on most countries. This last method limits your wireless options however it takes the work off your phone and transfers it to your computer. This can greatly increase your range and also allows your phone to be charged while it’s plugged so when you’re ready to leave all you need is to unplug it and it’s ready to go. Of course, it also requires a computer that is running for as long as you need Internet access. If you’re sharing your Internet with more than the computer then you would also need to set up an ad hoc WiFi network via your computer or use a router.

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3G USB Sticks, USB Modems and Mobile Internet Sticks

Availability: Online and nearly everywhere smartphones are sold
Budget: Older models (with slower 3g speeds) are very cheap and newer models can get up in price though they’re still fairly reasonably priced when comparing to a new smartphone. Check that their not copies though, mainly for safety reason more than the working reason.
Simplicity: Moderate to Complex to set up and operate
Popular Brands: Sierra Wireless, Huawei, CradlePoint, ZTE

A USB Mobile Internet Stick is a simple way to use the power of a mobile data plan without the need to have a cellphone. Because they’re much simpler than a cellphone, they’re much cheaper as well. All they need for power is a computer with a USB port or a router that supports USB devices.

they’re small, portable and usually unlocked from the SET go. If locked to your home carrier, most can be unlocked for use on any network for a lot less than most phones and if they run into problems, you always have your more expensive smartphone to fall back on.

Since they require a 3rd party device on which to operate, setting them up can be a greater hassle than the few swipes it takes to tether most cellphones. What they make up for in complexity however, is the greater ability to connect to most networks and the ability to share that connection with more than 5 devices at a time.

If connecting via a computer it makes sense to create an ad hoc network for the rest of your devices and enable ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) on a Windows machine or enable it in Sharing on a Mac. If connecting via a wireless router, once you input your information, it’s simple for all your devices to share your Internet.

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