Best Portable WiFi

You may be ready to take that long deserved trip and wondering what the next step might be since you’re ready to ditch the old way of connecting to the internet and move into the new portable wireless platform.  It’s time to understand your options before you make any purchases. The first thing to be aware of is the different names you’ll see like MiFi Devices, Pocket WIFI and Mobile WIFI Routers, to name a few. I may use some of these different terms throughout this article, but they all have the same meaning. Let us take a closer look at SIM cards that are available for your portable Wi-Fi needs.

The Worldwide Data SIM Card – Pay As You Go

One thing for sure, you’ll need data but the amount you require will depend on a few things!  Like your destination, are you visiting more than one country, and where will you be calling to? You should also consider the length of your stay; is this a short trip, 1 to 2 weeks or a business trip that will keep you away for up to 30 days or more.  The good thing is, there is an option that fits your need!

First we’ll discuss the purchase of a worldwide SIM card that will work like a pre-paid store card.  You simply add funds to it as you go.  These cards usually have a 12 month expiration date on them, but always confirm that when you make your purchase.

The cost of this type SIM card usually starts with a $27 credit value on it plus a $20 cost for the SIM Card itself, for a total of $47.The price range varies and can go up to $120 or higher.  Again, if you were to purchase a card with a $68 credit on it, the price of the card would be like $7.  In other words, the more value you add to your card, the cheaper the actual SIM Card   There are several companies available to choose from for your purchases, the prices will vary; this is only a ballpark figure.

The International Data (Bundle) SIM Card

With this package, you will get more discounts, saving you money in the long run. These bundles are usually valid for 30 days, but always make sure before you purchase.  The purchase can be made online, you’ll be asked to choose the country that you are traveling to, once you select it follow the directions  which will lead you to the best network service provider for that country.

The Data Bundle SIM cards are purchased according to how many GB (gigabytes) you’ll need. This is how that works; one GB is is equivalent to 1024 megabytes (MB) or 1,048,576 kilobytes (KB). A breakdown that will help you approximate how many GB you’ll need goes like this.

• 1GB of data allows you to watch one-hour and 20 minutes of Standard Definition video. You can also stream maybe 8 hours of high quality music and cost in the range of $20.

• Another option is the 3GB data plan, it should allow you to browse the internet for around 36 hours and to stream 600 songs or watch 6 hours of standard-definition video for a cost of approximately $34.00.

• The more data you purchase the more listening and surfing time that you can enjoy.

• A 5GB plan allows you to roughly browse the internet for around 60 hours, stream 1,000 songs or to watch 10 hours of standard-definition video, price range is $47.00.

• The last option we’ll look at is the 10GB data plan which will give you a range of nearly 500 browsing hours and 64 hours streaming music, this one is in the $80 range.

• These prices are only an estimate and will vary by the company you choose to purchase from.

How To Reduce Roaming Charges

Everyone will  need to stay in touch with home when you travel and its important that you can be contacted. The prepaid international cards mentioned above does that while reducing roaming charges. Depending on where you purchase your SIM Card, you can get 2 virtual phone numbers included. Each SIM card can have for instance a UK number (+44) and a USA phone number (+1).  This service when offered is very flexible in that there is no limit on the amount of virtual numbers you can add on your SIM card. This is awesome because it saves you from paying outrageous roaming fees and you can add and receive calls from over 40 to 50 different countries. The companies will differ in the perks they offer.

As with everything however, charges will apply on calls received and there is a tiny fee for the virtual numbers.  An example of this is if you buy a United States virtual number, it will cost you around $1.50 a month.  Any additional charges that apply will depend on your destination, where you’re calling to and the network provider.  A quick synopsis of this is if you’re going to the United Kingdom and calling back to the United States the incoming call would be free, but the outgoing call would be around $.16/minute.

Shop For The Best Deals

When you’re ready to make that SIM Card purchase, you’ll want to check for the best mobile operators in the countries you’ll frequent. Also, check out the delivery set up if there is one, how long it takes to receive your card, and the costs. The quality of customer service will also matter.  Look at the reviews to get an idea of this!

My Final Opinion On SIM Card Options

International SIM Cards are designed to cover nearly 200 different countries and can receive free incoming calls in more than 120 countries depending on the card, the carrier and the card must be broken!  Thus far, the rates appear to be great and offer several options for you to choose from. The bundle and the pre-pay are excellent options and very convenient to use.  There are quite a few companies on the market so take your time and do your research to get the best deals.  This website will be updated often to assist you in your purchases.