Using internet on mobile phone abroad

You no longer need to buy roaming packages when going abroad as these can cost quite a lot if you use facebook or even to check your emails. Skype has just launched a free new app that lets mobile phones users use Skype on their mobile whilst abroad for free.

But if you need it to check emails and keep up to date with stuff etc then shop around for a good deal. It may be worth switching to a different sim just to benefit for better roaming charges as most mobile phone companies are now offering to send out free sims for your custom

Different mobile networks charge different rates. For example o2 charges £3 per MB if you are in a European country and £6 for the rest of the world.

If you have an iPhone, you can reset your Cellular Network Data usage stats to keep things under control but you'll see that 1MB is very easy to reach. I tried logging onto Google Adsense and that was around 161Kb and used the Facebook for iPhone app just to look at status messages and that was another 814Kb. So that's nearly £3 because it's already close to 1MB.

If you have a monthly contract, all mobile networks will not charge you more than £40 in a given month for internet access. So once you've reached that, you can use upto 50MB of mobile data after which your internet access will be blocked.

It is easier to use WI-FI in the hotel you're staying at because most hotels provide that for free. One thing I've noticed is that you need to ask the staff at the hotel reception sometimes to get an access code for the internet. Some hotels will have a computer in the lobby where you can have free internet access. If these options are not available, then it's better to use an internet cafe to avoid high charges when you get back home in the UK.