Born out of the frustration millions of users experience when roaming and trying to access mobile data abroad. We decided to create a website that was simple to navigate, offered an equally as simple solution and amazing savings. As with www.0044.co.uk a SIM card lies at the heart of the solution (literally!). All you need to do is place a data SIM card into your dongle, MiFi device or smartphone and away you go.

The potential savings are incredible! For instance if you were to choose to roam in the US you could be paying in excess of £5.00/MB! However with dataroam you will pay just £0.01/MB.

The best thing about it however is the simplicity. For the easiest way to to connect abroad just purchase the impressive ZTE MiFi router and insert one of the data SIM cards. You can then connect your smartphone, laptop and tablet all at once without the hassle of unlocking your phone.

For further information please visit: www.dataroam.co.uk

Our data SIM card from Three costs just £19.99 and comes with 1GB of data included. If you were to roaming with T-Mobile USA 1GB of data would cost you a staggering $15000! This has to be the greatest saving we have ever offered.

In addition to this the SIM card is pre-paid therefore you don’t have to rent the SIM card or be concerned about your expenditure. Just insert the UK data SIM card into an unlocked USB dongle, tablet or MiFi device and you are ready to connect.

The UK data SIM card is perfect if you are planning a trip to the UK, especially if you need to stay online during the Olympics. We also offer international delivery for just £3.99 which means you can set-up the SIM card ahead of your arrival.

To find out more about our UK SIM card please click on this link.

In Part 1 we divided people into three mobile data roaming usage groups based on their requirements. Now we show you how to save money!

Need to keep in Touch

If you need to keep in touch occasionally via email or quickly browse the web (less than 20Mb per month) then the magic word for you is WiFi.

Firstly, switch OFF data roaming on your Smartphone (see your User Guide). Secondly get searching for FREE WiFi hotspots. This can be as simple as looking out for signs or downloading an application such as Wi-Fi Finder for the iphone. This great little application will let you search for over 500K FREE & Paid For hot spots worldwide.

Be warned, Free WiFi hotspots can have their downfalls. The clue is in the word “free”. For instance you may be unable to send emails (SMTP settings) or your browsing may be limited but overall it is a convenient way to avoid expensive roaming charges.

The second option is to actually pay for a WiFi connection. To save you the hassle of having to sign-on with individual suppliers we would recommend Boingo. They provide over 500k WiFi hotspots worldwide and offer unlimited mobile browsing from just $7.95/month.

Need to keep in Touch (on the go)

If you still need access to data on the go via a smartphone then we’d recommend that you download Onavo. This brilliant application compresses the data you use on your handset. In some cases by as much as 50%!

As expected this does result in a lower resolution on images and when browsing online but if you don’t need the detail and just need the information this application is essential.

Smartphone User (Need data on the go)

Besides making phone calls and sending text messages, most activities on a modern smartphone will consume data. These activities include; browsing the web, reading and sending e-mails, checking Facebook and Twitter, sharing photos, downloading applications, downloading music, listening to online radio and watching videos on YouTube. Did you know the average smart phone user consumers a massive 480MB/month?!

For such users we know switching mobile data off is not an option and locating WiFi is too much of a hassle then we would suggest purchasing a local data SIM card.

A local data SIM card can save you more than 80%! All you need to do is take your UK SIM card out of your handset and insert the local data SIM card.

If you are travelling within Europe the savings can be huge, for instance. In Spain you can get 100MB/day for just £2.50! This would cost more than £50 if you were to roam.

However if you are traveling to the USA you are in another stratosphere of savings. A local USA SIM card will allow you to have unlimited mobile browsing for $2.00/day. Whilst a UK network operator would charge in excess of £5.00/MB!

So as you can see it pays to switch!

Please note: Your handset must be unlocked for the local SIM card to work.

Essential User (500MB+ per month)

If you simply can’t afford to not be online, or have a locked handset and don’t wish to have a local number then the best option is to use a local data SIM Card with a MiFi device.

Thanks to our obsession with our iPhones, Android devices, iPads and remote working the demand for mobile data is exploding. In fact in 2011, mobile data traffic more than doubled

But what is mobile data? And how much will you need? In our 2 Part Guide we will outline exactly what you can do with your data, how you can keep it under control and how much data you’ll be likely to consume.

Let’s start with the jargon KB, MB and GB?

There are 1,000 kilobytes (KB) in 1 megabyte (MB) and 1,000 megabytes in 1 gigabyte (GB). Simple.

OK, so now we know the units but how much data do we really need? Fortunately it doesn’t matter if you are connecting via your smartphone or laptop data usage is the same. However the usage requirements can differ drastically and as expected this has a knock-on effect on the amount of data you will require.

How much data do you need whilst abroad?

This question is really answered by; how important is the data to you? If the majority of your access is for leisure we’d recommend that you wait until you have a WiFi connection rather than wasting your precious mobile MB’s. Generally we’ve found that people want mobile data access for one of 3 reasons:

• Need to check emails (10-20 per day) - Nothing more nothing less. Will not be accessing or sending large files in excess of 1MB. In this instance you can certainly get by with 50-200 MB per month.
• Want to use my smartphone as per normal - If this is the case you need to budget between 200-500 MB per month and avoid watching too many videos!
• Essential work related - To make sure everything operates as in the UK, we would recommend that you use an unlimited or heavy usage data package in excess of 1 GB. However if you will be accessing video content, gaming or downloading excessively then you will need an unlimited package.

Now you know how much data you are likely to use abroad you need to consider the costs of roaming with your UK Network operator.

Within the EU

Mistakenly people tend to think they are OK to roam in Europe because of the recently imposed cap of €50 however with rates of £3.00/MB you can quickly reach this amount.

Consequently €50 is not the deal it seems when it only equates to a 16MB or one Youtube clip!

Outside of the EU

This is when it starts to get really dangerous! A quick trip over the EU border or a long-haul flight to the USA and you can start to look at costs of £7.00+/MB! As in the EU O2 have introduced a worldwide cap on data roaming at £40 and once you reach 50MB you’ll be cut off.

According to Which?, if you’re on the UK network 3 and you go to the US, you can expect to pay more than £3,000 for 1GB usage – which would cost £7.50 in the UK!

In Part 2 out on Sunday we will discuss the best steps you can take to reduce your mobile data roaming costs. In fact we can help you save over 80% when abroad with a few little tricks of the trade.

For further information about how to avoid data roaming charges please visit: www.dataroam.co.uk

Polly headed to the USA where she attempts to keep in touch with her friends and family from across the Atlantic for just one dollar, revealing the cheapest ways to dodge those expensive mobile charges.

Check all of Polly’s feature from 11 min onwards. Unfortunately we have to disagree with Polly slightly, our Global SIM is not actually the best option for the USA. Our USA SIM Card is! From just 16p/min to make and receive calls it can save you a small fortune.

Just insert the USA SIM card into an Unlocked Tri-Band Handset and avoid all mobile roaming charges, make calls from 16p/min and call the UK from just 25p/min. You will also get your new American mobile number before travel.

• An +44 7 UK and +1 US number
• Calls from just 16p/min
• No connection FEES
• Get your number before you leave

The credit crunch has had quite an impact on the holiday market with a decrease in bookings and search engine traffic looking up cheap flights for holidays abroad. British tourists are remaining stoic though and continuing with their trips to foreign climes regardless of the economic downturn.

The need to make savings via low costs airlines, late deals and even using a Global SIM card to cut down on communication costs is ever more pressing. A Global SIM can avoid roaming charges in over 140 countries with many allowing free incoming calls.

A recent poll from ICM revealed that only one quarter of people who would usually take a ski holiday are going ahead and hitting the slopes this winter, many of them using a Global SIM or French SIM to avoid roaming charges. Despite this, positive early snow falls and perfect peak snow conditions may encourage winter sports enthusiasts to grab a late deal holiday.

The majority of the 3 million travellers are looking to make the most of some winter sun away from the cold British shores. Key destinations outside of Europe including flights to Dubai, the Middle East, Egypt and the Caribbean are proving popular. A Global SIM card used in many of these destinations means lower cost outbound and inbound calls for users and also cheaper mobile data charges.

In the Eurozone, city breaks to Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Madrid and Athens are the top destinations to visit over Christmas, with excursions to New York also remaining a priority for shopaholics. A traveler using a Global SIM in any of these destinations can receive calls for free and access text rates as low as 11p per text on a Global SIM.

 “We’ve been helping consumers avoid roaming charges for several years now when they travel abroad. The Global SIM is ideal for tourists travelling over Christmas, particularly given some of the adverse winter weather conditions we’ve been facing.”

Here’s the ‘essentials’ list for staying in touch

Old Phone: Bring an old mobile phone that wouldn’t bother you if it got broken/lost/eaten by baboons. Alternatively, you can now buy cheap, basic phones from most phone shops that if you make sure they are unlocked, can be used with any SIM card.Just make sure the phone is suitable for use in that destination.

Global SIM card: One point of contact for your entire trip. Our global SIM card even gives you an O2 number so your friends and family in the UK can call you for less.

Local SIM Card: If you are settled in one country for a long time, it’s a good idea to buy one of their SIM cards. It’s cheap, often includes deals and is ideal if you’re volunteering a bit further from civilisation since you can always be in contact with someone.

Global Phone Card: You will be able to buy international phone cards in most countries that can be used on payphones but if you are planning on staying somewhere more remote you’ll soon discover that payphones are a little hard to come by.

Skype: You can sign up for free video messaging accounts on Sykpe’s website which can be used at any internet café. For those with a webcam you can even make video calls. You can buy headsets with a microphone to plug into the headphone socket of the computer and talk away for as long as your heart desires- or as long as you paid for the internet.

Tips:

• Leave your contact number with home / contacts
• Call home but don’t promise exact times (otherwise mum will worry!)
• Use ‘ICE’ coding – your ‘in case of emergency’ number

Now you can make cheap calls to Australia for just 1p/min to landlines and 8p/min to mobiles and besides being ridiculously cheap it is incredibly easy to use.

Rather than paying costly charges with BT all you need to do is dial the access number and we then divert your calls via our own platform. Saving you up to 90% on your call costs.

How to make a cheap call to Australia:

• Call the 0044 access number; 0844 869 0044 for Australian landlines and 0844 612 0044 for Australian mobiles.
• At the voice prompt dial the full number including the international dialing code (0061)
• Talk for as long as you want! Call Australian landlines for 1p/min, and Australian mobiles for 8p/min at anytime!

The service is perfect if you want to stay in touch with loved ones, gloat to friends or make business calls. In fact by using the service you can save up to 25p/min compared to dialing directly.

The 0044.co.uk cheap calls service has several advantages over Voip. Although the prices are slightly higher the call quality is superior and you don’t need to prepay for credit. In fact you are just charged by your landline provide for calling the 0844 or 0871 number.

So what are you waiting for? Don’t just take our word for it, try the service for yourself! There are no contracts, PINS or accounts needed, just dial.

To find out more just click on this link.

Whilst the EU commission has succeeded in capping the mobile roaming charges applied by the major UK mobile networks in European Union member states, those networks have moved their focus to non EU destinations to recoup lost mobile roaming revenues. This means that whilst you enjoy cheaper outgoing and incoming calls in Europe compared with the past, you are still paying the extortionate rates outside the EU, especially in long haul destinations.

The following article is designed to guide you through the options of making sure you get the best value in Europe and to help you to avoid the heavy penalties of mobile roaming on long haul trips when you use your mobile phone.

Europe

In Europe it is now possible to use your mobile phone more cost effectively but you still pay to receive calls (approx 18 p/min) and also pay a premium to make outbound calls (approx 35 p/min). Text messaging is also still expensive and data charges remain high. The simplest solution for even greater savings despite the UK mobile network mobile roaming caps is to use a foreign a Global SIM card.

If you use a Global SIM card in your existing handset you will receive all your calls for FREE within the EU. Outgoing call rates are also reduced to around 30 p/min and text rates are cheaper at 12 p per text. The Global SIM card card can also be used in many other destinations to help avoid the higher roaming charges that the networks apply outside of Europe.

Pay-monthly mobile contracts can also help beat the reduced roaming charges in Europe. A French Pay-Monthly contract from 0044 will reduce call rates further in France to 20p/min and you can still aso receive calls for FREE.

USA

In the USA, for instance, a trip to Florida for some winter sun could see you paying over £1.00 per minute to make a call and around 80 p/min to receive a call. Pricing varies by network, but the basic facts are that you’ll pay a lot more compared to when you are in Europe. This is where the country specific solution comes into its own. The USA SIM, for instance, comes with a US number and allows you to make and receive calls from as little as 18 p/min, representing a huge saving compared to UK mobile roaming charges.

China

If you head east, let’s say to China, then the roaming rates increase even more. UK networks can get away with charging as much as £1.80 p/min to make a call and £1.20 p/min to receive a call so it makes sense to look for another more cost effective option. For real savings you should investigate a Chinese pre-paid or contract SIM. Call rates start from as little as 15 p/min to make a receive calls so the savings can be as much as 90% of what you’d normally pay with a UK SIM card.

Australia

If Australia is on your itinerary then there are local Australian SIM card solutions available in the same way that there are in the USA, but a Global SIM card will match those savings as well. So, if a UK number is important whilst you travel then the Global SIM card may well be a better solution for ‘down under.’

In conclusion, there are certainly many ways to save money when using your mobile aboard but it does pay to do some research first. What may be a good solution in one country may not be as suitable for other destinations. It also depends on the nature of your visit. If it’s for work or a gap year then a local number may be important so a local or foreign SIM is the answer. If your itinerary includes several destinations then a Global SIM card is usually going to be the most practical and cost effective solution.

This guide has been written to cut through the confusion that surrounds buying a UK SIM card. When deciding which UK SIM card to buy it’s very important to consider the following:

• Are you visiting or living in the UK?
• What calls do you make most frequently?
• What is your reason for getting a SIM?

Best SIM card for making international calls = UK SIM Card

International calls start from just 4p a minute. Whilst calls to landlines also cost just 4p/min and mobile calls are 15p/min! This makes our UK SIM Card perfect for people who wish to make lots of international calls and want to stay in control of their costs.

Our UK SIM card has an O2 network number. O2 is one of the UK/s leading networks. Offering fantastic coverage and reliability. In addition to this, unlike other O2 SIM cards, ours can be used abroad without roaming charges!

Our exclusive Global SIM card combines all the benefits of a UK and US mobile number . Please be aware for the SIM card to work in the USA or Canada you must use it in an unlocked Tri-Band (or Quad-band) mobile handset.

Need more information? If you have any questions about our UK SIM card please click here. If you cannot find an answer to your question just get in touch and we’ll provide support.

Best solution if you live in the UK = SIM Only 

SIM Only is a great way of changing tariffs without the expense of buying a new phone. Here is a quick guide to help you decide if SIM only is right for you.

Why choose SIM only?

• Excellent value: SIM only deals provide the best rates for minutes, texts and data . Why? Because the networks are not providing you with the added handset and can pass on the savings to you!
• No long term commitment: If you decided you wanted to change to a different minutes/ text package, or even if you wanted to cancel altogether, it’s easy to do so with SIM only deals. All it takes is for you to give 30 days notice, which is the shortest contract deal available – you won’t be tied down longer than you need to.
• Easy to apply for: If you’ve got a less than perfect credit score, then applying for a SIM only contract is a lot easier than applying for a standard contract phone (though this depends on each individual application).
• Keep your existing phone and number: If you want to save yourself the effort of letting all your friends and family know you’ve changed your number then a SIM only deal can make it simple just keep your old phone and your old number for a smooth transition!

For more information about SIM only – check out our SIM only price comparison service! We search all the networks instantly for the best offers, Click Here.

Disclaimer
Please note the above prices are a guideline based on current information from network tariffs. Networks can change pricing at short notice so please refer to their web site or retail outlets to confirm latest pricing prior to purchase.