Phone carriers have a bit of a reputation for sneaking extra fees or conditions into the fine print of their contracts. And global data companies are no exceptions. When you’re shopping for an international SIM card or wifi device and some international data to go with it, be sure you’re on the lookout for restrictive clauses or unclear wording in the Terms and Conditions. Sometimes those unlimited plans aren’t quite as unlimited as you thought.
Here’s a handy comparison of the services offered by the most popular international data companies and what they may or may not be trying to sneak by you through vague terms or restrictions.
Skyroam
A young company, Skyroam has been growing in recent years. Their company focuses exclusively on portable global wifi. Their newest device, the Solis, is one part portable battery and one part pocket wifi device.
The Solis is capable of 4G speeds and advertises unlimited data, but your service will be throttled due to fair use policies after you hit your daily data cap.
Pros
- Wifi device may be rented
- Wifi may be purchased daily
Cons
- Wifi device only supports a maximum of five devices.
- Battery life is drained by using the power bank option.
- Internet speeds are throttled daily after 500 MBS with no options to raise that limit
Area of Coverage: 130 countries
Glocalme
Glocalme offers local data plans from about 100 different countries at varying prices. Some data plans are reasonable, and others can start to creep up towards 30 dollars per GB of data. The exact nature of their data plans can be somewhat confusing. The links to purchase their pocket wifi take you offsite and some even lead to dead links.
Pros
- Offers both pay as you go and per destination data packages.
Cons
- Unclear website and pricing
- Expensive data
Area of Coverage: 100 countries
KnowRoaming
KnowRoaming is a global SIM card company. Their data operates on a credit system where you top up with money which is withdrawn from your account as you consume data. They offer unlimited 4G data plans and prepaid data through an account system, but their fair use policy puts some strict guidelines on the consumption of data through their network.
Pros
- Choose between a global SIM card or a global SIM sticker
- Data plans can be purchased daily
Cons
- Services are charged ex post facto, much like local U.S. carriers.
- A customer’s access to data may be hindered if their credit balance is not high enough.
- Speed limitations may be placed after a daily usage of as little as 250MBs.
Area of Coverage: 200 countries
TEP
TEP is a popular option for pocket wifi, though their wifi device lasts only for 6 hours at a time and can hold only 5 connections at once.
TEP offers a unique service called Kitestring, which sends alert messages to your emergency contacts if you fail to respond to its automated texts. You have control over how frequently the service sends you a message prompting a response.
Pros
- Option to rent wifi devices
- Option to choose a daily limit of 500MB or 1GB before speed reduction
- Rental options
Cons
- Speeds are throttled after 500MBs (unless otherwise upgraded)
- Data limit may not be maxed beyond 1GB
- Wifi device can only support 5 connections
Area of Coverage: 100 countries
BNESIM
BNESIM offers SIM cards and portable global wifi devices as well as plenty of customizable prepaid data plans.
BNESIM’s relationship with fair use policies is a little different. Instead of advertising unlimited data and then slowing your speeds each day you go over the unmentioned data limit, they offer unlimited packages of 1GB, 3GB, 5GB and 12GB. Your speeds are then slowed for the remainder of the month if you go over that data allowance. This is preferable for people who might have one or two very busy data days on their trip, as your data limit is monthly, rather than daily.
Pros
- Easy to understand flat rates for data
- Transparent pricing
- Lower cost
- Data caps on unlimited plans can be customized
- Wifi hotspot can hold up to 10 connections
Cons
Area of Coverage: 170 countries
Travel needs vary from person to person and from trip to trip. Do you need data only for personal use or are you conducting business while you’re abroad? Do you travel frequently or do you plan to go out of the country just this once?
When shopping for the perfect global data provider, you should first organize your needs so you can pick the company that best meets them. BNESIM is a good place to start looking because of the enormous levels of customization they offer in their data plans. And remember to always read the fine print so you know exactly what you’re signing up for.
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