(ARA) ? In a very short time cell phones have become so ubiquitous that it?s easy to take the technology for granted. But travel outside the United States with your cell phone and you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Your phone either won?t work at all, or if it does, you likely will pay hefty roaming charges.
Industry experts estimate that some 100 million American cell phone subscribers have phones that won?t work anywhere outside the United States. Those phones use the CDMA technology standard, while most of the rest of the mobile-using world employs the GSM technology standard. American service providers whose phones do operate on the GSM standard (and hence will work abroad) typically charge staggering rates to roam outside the country.
The solution for many savvy business travelers is to rent a phone that will work overseas and at deeply discounted roaming rates. ?Usually, this solution is more cost-effective than renting a phone with a local number in the country where you are traveling,? says David A. Grow of Global Cellular, the company that pioneered cell phone rentals in the mid-1990s. The company has rented out more than 50,000 phones in its 13 years in business.
The process is amazingly fast and simple, says Grow. Travelers can log on to the company?s Web site at www.globalcellular.com, and place an order for a phone. The site prompts the customer to detail what countries they will be traveling in, and how long they will need the phone. The company then ships a cell phone directly to the customer anywhere in the world. For most of the U.S., the phone can be shipped to arrive the next day.
The phone arrives with complete instructions on how to use it abroad. The traveler also learns his overseas phone number well in advance of the trip, enabling him to notify all vital contacts of the number before he ever steps on a plane. Tech support -- all in English -- is available 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world.
Roaming rates are usually 70 percent less than those charged by American service providers, says Grow. In many countries, in-coming calls are free or charged at the lower local rate. Calls back to the United States can be discounted 40 percent or more. The rental cost is just $5 per day, and discount packages are available for long-term rentals of two months or more.
This cell phone solution is becoming so popular Global Cellular actually has relationships with hotel chains around the world to keep phones in stock for hotel guests. And for those whose business or pleasure travel really takes them off the beaten track, the company also rents satellite phones. These phones work anywhere in the world -- from the Australian Outback to the rainforests of Brazil -- as long as you are outside.
To ensure you?ll be able to stay in touch -- without breaking the bank -- on your next trip abroad, visit www.globalcellularrental.com.
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The solution for many savvy business travelers is to rent a phone that will work overseas and at deeply discounted roaming rates. ?Usually, this solution is more cost-effective than renting a phone with a local number in the country where you are traveling,? says David A. Grow of Global Cellular, the company that pioneered cell phone rentals in the mid-1990s. The company has rented out more than 50,000 phones in its 13 years in business.
The process is amazingly fast and simple, says Grow. Travelers can log on to the company?s Web site at www.globalcellular.com, and place an order for a phone. The site prompts the customer to detail what countries they will be traveling in, and how long they will need the phone. The company then ships a cell phone directly to the customer anywhere in the world. For most of the U.S., the phone can be shipped to arrive the next day.
The phone arrives with complete instructions on how to use it abroad. The traveler also learns his overseas phone number well in advance of the trip, enabling him to notify all vital contacts of the number before he ever steps on a plane. Tech support -- all in English -- is available 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world.
Roaming rates are usually 70 percent less than those charged by American service providers, says Grow. In many countries, in-coming calls are free or charged at the lower local rate. Calls back to the United States can be discounted 40 percent or more. The rental cost is just $5 per day, and discount packages are available for long-term rentals of two months or more.
This cell phone solution is becoming so popular Global Cellular actually has relationships with hotel chains around the world to keep phones in stock for hotel guests. And for those whose business or pleasure travel really takes them off the beaten track, the company also rents satellite phones. These phones work anywhere in the world -- from the Australian Outback to the rainforests of Brazil -- as long as you are outside.
To ensure you?ll be able to stay in touch -- without breaking the bank -- on your next trip abroad, visit www.globalcellularrental.com.
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