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Fi has data roaming for 10$/GB, free after 6GB (speed reduced after 15GB, unless you opt-in to pay extra). This is actually the normal Fi plan- there are just n

by sjf 5y ago

Fi has data roaming for 10$/GB, free after 6GB (speed reduced after 15GB, unless you opt-in to pay extra). This is actually the normal Fi plan- there are just no roaming charges. This is single #1 reason why I am on Fi, no more messing around with local SIMs. https://fi.google.com/about/international-rates/ https://fi.google.com/about/international-rates/

vinay427 5y ago
FWIW, T-Mobile US had free throttled global data roaming in most countries since a few years before Fi was launched. It was typically more expensive than Fi for a single line, although usually cheaper for family plans. https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/9/4821692/t-mobile-announces-unlimited-global-data-roaming-at-no-extra-charge https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/9/4821692/t-mobile-announce...
- vanilla_nut 5y ago
  Frustrating how individual plans in the US tend to be priced horribly compared to family plans (which are already awfully priced, generally). It's not like I'm going to get a spouse and kids just to save money on my monthly plan, and it also doesn't cost them anything extra, so why is it like this?
  - atatatat 5y ago
    So you pool with friends, and keep each other paying the bill.
    - xur17 5y ago
      That's what I ended up doing. I think I pay something like $20 for what is now unlimited data, 6gb of tethering, and unlimited sms / phone.
  - vinay427 5y ago
    It is annoying, but the various MVNO options recently have largely mitigated this problem as far as I can tell. A single line can be had for $20/month with most everything included, or cheaper on promotions (down to around $8-15/month depending on GB of data). That seems comparable with the western European countries in which I've gotten a SIM card, at least.
arthurcolle 5y ago
yep, even for an infrequent traveler it is 100% worth it
londons_explore 5y ago
When most of the world's local Sims charge $1/GB, paying $10/GB seems like a high price to pay to avoid 10 minutes switching Sims at the airport.
- iamnotwhoiam 5y ago
  Yeah I did Fi for a year while traveling before I finally overcame my laziness and started going local. Wish I could get that $1200 back.
- kiwijamo 5y ago
  Can you cite examples of prepay SIMs that charge only $1/GB without any strings attached? I've travelled overseas and have looked into local SIMs and can't really recall any that cheap with reasonable restrictions (e.g. valid for a good period of time). For example I recall one local SIMs marketed at the airport to foreign travellers I looked at that offered 40GB valid only for a few days making it more worthwhile to choose a different (marketed to locals) plan with lower data caps that lasted for a month as I was there for a week.
  - rudian 5y ago
    Iliad[1] in Italy has 120GB/10€: That is 0.08€/GB if you use them all. Ah, also unlimited calls and text. Just a regular prepaid SIM card, no strings attached. If you use it for just 1 month, no problem, just don't top it up. The SIM itself costs 10€. This is far from the norm though, this company basically undercut everyone else and they had to lower their prices. The fun part is that they're actually better than most because they don't try to charge you random fees every few months. 1: https://www.iliad.it https://www.iliad.it
  - bayesianbot 5y ago
    In Finland I can buy a prepaid and unlimited 200 Mbps for 25€ a month or 7.90€ a week. In Thailand I get $2.10 for 10GB / 5 days or $1 for unlimited 24 hour 8Mbps. In Cambodia basically any data package is around $1 / GB with month validity, but usually with all the promotions and extra data they throw in it ends up being much cheaper. Vietnam is so cheap it's basically free, first package I checked was $1.30, 7GB for 7 days.

by sjf 5y ago

vinay427 5y ago

FWIW, T-Mobile US had free throttled global data roaming in most countries since a few years before Fi was launched. It was typically more expensive than Fi for a single line, although usually cheaper for family plans. https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/9/4821692/t-mobile-announces-unlimited-global-data-roaming-at-no-extra-charge https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/9/4821692/t-mobile-announce...

vanilla_nut 5y ago
Frustrating how individual plans in the US tend to be priced horribly compared to family plans (which are already awfully priced, generally). It's not like I'm going to get a spouse and kids just to save money on my monthly plan, and it also doesn't cost them anything extra, so why is it like this?
- atatatat 5y ago
  So you pool with friends, and keep each other paying the bill.
  - xur17 5y ago
    That's what I ended up doing. I think I pay something like $20 for what is now unlimited data, 6gb of tethering, and unlimited sms / phone.
- vinay427 5y ago
  It is annoying, but the various MVNO options recently have largely mitigated this problem as far as I can tell. A single line can be had for $20/month with most everything included, or cheaper on promotions (down to around $8-15/month depending on GB of data). That seems comparable with the western European countries in which I've gotten a SIM card, at least.

arthurcolle 5y ago

yep, even for an infrequent traveler it is 100% worth it

londons_explore 5y ago

When most of the world's local Sims charge $1/GB, paying $10/GB seems like a high price to pay to avoid 10 minutes switching Sims at the airport.

iamnotwhoiam 5y ago
Yeah I did Fi for a year while traveling before I finally overcame my laziness and started going local. Wish I could get that $1200 back.
kiwijamo 5y ago
Can you cite examples of prepay SIMs that charge only $1/GB without any strings attached? I've travelled overseas and have looked into local SIMs and can't really recall any that cheap with reasonable restrictions (e.g. valid for a good period of time). For example I recall one local SIMs marketed at the airport to foreign travellers I looked at that offered 40GB valid only for a few days making it more worthwhile to choose a different (marketed to locals) plan with lower data caps that lasted for a month as I was there for a week.
- rudian 5y ago
  Iliad[1] in Italy has 120GB/10€: That is 0.08€/GB if you use them all. Ah, also unlimited calls and text. Just a regular prepaid SIM card, no strings attached. If you use it for just 1 month, no problem, just don't top it up. The SIM itself costs 10€. This is far from the norm though, this company basically undercut everyone else and they had to lower their prices. The fun part is that they're actually better than most because they don't try to charge you random fees every few months. 1: https://www.iliad.it https://www.iliad.it
- bayesianbot 5y ago
  In Finland I can buy a prepaid and unlimited 200 Mbps for 25€ a month or 7.90€ a week. In Thailand I get $2.10 for 10GB / 5 days or $1 for unlimited 24 hour 8Mbps. In Cambodia basically any data package is around $1 / GB with month validity, but usually with all the promotions and extra data they throw in it ends up being much cheaper. Vietnam is so cheap it's basically free, first package I checked was $1.30, 7GB for 7 days.