Research from international roaming specialist WorldSIM has revealed that Brits develop ‘mobile-phobia’ when abroad, with more than half of those surveyed admitting they don’t use their phone or tablet outside the UK.
Of those who are brave enough to use their devices abroad, more than a quarter say they search for the nearest Wi-Fi hotspots to avoid racking up excessive data roaming charges, while just over a third only use their phones to send text messages.
It seems that one of the biggest problems for travellers is in understanding the rules surrounding the use of phones in another country. More than a quarter says they often end up paying out due to a lack of information on how data plans work abroad. A further 15% admit they are often stung by additional roaming charges because they don’t understand vital terminology such as ‘data roaming’.
Arif Reza, CEO of WorldSIM said: “With the EU choosing to delay plans to scrap roaming charges, it’s not a surprise that travellers are worried about the added cost of using their devices abroad. Contract plans can quickly rack up huge bills and users have very little control over this. Travellers can use their devices abroad without huge costs, they just have a roaming solution in place before they leave.”
WorldSIM is one of the many internatonal roaming options available and over the past 10 years has developed a range of products to reduce the costs of staying connected whilst abroad. WorldSIM claims to save travellers up to 85% on their roaming charges, data roaming, international calls (from the UK) and pay as you go calls (in the UK).
For more information visit WorldSIM’s website.