Everywhere you look you see people talking, text-messaging or searching the internet on their cell phones:

• Cell phones have become a basic necessity of life, and most people couldn’t even remember their own phone numbers without them!
• With features like voice recognition and speed dial, cell phones are the quickest way to reach anyone in any country.

Do you know if your current phone plan has international cell phone service? If it doesn’t, and you happen to be studying abroad in another country and call home a few times, your bill might be just as much as the cost of your study abroad program!

Check with Your Provider

Most cell phone providers offer international cell phone service on their plans, but it may be an extra fee. You should check with your provider before you study abroad to make sure that you won’t be charged any roaming fees while you are in another country.

When your cell phone service roams, it means that it is trying to find a connection to another service that is different from your home service. Roaming fees are charged by the minute, and they vary from provider, but the fees can still add up to be very expensive if you don’t keep track of the minutes that you use.

Check Your Own Cell Phone

You can also see for yourself if you have an international cell phone. These phones are GSM models and can get service in places such as Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia.

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications;

• Used by over 212 countries around the world.
• It’s a cellular network that allows cell phones to connect to other cell phones without roaming.
• They work with SIM cards, which are small cards that hold your personal information in them, and they can be switched from phone to phone. You can get prepaid SIM cards that even allow you to get free incoming calls wherever you are in the world.

You can read more about the GSM phone service here.

International Cell Phone Rentals

One of the easiest ways to have a cell phone in another country without having to worry about roaming charges is to try international cell phone rentals:

• Using a service like Cellular Abroad, you can rent a prepaid cell phone without filling out any paperwork and without paying any upcoming bills.
• You can choose from a variety of packages that let you use the cell phone for as little as a week or as long as a month, and you can renew them if you decide to study abroad longer in your country.

Some cool things about international cell phone rentals are:

• The phones are already charged when you get them.
• They come with adapters.
• You even get a return shipping label to use when you decide to send it back.

Don’t get stuck with huge fees from your cell phone if you decide to call back home from your host country. If you just make sure that your cell phone is a GSM model then you can save yourself extra money for important things…like souvenirs!

And if you’re wise enough to leave your cell phone at home so it doesn’t get lost or stolen, then finding an international cell phone rental company can be a great way to keep in contact with both family and new international friends that you may meet.