Traveling for business or pleasure was restricted during 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but things seem to be changing now. Throughout 2020 businesses stuck to virtual meetings and avoided traveling as much as they could. However, what this trend has proved though, is that online meetings just don’t cut it. As vaccine rolls out and travel opens up in several parts of the world, many surveys say that in 2021 people will plan to increase their travel, especially for business. It is believed that although weekly meetings and small discussions will remain online, companies might organize monthly or quarterly review meetings where all required employees would be physically present.
Traveling is one of the most hectic things and proper planning is necessary. Considering the busy nature of such trips, mobile devices including smart-phones, laptops, and tablets are a necessity. However, the devices are almost useless unless you have a reliable roaming plan that helps you stay connected. Researching, taking detours, making on-the-spot presentations, having to make unplanned visits are all part of travel. In such cases, you don’t want your phone plan to not work for you. It might so happen that you decide to visit someplace that is not on your itinerary and your roaming plan does not work as it is not valid in the region. These might seem like small hiccups, but with no internet or call facility, you could potentially need to cancel your plans or lose a business opportunity.
With so many other factors that cannot be controlled during a trip, one thing that you want to be sure about is to stay connected. Having a reliable phone plan will solve many of your problems as it will allow you to navigate, schedule, exchange emails, and have long calls without a hitch. In order to choose a good roaming plan, there are some factors that you should pay attention to.
Cost & Connection Reliability
The first thing that any person looks at is the price of the roaming plan. However, just saying that the plan costs too much or opting for a smaller, cheaper plan does not necessarily work. It basically depends on the requirements of the individual or the kind of trip one is going on. The plan should be such that it covers the entire number of days that one is staying abroad and also the likely regions to be visited. This is in cases of fully planned trips, where there are likely to be none or minimal unexpected detours. However, if you expect the trip to have a lot of spontaneous travel, the plan should have the same flexibility. In such cases, one might want to go for an unlimited plan. You should at least have the option of using the data and phone calls in places not covered under the plan, even if at an overage charge.
Reliability of the connection is another important concern. Let’s be honest here, there will be some stretches where you might have a weak signal or lose connection, especially while traveling. However, you should get strong connectivity for most part of your tour. This is where the reputation of the provider comes into play. If the provider has a proven track-record and sizeable experience with a mostly positive response from the customers, you should be in good hands. Besides, it is important to know the kind of technical support that a company offers. Since you would be traveling to a different country, it will be preferable if the provider has 24/7 support and helpline center.
Smart Use of Plan on Your Phone
Smartphones are like a lifeline when you are traveling, as we depend on them to navigate through unknown locations, stay connected with family and friends as well as to conduct business. These little devices store a huge amount of important data and information, which you can access easily no matter where you are. Just a touch of your finger and you can be talking to a potential client on the other side of the world. But this simplicity brings some risks with it as well. The data on the device may be vulnerable to theft, making it a huge security concern. Also, it is very easy to unknowingly exceed the limit on your roaming internet and call plan. This can add a ton of overage costs to your bill and your budget can go haywire.
There are some things you can do, though, which will ensure the security of your mobile device and also that you stay within the limits of the plan while traveling.
The first thing to do is to disable auto-play of videos and notifications for apps that are not essential. Also switch-off auto-update on apps and location settings wherever possible. Even disabling email notifications will save data. You can use local Wi-Fi facilities for downloading videos and using social media. In order to save on roaming charges, you might want to put your phone on Airplane or Flight mode whenever you can. Even just disabling roaming data will help you manage your costs.
As for security, having different layers of protection on your phone with passwords, fingerprint or face lock is a must. You can even add passwords for specific apps. When using local Wi-Fi, you might want to use VPN app. Having a good EMM system helps to secure data while traveling. You also might want to have tracking apps on your phone, in case you lose it or it is stolen.
Fido Travel & Roaming Plans
Using roaming setting on your regular plan while traveling becomes a rather expensive affair, considering the high charges. However, buying a dedicated roaming plan will reduce costs and help you be at ease during the trip.
Fido offers different traveling and roaming plans that cover 185 destinations in the world. These plans allow you to use data, talk and text almost the same way you do at home.
These roaming plans have a one-time fee that allows you a fixed number of free call-minutes and a certain number of messages. Later you will be charged a minimal amount per minute for calls. You can also have an option to shut down your plan when you reach the limit, in order to avoid overage costs. You can then have the plan renewed. With Fido roaming plans you can eliminate many unnecessary charges, while you track your use through Fido My Account App. The company offers a strong network with in-built security. This way you can ensure that the data and information in your mobile device is safe.
All Fido and Rogers products are available at Wireless DNA. To know more about these products and services, write to us at info@wdna.ca.
