Workers rely on their smartphones to remain productive outside the office. They can also be frustrated with the cost and complexity of using their mobile phones overseas. Fortunately, a new solution is emerging. Unlocked smartphones can be used with any carrier simply by switching SIM cards, unlike “locked” phones that work only with one designated carrier. This frees up enterprise mobility managers from costly contracts, helps standardize the device inventory and helps eliminate the cost and complexity of global roaming.
Rising Costs of Global Roaming
For companies that have executives who frequently travel abroad, the ability to simply pop in an international SIM card and tap into an affordable local network is generating substantial interest. It’s not difficult to see why. One example of outrageous roaming costs is the case of a New Zealand man who was fired from his job for racking up a bill of over $23,000 on his company-issued cell phone. According to a study by Amba Hotels, roaming and WiFi charges cost U.S. businesses $7.3 billion annually. To avoid the costs, many employees simply shut down when traveling abroad: An EC survey found that 28 percent of mobile phone users turn off their mobile phones; 30 percent don’t use voice services; 25 percent don’t send or receive texts; and 47 percent don’t access data.
Impact on Productivity
The Mobal Talk & Text SIM will work in all 'unlocked' GSM cell phones. You just need to check that your GSM cell phone works on the correct frequencies for the countries you are visiting. When you pick a country from the list, the GSM frequencies needed for that country will appear underneath. Jun 30, 2012 When the phone was restored from backup, Apple pushed the unlock code to our phone which unlocked the phone permanently! Here is the welcome message we got: My wife was literally dancing because it has been more than a year she was struggling to use her iPhone 4 in India with Airtel service provider. However, the joy did not last long.
Business travelers who shy away from mobile phone use while traveling overseas due to high cost represent a productivity loss to the overall enterprise. Frost & Sullivan reports that employees believe smartphones boost their productivity by 34 percent, saving them nearly an hour of work time each day. With smartphone users accessing over 26 apps per month and relying on those apps to help them be effective at their jobs, they’re missing out on one of the tools that make them so efficient when using their smartphones at home.
Smartphones free people up to conduct core business tasks, even when they’re away from their desks. Work on-the-go is becoming the norm, with 76 percent of respondents in a recent FlexJobs survey reporting that they leave the office to complete their most important work tasks. All these numbers point to a business landscape where the smartphone is increasingly indispensable for the enterprise user. Workers need and expect to access data seamlessly, and that expectation isn’t lowered when walking into the international departures terminal. Enterprise mobility managers are tasked with maintaining connectivity for those who are traveling overseas, without incurring massive international roaming charges.
Benefits of Unlocked Phones
An unlocked device addresses the cost factor handily, as travelers to Europe can buy international SIM cards for about $20 in airport vending machines, restoring much-needed mobility. While cost is the primary motivator in most cases, unlocked devices offer a number of other advantages to enterprise mobility. For businesses with a multinational footprint, unlocked devices enable a new level of standardization, making it possible to get the entire workforce onto a single mobile platform, regardless of local carrier constraints. This can have a ripple effect, helping managers contain training, maintenance and repair expenses. It’s also easier to manage security on a single device set.
From a device management perspective, using unlocked phones and switching SIM cards for international travel can add some new complexities. Users need to be aware of having multiple international SIM cards and make sure they’re using the right one as they move about. Still, compared to the complexity of maintaining multiple device types, different carriers and a potential slew of roaming agreements, this requires a fairly minor administrative effort.
Business leaders are understandably frustrated by the cost and complexity inherent in international smartphone usage. With the ability to reduce cost, simplify inventory and streamline the traveler’s experience, the unlocked smartphone represents a powerful alternative to the status quo.
As technology empowers collaboration around the world, it’s important to understand how toeffectively reach your mobile workforce.
Updated on December 17, 2019 by Asher Fergusson
Step-by-Step Guide to Using Cell Phones in India + How to Get a Local SIM Card
Quick facts:
a) India has recently surpassed 1 BILLION cell phones in use which is 40x the number of their landlines!
b) The cell phone coverage and reception is pretty darn good across most of the country (except for some remote rural areas) and the rates per minute are among the cheapest in the world.
How To Unlock Foreign Cell Phones In India Market
Here’s the deal:
Follow these tips below to learn how to get a SIM card (without getting scammed), what the going rates are, how to recharge your plan and which phone you should use.
1) Firstly, why do you need a cell phone for India?
Some people say, “I don’t know anyone in India, so why do I need a cell phone?”
There are several good reasons, such as to:
- Make a reservation at your next hotel in another state.
- Communicate with a fellow traveler.
- Call the authorities or an ambulance in an emergency.
- Cross check something that a scamming taxi driver says.
- Look up a Google Map or Wikipedia entry.
- Call your new Indian friend or your family at home.
- Send an email or text to anyone in the world.
- Make a calculation at a shop to verify you’re not being ripped off!
There are of course a million other reasons that you could need a cell phone but you get the idea.
2) Make sure your phone is compatible with the GSM band
The GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) frequency band for India is the same as Europe and most parts of the world at GSM 900 and GSM 1800. The US and Americas GSM is different so your US mobile cell phone might not work in India (check to be sure).
Also, it is best to get a local SIM card so you will require an unlocked phone that can take new SIM cards. I’ve listed a few of my suggested phones below.
If you’re wondering, “what the heck is a SIM card?!” — it’s the little chip inside a phone that connects to your provider (pictured at the top of this page). In the US the service providers typically lock them into the phone so you can’t easily change carriers. As far as I know, almost all other countries have phones that are unlocked.
3) Bring a phone from home that you don’t mind losing
I have a phone I use specifically for my India trips because I’m not going to take my $900 iPhone. This brings me peace of mind and assurance that I’m not about to waste a ton of money if it gets lost or stolen. Although, that’s what travel insurance is for 🙂
Here are a few good (affordable) options that I recommend:
4) Bring copies of your passport/visa & passport sized photos
To buy a SIM card in India you will be required to provide a copy of your passport and visa as well as some passport sized photos of yourself.
Often times you’ll also need to show proof of your Indian address which can be a letter from your hotel manager. Additionally, you may be asked for proof of your home address which could be a copy of your driver’s license.
I know, this is pretty strict but they say it is to help curb terrorists using cell phones in India…
5) Where can you buy the actual SIM card and also where do you recharge your SIM minutes?
I like to try to get a SIM card from the International airport that I arrived in India at. They are usually more organized and more likely to not cause any troubles when compared to getting one from a vendor on the street. Although, this means you likely will have to already have proof of address in hand before you arrive in India.
If you don’t manage to get one from the airport then the next best option is to go to an official office of one of the top service providers such as Airtel, Vodafone or Reliance. These can be found in every major city across India. If in doubt ask your hotel to help you organize it.
One thing to note is that it can take a while for them to verify your address and you should insist that they do because otherwise the SIM will “magically” be turned off after just a few weeks of service!
You can recharge your SIM card minutes or data at any participating vendor on the street that is displaying your service provider’s logo. Make sure you see that your phone actually recharges while you’re in the shop in order to avoid getting scammed.
6) How much should the SIM card cost?
The actual SIM card shouldn’t cost more than 150 to 200 rupees and the average costs for calls, texts and data are as follows (approx. 67 rupees to US$1):
- Local calls = 1 rupee/ minute
- Local texts = 1 rupee/ minute
- International calls = around 7 rupees/ minute
- International texts = around 5 rupees/ minute
- 3G data with Airtel = approx. 300 rupees/ 1GB
- 4G data with Airtel = approx. 650 rupees/ 1GB
The convenience of having 3G mobile Internet is pretty epic when you’re in outback India checking Facebook while on a train but it can get expensive fast if you’re doing a lot of work.
In this case, you may be better off to get a 3G Dongle that connects via USB to your laptop. The same documentation as above will be needed for getting your hands on one of those suckers.
7) Which is the best cell phone service provider to use in India?
These are my favorite carriers in India:
I have had the best experience and coverage with Airtel and Vodafone. Although, all of them seem to have quite terrible customer service so be warned and be patient.
In the picture above you can see a couple of friends of mine when we set up an office in India for a working holiday there.
8) Lastly, beware that SIM cards have a limited life
How To Unlock Phone T Mobile
Usually a Simcard will stop working after 3 months of inactivity. They claim this is to stop terrorism. It is a bit annoying if you plan to come back next year.
Cell Phone Service In India
One way around it is to lend it to your friends who may be going to India within the 3 months after you get back.
Typically you should expect that you’ll need a new SIM card every time you go to India.
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