T-Mobile 'Tourist Plan' delivers three weeks of US cell service for just $30
Visiting the US this summer? T-Mobile's 'Tourist Plan' offers an affordable way to stay connected for up to three weeks.
- Self-taught tinkerer, informal IT and gadget consultant to friends and family (with several self-built gaming PCs under his belt)
Visiting San Francisco from outside the US? T-Mobile has a cellular plan just for you.
Traveling internationally with your mobile phone can be a challenge. For those without a good international roaming plan, the choice is often to go Wi-Fi only -- or risk those often onerous international roaming charges.
For T-Mobile subscribers in the US, things were already considerably streamlined thanks to the company's Simple Global feature, which effectively added free international roaming (albeit at greatly reduced data speeds) to up to 145 countries worldwide. And now the company is flipping that option around to international visitors touring the US.
Starting June 12, the T-Mobile Tourist Plan will allow allow anyone with an unlocked phone to get a 3-week all-in plan when visiting the United States for just $30. (At current exchange rates, that's about £21, 27 euros or AU$42.)
The details:
- Unlimited data (but 4G LTE speeds for only the first 2GB)
- Unlimited domestic (US) and international texting to more than 140 nations
- 1,000 minutes of talk time within the US
- Free SIM card, no activation fee
If that sounds too good to be true, note that it's not renewable, and automatically expires after three weeks. Also, phone calls outside of the US aren't covered.
Still, it seems like a good deal for anyone who wants quick and easy access to the US network. The Tourist Plan will be available at any T-Mobile store, as well as "some dealers that offer T-Mobile prepaid services."
Head to T-Mobile's website for additional details.