AT&T debuts Passport plans for international travelers
Ma Bell announces a trio of options for users who plan to use their mobile devices abroad.
AT&T on Monday announced new options for customers who expect to take their smartphones to with them to select international markets. The program, called Passport, includes three one-time purchase alternatives to the carrier's recurring Global packages.
Ranging from $30 to $120, the three bundles are good for a 30-day window and include unlimited messaging and AT&T Wi-Fi. The difference comes in determining how much data or talk time is anticipated in the time frame.
On the lower end of the spectrum, the $30 Passport plan gives users 120MB of data with phone calls costing $1 per minute. Moving up a notch to the $60 Passport Plus option, customers receive 300MB of data with calls coming in at 50 cents per minute. And, finally, the $120 Passport Pro allows for 800MB data; calling is priced 35 cents per minute.
The carriers have over the last year gotten more aggressive with its international offerings. T-Mobile offers unlimited data (at a slower 2G connection) and text messages in certain countries. Verizon allows customers to send outgoing text messages to certain countries at no cost.
For those who travel more often, or may require extended periods of international coverage, AT&T offers Global add-on bundles. It also has data-only plans for tablets, laptops and other devices.