Can you use your iPhone overseas

Can you use your iPhone overseas

If you are a business professional, than you use your iPhone for more than simply keeping in touch with your friends and family, in many cases your iPhone is your link to the business world.  Whether you are keeping track of your stocks, checking your e-mail or conducting conference calls while on your way to a business meeting, your iPhone is literally your key to keeping connected with your professional life.  However, if you are like most business professionals, than you travel the globe in order to keep your business active and profitable.  There are many concerns that people have with cell phones are whether or not you will be able to use your phone when you are in a different country, especially if you are visiting for an extended period of time.  

Like most cell phones, the iPhone works with a particular cell phone carrier, and in this case you have your service through AT&T/Cingular.  Many business professionals want the security in knowing that their cell phone service will not be disrupted simply because they travel from country to country.  Since the iPhone is serviced by AT&T/Cingular, you will not have to worry about loosing service, or features, because the iPhone uses the GSM system.  GSM is an acronym that stands for Global System for Mobile communication, thus allowing you to use your cell phone in many different countries.  Actually, there are over one hundred countries around the world that use GSM, thus allowing you to keep using your iPhone without any hindrance to cell service.  

Many business travelers go to Europe and Asia, and since their iPhone uses GSM, they are able to have excellent service throughout both of these locations.  However, there are some precautions that you will want to take before you leave the country with your iPhone.  If you have ever traveled throughout the world and used your cell phone, you were probably surprised by extremely high charges for phone and data use.

This is because your number is an American telephone number, thus every call you make within another country is looked upon by your carrier as an international call.  If you are overseas for quite some time, than it is easy to accumulate several hundred dollars worth of fees and roaming charges, this is why you will 
want to alter you calling plan if you travel overseas frequently.  

AT&T/Cingular has really great international calling plans that are very cost effective.  Thus you are able to still travel throughout the world without having to worry about roaming and international call fees.  Also, if you use data on your iPhone, which most of you do, you will want to make sure that you have an international data plan as well.  The worst homecoming surprise you can get is opening your cell phone bill only to find several hundred dollars worth of extra charges and fees.  However, if you plan ahead and make sure that you obtain a new service plan that includes international cell phone use, you will not have to worry about extremely high charges.