International cellular broadband data devices

[wendellt]

im travelling most of next year to remote places around the globe shooting special features

and i need to know as much data on mobile broadband usb models

i currently use telstra next g for local press stuff but overseas roaming charges are nuts

in italy i used the swift service and in the states i used sprint

but what do people use in africa, the middle east and in south america
is there a satellite broadband service for across the globe

just asking here first but ive done some of my homework and asked other travelling phogs who work for getty
but everyone is protective you know

just on occassion i need to upload images to agency and use google maps and other minor internet services for travel info on the go

[Alpha_7]

Have you considered a pocket router (wireless) that you can connect all your devices into and then just getting a local prepaid sim for the country you're in ?

[radar]

AT&T has some "reasonable" international data plans if you have a US cell phone. Have a look here:
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/inter ... s.jsp#data

and look at their 100 listed countries, it is good info on services in different countries.

The services in Africa and South America are expanding rapidly so things may be different on the ground.

Last year in Africa, as an example, SMS text messages in Zambia and Namibia would take anywhere from 1 hour to 3 days to get to Australia. This was in remote areas, ymmv in bigger cities. South Africa was very good overall.

HTH,

André

[biggerry]

just getting a local prepaid sim for the country you're in ?

yep, thats the way to do it, whether you use a router or just another phone this works well, this is what we have done for work and holidays...

[tommyg]

im travelling most of next year to remote places around the globe shooting special features

and i need to know as much data on mobile broadband usb models

Don;t know too ,uch about the data mobile side, but do you need someone to help you?

[wendellt]

Hi
Thanks for the replies much appreciated
In the states you cant buy prepaid mobile Internet or sim cards because at@t and big telcos want to sell you their sim card data plans with a device such as iphone 4

The at@t roaming sounds good, vie previously been on vodafone and telstra roaming but hey are both really expensive

I have to research cellular coverage in remote areas because if it were viable I'd get a router for the phone and pc

I wonder If there is a satellite service for really remote areas

Tommy I could use the help but unfortunately I don't have the budget to bring someone along this time

Thanks guys

[radar]

I wonder If there is a satellite service for really remote areas

Won't be cheap but that's satellite. We had satellite comms both voice and data in Antarctica, doesn't get much more remote then that

If you know where in the remote areas you are going to, you may be able to get information from local reputable tourist operators/camps. A lot of these places rely on satellite comms and at the very least, they would be able to tell you which service they are using. They probably would be more friendly to talk to then photographers

when you do find a lot of this out, I would be interested in finding out, so please report back if you can.

cheers,

André

[gstark]

In the states you cant buy prepaid mobile Internet or sim cards because at@t and big telcos want to sell you their sim card data plans with a device such as iphone 4

Oh dear. I wonder what it was that I bought then? It certainly looked a lot a SIM card, and certainly fitted into a Nokia and an iPhone's SIM card slot ... and then the phone connected to a network just as if it had a SIM card installed .....

Seriously, yes you can; certainly in the US, and certainly in EU. Of course the telcos want to upsell you, but who cares about what they want?

The at@t roaming sounds good, vie previously been on vodafone and telstra roaming but hey are both really expensive

I would not do roaming at all; just grab a local SIM. Even in places like HKG, people swap SIMs as they travel between HKG and Shenzen, for instance.

And AT&T in the US is not a good way to go; their coverage and reception is legendarily poor.

Many of the newer Android phones have WiFi tethering built in, making them a portable hotspot. Anything with FroYo (2.2), or the Samsung Galaxy S, or the Motorola Defy (which is a very nice little phone).

I wonder If there is a satellite service for really remote areas

Are they your elbows that I see sticking out of your very, very deep pockets, sir?

Yes, satellite is not amongst the cheaper options. If you don't have the budget for Tommy, you'll also be unlikely to have the budget for satellite either. Further, you've been talking about going into areas where you're thinking in terms of your camera being used sacrificially. I'd add any form of satellite gear to the list of sacrificial gear.