Using SMS While Roaming is Going to Cost You

Don't be shocked by your phone bill when you use SMS messaging out of the country. Photo stolen from SketchyD

Just got off the phone with my wireless provider, Rogers. I was inquiring about their roaming plans and charges for my trip.

I'm not expecting to use voice a whole lot because Skype is a much cheaper alternative. I figure I'll stay in touch with friends and family using that, email, and online chatting.

However, I do want to be able to send text messages to GoneNomad. Yes, SMS conversations with a website. That's what it's come to. I figured quick notes from my cell phone would be a great way to record my travels and for the geek-cool-factor these updates could appear live on a map on the site.

Unfortunately, the idea is costly. Rogers' text messaging plans do not include roaming charges so every time I send a note it would cost me sixty cents. Sure, if you got that for change you probably wouldn't think twice about dropping it in the tip jar, but here's some math:

Five text messages a day might be high since I won't be going on excursions daily (gotta work sometime, ya know). Still, pay like that for a year and you're looking at about a thousand dollars of text messages.

It looks like better times for Twitterers and SMS-fiends might be on the way but for now, it's ugly.

I'm still deciding what exactly I'm going to do about this, but saving the notes and entering them through the computer later is a possibility. Another one is to buy a Nokia N810 and use that to drop notes when there's WiFi nearby. *drools* That pricey gadget will still be half the cost of sending roaming SMS for a year.

Update! Just checked out a number of companies that offer global SIM cards and the pricing seems to be pretty unanimous: $0.60. If voice is a big deal for you, or you spend a lot of time in one country it might be a good idea, though. There's a good write-up about foreign SIMS from Slow Travel.