Travelling overseas? Here are the best overseas data roaming plans to activate
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Now that borders have reopened, it may be time to dust off your passport and resume the Singaporean hobby of globetrotting. If the long weekend jam at the Causeway and queues at Changi Airport are any indication, Singaporeans are more than ready to travel. Yet, before we fly, there’s one essential preparation we should make: ensuring that we have mobile data overseas.
A good overseas data roaming plan is essential for smoother travel. Lost your way finding that tourist attraction? Check Google Maps. Need a ride? Hail a taxi or Grab/ Gojek/ Uber. Want to know what time that restaurant closes before you make the hike there? Check the internet. All these everyday activities we do require data roaming when we are overseas.
Read Also: What Are The Best SIM-Only Plans In Singapore (2022 Edition)
There are a few options when it comes to obtaining mobile data during our overseas trips: adding an overseas data roaming plan, renting a WiFi router, or using a pre-paid overseas data SIM card. In general, roaming providers will restrict you to their preferred network partners and this may result in spotty mobile coverage when you are travelling in more remote locations.
Using an overseas data roaming plan is probably the simplest and easiest option. We just have to add on the overseas data roaming plan to our existing local mobile plan. Most of the time, this can be done instantly using our mobile provider’s app. The payment will be billed along with our regular mobile plan which makes it a fuss-free choice.
However, the disadvantage is that we would be tied to the overseas data roaming plans provided by our existing mobile plan provider. If we are a Singtel user, we cannot choose to use a Starhub overseas data roaming plan, even if it is better suited to our needs.
If we are frequent travellers, it may be worth considering switching our regular mobile plan provider to one that provides the best overseas data roaming plan for our desired destination countries. Thankfully, the availability of SIM-only plans also make it easy for us to switch.
Read Also: WiFi Router VS Data Roaming VS Overseas Data SIM Card: Which Should You Choose For Your Next Overseas Trip?
In general, most mobile plan providers (including SIM-only plans) have overseas data roaming options that can be added on to your mobile plan. This can be single destination data roaming (meaning you can only use it in one country) or multi-destination data roaming (which is suitable if you intend to travel to more than one location).
Singtel ReadyRoam
Singtel users have access to ReadyRoam which can be activated using the My Singtel app. This can be done up to 30 days before your trip or activated instantly.
Frequent travellers may also consider activating AutoReadyRoam which automatically activates the lowest tier multi-destination ReadyRoam plan (from $12/GB) for you. However, you frequently travel to Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand, manually activating the single destination ReadyRoam plaln ($5/GB) will be more cost effective.
Starhub DataTravel
Starhub users have DataTravel which gives 2x roaming data from as low as $5. This can be activated via My Starhub App or SMS instantly or scheduled from 24 hours to 30 days in advance.
Those of us who are afraid of unwittingly enabling data roaming and consuming too much data have an option to activate DataRoamCap. Once the data roaming charges hit $100, data roaming service will be automatically disabled until the next billing cycle.
Additionally, StarHub also offers DataTravel Unlimited for unlimited data usage $19/ $25/ $30 per day depending on the destination. You can even stay connected with unlimited data while travelling with their Inflight Connectivity ($25 per day) and Maritime Connectivity ($25 per day) options.
(3+3GB Free)
M1 Data Passport
M1 users have their Data Passport which allows you to use your local data as your overseas data roaming. This is valid a month from activation and can be activated via My M1+ app. There is also an option for recurring Data Passport which will be valid on a monthly recurring basis until deactivated. If you fully utilised your local data under Data Passport, the excess data will be charged at $11.99/GB. There is an activation fee of $5 for each Data Passport activation.
There is also Unlimited Data Roaming for $15 or $25 per day for selected countries.
TPG Super Roam
All TPG mobile users have free 1 GB or 2GB data roaming to 57 Group A destinations built-in to their regular mobile plans. TPG users can also use the TPG 4G Voice App to make calls when overseas using their plan entitlements.
Additionally, TPG offers their SIMBA SuperRoam plan which offers 10GB data roaming as part of their regular mobile plan.
Circles.Life GoRoam
Circles.Life users can give their mobile plans a short-term overseas data roaming boost with GoRoam APAC and GoRoam EU/USA. They also have the option of recurring data roaming with GoRoam Plus.
$20/month
$12/month
MyRepublic Roam Like Home
MyRepublic users have Roam Like Home which can be purchased as one-off boosters or monthly recurring add-ons.
giga gigaRoam
giga users have access to gigaRoam which has two data roaming passes. Up to 5 passes may be activated at one time or you can buy the next pass when one runs out.
GOMO Roaming
GOMO users also have access to Roaming. Rates are mainly available on their GOMO app.
Changi Mobile
Changi Mobile users have access to Roaming Bundle which includes talktime and SMS and Data-Only Roaming.
CMLink Roaming
CMLink users can share their data across Singapore, mainland China and Hong Kong as part of their regular mobile plans. The regular mobile plans also include international calls to mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and USA numbers.
VIVIFI Go
VIVIFI users have VIVIFI Go which offers both Data Roaming and Roaming Voice and SMS.
The best value is TPG which offers free 1GB or 2GB data roaming as part of their regular mobile plan. Even if you somehow exceed, their add-on data is the cheapest at $4 per GB for Malaysia, tied with Changi Mobile.
Starhub edges out the rest with their 1+1GB roaming data plan, making it $5 for 2GB while Singtel, VIVIFI, CMLink and giga all offer $5 for 1 GB for data roaming in Malaysia.
The best value again is TPG which offers free 1GB or 2GB data roaming as part of their regular mobile plan. Even if you somehow exceed, their add-on data is among the cheapest at $4 per GB for Indonesia.
GOMO surpasses everyone with their Roam Like A Local with $5 for 4GB for data roaming in Indonesia. This is followed by Changi Mobile at $4 for 1GB, Starhub at $5 for 2GB and CMLink, giga, Singtel at $5 for 1GB.
M1 and Starhub offer unlimited data roaming on a per day basis. Between the two, the cheaper choice will depend on your destination country and range from $15 to $30 per day.
If you are an avid seafarer, or fan of yachts and cruises, Starhub’s Maritime Connectivity is the only option for data roaming at sea and may be well-worth considering if you are frequently out at sea.
Starhub is also the only mobile provider that offers data roaming in the air with their Inflight Connectivity. However, most airlines do offer their in-plane WiFi options which will not require you to switch your regular mobile plan provider.
For exchange students or workers sent on overseas posting, changing to a local mobile plan or juggling an additional local SIM card may be a hassle, especially when you are there only for a few months. Most likely, you would still want to retain and access your Singapore number (such as for banking OTPs) but most short-term data roaming plans will be insufficient for your needs.
This is where M1’s Data Passport which enables you to convert your local data bundle to overseas data roaming really shines. Sure, you have to pay both the activation fee ($5 one-time) and the fee for Data Passport (from $12 monthly) but it may be well worth the expense, as you won’t need to switch mobile numbers or juggle multiple SIM cards.
While it is quite simple to activate data roaming just before we travel, our regular mobile plan provider may not be offering the best deal, especially if we are frequent travellers.
Currently, two providers stand out for providing free data roaming as part of their regular mobile plans: TPG and CMLink.
TPG offers free 1 GB or 2GB data roaming to 57 Group A destinations built-in to their regular mobile plans and make calls when overseas using their plan entitlements using the TPG 4G Voice App. For short trips, this may be sufficient for most travellers. For longer trips, TPG’s SIMBA SuperRoam plan offers 10GB data roaming as part of their regular mobile plan.
Frequent travellers to mainland China and Hong Kong, may want to consider CMLink. CMLink’s regular mobile plans allows you to share your data usage across Singapore, mainland China and Hong Kong as part of their regular mobile plans. The regular mobile plans also include international calls to mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and USA numbers.
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