G3 Wireless Offers Global Cellphone Coverage with No Roaming Fees

If I were to take my Canadian phone, drive down to Seattle for something like PAX Prime, and make a quick phone call to confirm my hotel reservation, I could expect to see roaming charges on my cell phone bill of about $2 a minute. This means that if I’m put on hold with the hotel for ten minutes, the call could cost me $20. And don’t even get me started on what roaming charges look like when I use data or travel to other parts of the world.

Taking the guesswork and huge expense out of these roaming charges is the convenient global service offered by G3 Wireless. The idea here is that you can use one SIM card, travel to dozens of countries around the world, and enjoy up to 90% savings on all your talk, text and mobile data needs.

What Is G3 Wireless?

A division of G3 Telecom, G3 Wireless is a Canadian company that effectively lets you have global coverage in Canada, USA, Mexico, Europe, Caribbean, and other parts of the world, all while using a single SIM card and avoiding expensive roaming charges compared to your home cellphone provider. They offer service in over 200 countries around the world and you get full access for voice, SMS and data.

It is a fully prepaid service, so you can better predict your travel costs. You can choose to have a Canadian or a USA-based phone number, the SIM card is valid for one year and is fully renewable, and you can recharge your pay-as-you-go account on an as-needed basis. There are no hidden fees, no credit check and no contract.

The Prepaid SIM Card

The main product that they sell is the Global SIM Starter Pack. This retails for $29.95 and includes $10 of free airtime with free incoming text messages and free shipping. As you can see, the mini-SIM is convertible to a micro-SIM for better compatibility with a broader range of devices. You will need to provide your own compatible unlocked GSM phone. Alternatively, they have a couple of inexpensive travel cell phones that you can buy.

For the purposes of testing, I was provided with the Samsung A157 basic flip phone, which sells for $49. There is also the QWERTY-equipped Social FB101, also for $49, as well as the Sierra Wireless 754S Mobile Hotspot for $150. The data-only SIM card is $14.95 and also includes $10 of free airtime and free shipping.

International Coverage and Rates

Of course, the biggest advantage to using G3 Wireless while traveling is that you can save up to 90% compared to the roaming fees you’d pay with your home carrier. For example, if I were to make a call with G3 Wireless while roaming in Germany, I’d only pay 49 cents a minute. Outgoing texts would be 29 cents and data would be charged at 75 cents per megabyte.

The other huge advantage can be found with long distance. As you can see above, if I were to call an Australian number from Germany, it would still only cost me 49 cents a minute. This could easily be a lot more if I made the same call with my regular Canadian SIM in place.

For reference, calls within the United States are only 15 cents a minute, calls in Canada are 25 cents and calls in the Caribbean are 75 cents. You can check the global rates on the G3 Wireless website if you have a specific country or region in mind.

The Practical Travel Solution

Between flights, hotels, travel insurance and the rest of it, jetsetting around the world can be expensive enough already. With G3 Wireless, you can enjoy substantial savings of up to 90% on your mobile phone usage. There are no roaming fees and you effectively pay a rate that’s almost like the locals. The key is that you don’t have to sign up for a separate prepaid SIM in every country that you meet and you don’t have to bandy around with multiple numbers from multiple regions.

The transition between carriers, in my experience was seamless. I recently returned from a cruise in the Caribbean. The phone worked just as well in Turks and Caicos as it did when we docked back in Miami, just as easily as it worked when I drove home to Vancouver. With wide global coverage, G3 Wireless makes it easy and affordable to stay connected.