Rogers Communications Inc. has launched a new set of international roaming plans – and one of them is a plan for around $9.99 per day for data.
In an announcement today, Rogers said its new daily data roaming rate would depend on a traveller’s destination. For example, for customers visiting England, they would pay $9.99 for 20 megabytes (MB) per day.
That gives customers the ability to send about 400 emails, or visit 80 websites, or access 20 maps, according to Rogers’ estimates. Once customers hit the 20 MB limit within the 24-hour time range, Rogers will charge another $10 for another 20 MB.
For customers looking for more than just data, they can buy travel packs that bundle in voice minutes and texts – for example, a pack for Europe will cost around $60, giving customers 40 minutes of talk, 150 texts, and 40 megabytes of data for the month. More details on specific pricing by location are available at rogers.com/roaming.
Customers can buy these data plans just by shooting a free, quick text saying “TRAVEL” to 7626 while in Canada. Or, they will receive a text with a link to buy a travel pack once they land at their destination.
To keep track of their data usage while travelling, they can text “USAGE” to 3330 for free. They will also receive a free text message letting them know if they’re reaching the limits of their travel packs or data plans.
The idea behind these new plans is to simplify how Canadians pay for their smartphone use while travelling, said Raj Doshi, senior vice-president of products at Rogers.
“With these new travel packs and a daily data rate, customers should feel confident they can text, get online, and stay connected while knowing how much their services will cost,” said Doshi in a statement.
In May 2013, Rogers announced a similar plan for Canadian visitors to the U.S., offering 50 MB of data for around $7.99 each day.
And per the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s Wireless Code, carriers have to cap their national and international data roaming charges at $100 a month, meaning customers can’t rack up more than that amount once overseas.