[stove]

Google Fi has been amazing as a "digital nomad". Show up in country X and have a working phone with 4g/LTE + ability to tether. Local sim cards are cheaper, but you can't beat the ease of use.

Conversely, I've noticed that my cell service is significantly better (call quality, coverage, etc.) abroad than it is in the SF Bay Area.

[copperx]

> ability to tether

In a different thread, people were complaining that Google Fi doesn't let you tether while roaming. Is that false? Or is it just a limitation for certain phones?

[dlisboa]

Only for iPhones. Androids tether normally. It's due to agreements between Google and the carriers. I was able to tether with an iPhone in Costa Rica, but I've been to 20+ countries with it and it's been only one or two countries where it worked.

[dannyr]

I had 0 problems tethering using Google Fi.

[kenneth]

With an iPhone you can't tether while roaming. I bought a Huawei LTE router devices and popped in a data sim for when I'm traveling and the speeds are ludicrous. (Like, stream 1080p with zero issues, use 4GB in an hour. Dangerous on my limited plan)

[londons_explore]

As long as you start tethering before you're roaming, and don't let the connection drop, it keeps working while roaming.

[cromka]

That's because while roaming your phone chooses best signal available from all available carriers they have their roaming agreements signed with via UK Three, which is their proxy for roaming services.

[londons_explore]

Three's roaming agreements have good and bad countries. For example, in most of Russia they limit you to 64kbps, which isn't really usable.

[ro0ster]

I also get very poor service while in Bay Area but great outside of that. My fix is using a Fi Switch type of app to get off of Sprints network.

[objektif]

Have you tried Tmobile for international travel? I wonder how it compares. I belive it is cheaper than this plan.

[umeshunni]

T-Mobile limits you to 128/256kbps in international roaming. That worked great when it was introduced but nowadays I find that most apps are barely functional at 128kbps. While roaming, I want at least my messaging, mapping and email apps to work and everything else can wait till on WiFi. Even FB messenger and Google maps struggle at that.

[fitzroy]

Completely agree. I used Sprint's 128kbps roaming and it's better than nothing, but so many basic things just won't load. iMessage and Google Maps were decent (particularly if you download the map for offline).

What doesn't get mentioned enough is that 128/256kbps roaming absolutely kills your battery because the phone's radio has to stay on so much longer.