As travelling abroad has become popular again since the pandemic, using your business mobile phone abroad is common. It can, however, lead to unnecessary and expensive charges if you don’t consider certain aspects.

Roaming charges for calls, data charges and even security issues from unsecure WiFi can cause issues when you are abroad.

Here’s five things to think about when using a business mobile phone abroad.

Internet connectivity

For Internet connectivity, you need to know two things. Does your business phone have 4G or 5G and will you have secure WiFi where you’re going?

When using mobile data, 4G or 5G is ideal for faster speeds and stronger coverage but on certain networks, data can get expensive particularly if no roaming plans have been set.

It might be preferable to turn your data off while you’re abroad and rely on WiFi instead. If you need to download something, use WiFi and then access it later without using data.

There are also ways to communicate for work without making calls. Services like WhatsApp or Teams can let you send messages or video chat using WiFi, all with no requirement to access your data package.

Be aware though that public WiFi cannot always be secure. Criminals often target tourists by setting up fake WiFi networks to steal user information. Make sure that you use secure, password verified networks, preferably in your hotel or somewhere that is likely to be controlled.

Roaming charges

Using your phone abroad means leaving your home network and connecting to a local one, known as roaming.

Your phone should automatically connect to an alternative network in your destination country, so you don’t have to do anything yourself and you will be able to use data to access the web and send emails on your business phone while you’re travelling.

The draw back to this is the potential costs. It’s easy to rack up a surprisingly large bill this way if your network does not cover international roaming. Check with your provider whether you need to opt in or not if you want to enable data roaming.

To ensure that you are covered, you can pre-purchase a data roaming add-on or “bolt-on” from your provider before you travel.

This often gives you a cap of data to ensure that you don’t go over it and costs much less than spending out of bundle.

Costs of Calls

International call charges can be expensive. Even if you have inclusive data and set a spending cap, it can be easy to go over your limits.

This is why it’s a good idea to use apps like WhatsApp or Teams to communicate over WiFi instead.  Charges can also cover text messages and accessing voicemails, so be aware.

Make sure that anyone that you need to contact within your team has the necessary apps setup so that you can contact them easily.

Security

When abroad, particularly in tourist destinations, tourists can be seen as an easy target who often have their guard down when in a different country.

To protect yourself, you should make a note of the following information:

• Fifteen-digit IMEI number (usually a silver sticker on the battery pack, the back of the phone, or the box it came in)
• Handset make and model
• Your own mobile phone number
• Your provider’s customer services number (with UK dialling code)

Keep this information in a safe accessible place, separate from your mobile phone.

You should  also take steps to actively secure your device against theft and misuse:

• Lock your phone with a password or biometric print
• Lock your SIM card by setting a unique PIN
• Insure your phone against loss or theft (including during travel)
• Enable a Find My Device app for remote tracking and erasing

Without protecting your device,  criminals can quickly rack up a massive phone bill on your SIM that you’ll be responsible for paying.

If your business phone is stolen abroad, contact your provider a soon as possible so they can block the phone.

Device Management

If your phone is lost or stolen, your business could implement a security solution to remotely wipe your phone.

You could utilise an enterprise mobility management product such as IBM Maas360 to control access to accounts and applications on business devices.

Report a lost or stolen business phone to your company and the provider right away so they can take immediate action to protect your account.

The faster you report a missing phone, the lower the risk of data theft and fraud. Sorting out a replacement handset will be quicker, too.

Summary

Business phones make working on the go more convenient, but you need to be aware of the pitfalls.

If you feel that your security or preparation falls short, please do not hesitate to contact us on sales@completevoiceanddata.com or call 0333 772 9544.