Staying Connected While Abroad

In our daily lives, most of us constantly connect to others via smartphones, text messages, email, instant messaging, social networking sites, or video conferencing. But only some expatriates realize that it is often difficult to take this level of connectivity with us when we move abroad. Likewise, traveling overseas can require some adjustments. Cell phone frequencies vary from country to country, and in many countries, cell phone data networks, WiFi access, and high-speed internet are less common than in North America, or they may be much more expensive. To help you stay connected while traveling or living abroad, we have compiled resources that provide information about the growing free internet resources to help you find connectivity online. We also offer overview articles below for other connectivity modes.

Google Meet, built for secure business meetings, is a fine tool for audio and visual communications for free.

Skype is a service owned by Microsoft, allowing calls worldwide using headphones connected to your computer. Computer-to-computer calls are free, while computer-to-landline calls are relatively cheap. The software offers many other features, including renting your number, call forwarding, chat, group chats, etc.

Zoom has now become the goto software platform to connect to all kinds of devices, with audio and visual capabilities, as well as groups. It is a great business platform for a price, as the free version only allows free calls for 100 attendees for 40 minutes.