AT & T Global Phones

As a GSM carrier, AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless) offers a comprehensive global network. You generally can roam from Canada down through Argentina; throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia; and in various African countries. Coverage is also available in Japan and South Korea, but you must have a phone that operates on the 3G band of 2100Mhz. AT&T sells compatible handsets, or you can rent a phone equipped for those countries' networks. Coverage also extends to some cruise ships. AT&T sticks you with per-minute roaming charges, and you'll have to get your international roaming activated, but you're not liable for any long-distance charges. The carrier offers a selection of compatible phones, and if you manage to unlock your mobile, you can use a prepaid SIM card.

Frequent travelers can sign up for the AT&T World Traveler plan, which gives you a discount on most roaming rates in 190 countries for $5.99 per month. For travel closer to home, AT&T Canada offers a standard 59-cent-per-minute roaming rate for $3.99 per month, while AT&T Mexico offers the same rate for $4.99 per month. On the data side, the Unlimited BlackBerry International plan lets you receive unlimited e-mail for $69.99 per month. International data plans vary for Cingular Pocket PC, Palm, and Symbian devices, and you may be charged a $36 activation fee.

Service in: More than 190 countries with an AT&T phone
International roaming activation fee: None
Standard roaming rate: 59 cents to $3.49 per minute *
Long-distance charges: None
Internet usage: 2 cents per kilobyte
Text messages: 50 cents per sent message; 10 cents per received message
Multimedia messages: $1.30 per sent message; 25 cents per received message

* Varies by country and by international roaming plan.

The green areas indicate where you can use an AT&T world phone abroad. For a complete list of rates and coverage, visit AT&T's Web site.

AT & T World Phones

Sony Ericsson W810i LGC500

Samsung BlackJack

Motorola Razr V3