Tablet Users Get Hit Hard by Roaming Charges
Tablets such as the iPad 2, the Motorola Xoom, and the Blackberry Playbook are creating such a craze with consumers this 2011. They now come with powerful features such as dual-core processors, larger displays, and other features that take performance to a whole new level. They can definitely do things we never thought possible in the not so distant past. However, with the use of these tablets abroad, you can also get hit hard by astronomical roaming charges. Since these tablets do cost an arm and a leg, you might have to spend significantly more just to use them. 
The consumer magazine “Which?” reported that browsing the World Wide Web, downloading files, uploading files, and streaming content on various slates while in another country will result in roaming charges that is extremely higher compared to charges incurred in the UK. Some have reported that the charges were a thousand times greater than what they are normally used to. In other words, while using tablets to do simple things such as browsing abroad, this can cost thousands of pounds compared to normally paying a total of £15.00 for data services.
Part of this problem is the lack of maximum spending on data charges for traveling Britons. True, there is a maximum amount charged regardless of the amount of data transferred to these devices. However, some networks do not implement these data caps. Another problem is not being transparent when it comes to data pricing.
According to Which?’s Ceri Stanaway, “With tablet data roaming costs often so astoundingly expensive, we’d like to see all operators do all they can to keep their customers informed of costs.” This can probably be done by service providers sending their customers notifications when they are about to incur overages. This will definitely prevent incurring thousands of pounds in roaming charges.
Source: Top10.com
