How did T-Mobile land at the top of my list?  I have been through 3 of the 4 major U.S. cellular carriers.  By far the majority of my time has been with AT&T but now I find myself back in the house of T-Mobile.

I have the same requirements for dependable service and great coverage when it comes to my cell phone.  But increasing international travel, accompanied by the high coat of international calling and data plans forced me to re-examine my choice of carrier.

T-Mobile, a part of Deutsche Telekom, has the vision and the plans to serve the international traveller’s needs.  Their T-Mobile One plan offers unlimited calling, text, and data inside the U.S.  They offer unlimited entertainment, the ability to stream music and video from many providers.  The video stream is relegated to 480p which is adequate for viewing on a cellphone.  Tethering is permitted at 3G speeds.  I find this works when I need to provide a hot spot to my laptop in a pinch.  As an added bonus one hour of inflight data and texting is provided on flights served by the GOGO network.

The real winner in the plan is when traveling abroad.  Canada and Mexico are treated exactly the same as if your were in the U.S.  In over 140 other countries text and data are unlimited although at reduced (128 kbps) speeds.  This works well for texting and basic map navigation when away from wifi while out of the U.S.  Calling from these 140 plus countries is very reasonable with rates starting at 20 cents per minute. 

T-Moblie is also offering an add-on called One Plus.  Plus adds unlimited 4G tethering, unlimited day passes for HD video streaming, and double the data speeds internationally (256 kbps).

The service has worked well for me.  When arriving in a foreign country my phone has been quick to find the network and connect.  I strongly suggest the frequent traveller consider T-Mobile.

Already a T-Mobile One plan user?  Tell me how your experience has been.