Topic: Roaming

New European Union roaming agreements that went into effect on June 15, 2017, have eliminated additional costs for mobile data across member states. Travelers are advised to purchase local prepaid SIM cards rather than expensive international plans from carriers like T-Mobile. Testing in France and Italy confirmed that 5G and LTE speeds are now consistently available across borders using a single European SIM.

The show closes with a chaotic remix of various soundboard clips, including the "Giga" data roaming anecdote from Italy and various political catchphrases. The hosts sign off with their traditional "Adios Mofos" and remind listeners of the upcoming Sunday music special. The final segments emphasize the show's independent, listener-supported nature.

A traveler in Rome experiences severe connectivity issues while attempting to secure high-speed data for a broadcast. Despite having five different network options, including T-Mobile, Sprint, and a local Vodafone MiFi hotspot, the user encounters strict data caps and an inability to purchase additional "gigas" until the end of the billing cycle.

Frustrating interactions with T-Mobile customer support reveal that international roaming speeds are often throttled to 128 kilobits per second despite paid upgrades. After escalating the issue via Twitter to CEO John Legere, the user is asked to install a social media help app with invasive permissions, highlighting the inefficiency of standard troubleshooting scripts.

A traveler using an XCOM Global Wi-Fi hotspot in Europe experienced a service cutoff due to alleged "excessive data use" after minimal activity. The incident highlights the limitations of international roaming agreements and the lack of transparency regarding what constitutes streaming or high-bandwidth usage for rented devices.

The high cost of international data roaming is discussed alongside a UK travel warning issued for LGBT travelers visiting Mississippi and North Carolina. The hosts reflect on their 2008 theory that political debates would increasingly center on gay rights issues.

T-Mobile's international data roaming and tethering policies are analyzed during a remote broadcast. While the provider offers unlimited worldwide data, high-speed tethering for laptops requires separate data buckets that can reach costs of $50 for 20 gigabytes. The performance of LTE in New York City is noted as sufficient for high-quality audio transmission without significant latency.

A personal anecdote describes a frustrating interaction with AT&T customer service regarding international data roaming charges for an iPhone. The host joked with the representative that the NSA would have a record of their agreement to waive potential fees. Additionally, listeners are reminded that Google Reader is shutting down and are encouraged to export their subscription lists in OPML format.

A listener confesses to cutting off her husband's donations during an unpaid maternity leave before becoming addicted to the show herself. This leads to a discussion on international data roaming scams, with the hosts sharing anecdotes about $3,500 phone bills and negotiating with AT&T for "consideration" on overages.

Miss Mickey has received her travel papers, allowing the hosts to plan a departure from Amsterdam to Austin via Atlanta. A significant dispute with AT&T is detailed, involving a $750 monthly bill triggered by international roaming, voicemail charges, and data spikes following an iOS 6 upgrade. The discussion highlights frustrations with SIM-locked phones and the inability to shut off data services remotely.

The hosts analyze leaked documents from the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) in Dubai. They mock proposals from Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia that attempt to apply old telecommunications rules to the internet, such as "internet roaming" and emergency service notifications. They conclude that the regulators do not understand how the internet actually functions.

The American Jobs Act proposes a nationwide public safety interoperable broadband network for entities like FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. The plan involves negotiating roaming agreements with commercial providers like AT&T and Verizon, allowing government traffic to take priority over consumer data during emergencies. This prioritization could potentially degrade or terminate existing civilian voice and data sessions.

A representative from Cellular South testified that AT&T has refused to negotiate data roaming agreements despite FCC mandates. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson dismissed the complaint by claiming technological incompatibility between CDMA and GSM networks. The hosts argue the hearing was "rigged" and that major telecoms use patent-style tactics to lock out smaller regional carriers.

Adam Curry recounts a frustrating experience with AT&T's international roaming charges for his daughter in London, where text messages cost nearly a dollar each. John C. Dvorak mentions a listener who received an $8,000 bill after a week in Finland. They advise travelers to use unlocked phones and local GSM SIM cards to avoid "bait-and-switch" pricing from major carriers.

EU Commissioner Viviane Reding is leading a crackdown on "anachronistic" mobile roaming charges across Europe. In a recent interview, she detailed her efforts to force telecommunications operators to lower prices for voice calls, text messages, and mobile data. Reding has threatened strict regulation if operators do not voluntarily reduce the exorbitant costs associated with crossing borders within the European Union.

The reliability of mobile networks is questioned following missed text messages and delayed voicemails while traveling between the United Kingdom and the United States. Technical issues involving network hopping between O2, the 3 network, and AT&T resulted in a three-day delay for a message regarding Holland's Got Talent tickets. Plans are made to switch to a local UK number on a new iPhone to bypass international routing complications.

A discussion regarding UK mobile data services focuses on Vodafone's transition from hardware dongles to USB sticks offering 7.5 megabits down. The conversation highlights the high cost of international roaming and the frustration with "fair use" limits that restrict users to small monthly data allowances.

John C. Dvorak complains about technical failures when using Skype to call Adam Curry's forwarded mobile number in the UK. He describes a loop where AT&T's roaming partner, O2, requires the manual entry of a ten-digit number to access voicemail. Curry explains that this is a known issue with the O2 network's interaction with AT&T roaming rather than a specific conspiracy against Skype.

Frustrations with AT&T's SMS delivery delays and international roaming failures are detailed, including instances where text messages arrived days late. The technical difficulties of accessing voicemail while in the UK are highlighted, alongside a brief technical discussion on reconfiguring buttons on the Nokia E61 handset.