FCC Web resources target international travelers

Mobile voice-over-IP services received an endorsement of sorts today from the Federal Communications Commission, as the FCC announced plans for new Web resources aimed at U.S. residents traveling abroad.

On a call with reporters this morning, FCC officials noted that people who do not plan ahead when they make international trips may find their phones do not work or may end up with costly roaming charges when they receive their cell phone bills. “What we are trying to do is to provide information to Americans traveling to other countries so they can make informed decisions about phone usage,” said Roderick Porter, deputy chief of the FCC’s International Bureau, on the conference call.

“A lot of our advice is around how to reach your provider and get the right information from your provider,” added Joel Gurin, chief of the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. “People may be confused whether their SIM card will work with their phone or not. And they may be interested in using services like Skype, Fring and Truphone. We’re trying to pull together all of this information in one place.”

A new tip sheet for wireless world travelers created by the FCC includes contact information for the three mobile VoIP providers and for five traditional U.S. wireless service providers such as Verizon and T-Mobile. “Internet calling is a cheap (sometimes free) way of making calls,” the tip sheet says.

The FCC is also launching a video and a daily blog to support its new information resources. And to call attention to the new resources, the FCC has designated the week of June 21 as Wireless World Travel Week.