Cellhire, an international phone company, capitalizes on this growing demand by renting out and selling phones to people traveling out of country.
Greg Kraynak, said the service takes some of the pressure off people traveling because they don’t have to worry about how they’re going to call home.
“Staying connected is more important now than ever,” Kraynak said. “Even when you’re off on weekends, you’re checking your emails. It is critical that people have access wherever and whenever they need it.”
According to statistics by U.S. Passports and International Travel, 13,529,757 passports were issued for 2013 alone. Over the past decade, the number of Americans traveling overseas has also increased.
Kraynak said the company caters to both individuals and large companies like ESPN or Coca Cola. Cellhire is currently preparing for the upcoming Women’s World Cup and Alpine World Ski championship.
“We have some clients who come to us in an event of an emergency,” he said. “They just want a phone to make phone calls. We rent phones not only to international travelers, but we also rent local solutions to the media.”
Chad Berry has traveled to many countries in his lifetime. As assistant director of Capstone International Academic Programs, Berry interacts with international students coming to The University of Alabama from all over the world. Berry said some study abroad affiliate programs include a cell phone as part of their packages.
“I can see that as an advantage to have a phone through one of these companies that has international phones,” Berry said. “That way when you hit the ground, you already have a way to communicate with people either there or here.”
Cellhire has local offices in London, Paris and Moscow. Kraynak said the company does well in Europe because of its local presence.
According to a press release by Cellhire, finding a secure network can be difficult when traveling internationally, and unsecured Wi-Fi connections could open up a person’s computer to cyber theft. Kraynak said people are often interested in purchasing a Wi-Fi hotspot for high speed internet because it’s often cheaper than roaming on a U.S. provider.
“It is always better to be on a cellular network than on a Wi-Fi,” Kraynak said. “The reason for that is cellular networks are encrypted. Whoever else is using that wifi router can get into it and download information.”
Berry said people need to pay attention and be vigilant when using Wi-Fi connections, whether they’re traveling or at home.
Cellhire caters to people traveling to the U.S. from other countries such as South Africa or Russia. People often look for a way to communicate back home with their families and friends, and many local providers currently don’t have the means to answer the demand.
“If you buy a prepaid phone at Walmart, they have good plans for the U.S., but they don’t really have the option for international calling,” Kraynak said.
Kraynak said he feels privileged to help people communicate over large distances.
“Every year we get contacts from parents telling us how important it was that their son or daughter had one of our devices,” he said.
Berry said staying in touch will continue to be more and more important as technology evolves.
“The world is a lot smaller than it used to be in terms of communication,” he said. “So many things are done instantly. It’s definitely making it more of a globalized world.”
