Why Travel Insiders Are Ditching Wi-Fi Routers for Ahamo Mobile Carriers

In fact, there are zero drawbacks to “ahamo,” such as…

When it comes to overseas travel or short-term business trips, ahamo is certainly sufficient. However, it’s important to note that it’s not without its drawbacks.

For instance, ahamo covers slightly fewer countries/regions compared to other mobile carriers for international roaming. As of March 2024, while NTT Docomo covers over 200 countries/regions and au/UQ Mobile covers over 160 countries/regions, ahamo covers only 91 countries/regions. Even though it covers 98% of the countries/regions where Japanese people travel, caution should be exercised when traveling to the remaining 2% of countries/regions.

Even if ahamo is available in a particular country, it doesn’t guarantee coverage in every corner of that country. When the author visited India in the fall of 2023, they found that while it worked in urban areas like Delhi, it became unusable as soon as they ventured slightly into the outskirts. Places like Agra, where the famous Taj Mahal is located, had virtually no coverage. Despite being considered an IT powerhouse, India’s infrastructure outside urban areas is still lacking, which might explain the issue. On the other hand, countries like South Korea, Taiwan, the United States (including Hawaii), and Western Europe had no issues, indicating a discrepancy in usability.

 

The local communication speed was generally satisfactory. However, in countries or regions where ahamo offers 5G support, such as South Korea, Thailand, and the United States, are limited. If you prioritize 5G, purchasing a local SIM card might be necessary.

Furthermore, speed restrictions apply after 15 days of overseas stay, even if you haven’t exceeded the monthly 20GB limit. These restrictions cannot be lifted until after returning to Japan.

In contrast, SoftBank’s “America Hodai” plan is preferred over ahamo in the United States. It not only offers free data communication but also includes free voice calls and SMS. While Hawaii, a popular destination for Japanese travelers, is covered, it’s worth noting that Guam and Saipan are not included.

 

 

Convenient to use immediately upon arrival at the destination, and no more problems that are a staple of overseas travel.

Opportunities to use the Internet when traveling overseas are steadily increasing. In particular, it is very useful to be able to use the Internet as soon as you arrive at the destination, for example, when you want to take a cab from the airport.

Using an app, you can call a ride-sharing service such as “Uber” or “Grab,” pick up a car, and go to a hotel or other location with a pinpoint accuracy. At cab stands at airports, it is necessary to talk with the driver, and there can be problems with fares being ripped off. Ridesharing, on the other hand, is virtually free of such problems. The fare is known before the ride, and payment is made with a credit card registered on the app, so there is no exchange of cash. In countries and regions where it is difficult to walk around town, the range of activities has expanded.

Of course, it is also useful in the city. Even if there is Wi-Fi in cafes and other places, in some countries, such as India, you need a local cell phone number and cannot use Wi-Fi unless you can receive SMS. In China, “LINE” and “X” cannot be used with local lines or locally purchased SIMs due to the Great Firewall, but they can be used with ahamo and other Japanese overseas roaming services.