Your iPad 3G International Plan

Any big travel plans this summer? If you are making big plans to take your brand new iPad 3G overseas, make sure you understand very well the international data plans. Whether you are an existing iPad 3G owner, or plan to buy one in the coming weeks, you may want to think carefully before activating the 3G international plan during your trip.

The international data plans for your new toy were released this week, and the pricing is not cheap. The available “Data Global Add-On” options look like this:

• $24.99/month: 20 MB Data Global Add-On for 30 days
• $59.99/month: 50 MB Data Global Add-On for 30 days
• $119.99/month: 100 MB Data Global Add-On for 30 days
• $199.99/month: 200 MB Data Global Add-On for 30 days

You can purchase the different data options directly from your iPad 3G by navigating to Settings > Cellular Data. The international roaming pricing seems to be in line with the international options for the iPhone, however, the iPad add-ons WILL NOT renew automatically every month.

The iPad 3G gives you the option to schedule when the data option plan will be added to your account, allowing you to purchase/schedule the service before you travel.  The add-on options stay in effect for 30 days, and you must have a domestic data plan in order to purchase an international data plan.

If you happen to be traveling for more than 30 days, you should plan accordingly to ensure continuous network connectivity. Of course, you could always have the option to jump into a Wi-Fi network operated by your hotel or a nearby Internet café.