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T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T customers in South Korea get free network access for the Olympics (Update)
To get free access to Verizon's network, you will first need to sign up for Verizon Up by January 28. To do so, download the My Verizon app, find the Verizon Up section, and follow the steps.
From there, sign up for Verizon's TravelPass either through the same My Verizon app or by texting "TRAVEL" to 4004.
If you want to avoid Verizon Up, the carrier is still handing out a free TravelPass on February 9. TravelPass includes unlimited calls and texts, though you are limited to 512 MB of LTE speeds. You are throttled down to 2G speeds once your high-speed bucket runs dry.
Thankfully, AT&T's process is much easier to follow. From February 1 through March 20, you can go here and grab free International Day Passes. In addition to unlimited calling and texting, these passes give you access to the data in your regular data.
Original story (1/25): With the Winter Olympics a few weeks away, T-Mobile looks to keep you connected during the popular event. The carrier is offering customers unlimited high-speed data in South Korea.
From February 7 through March 20, customers also get unlimited texting and calling within South Korea and to the US without paying a dime. This is a stark departure from T-Mobile’s typical international offerings, which include unlimited texts and data up to 2G speeds in over 140 countries and destinations.
According to T-Mobile, postpaid customers are eligible for the promotion at “absolutely no additional cost.” Prepaid customers are not completely left in the dust, since they can still pay for the carrier’s regular international offerings, but they are not eligible for this promotion.
Also, video streaming is capped at 480p resolution, a bummer for those with Quad HD resolution displays on their smartphones. Finally, those who use over 50 GB of data might see diminished speeds due to “data prioritization.”
Even with the caveats, T-Mobile has been on a roll recently. According to OpenSignal’s data, T-Mobile offers the fastest 4G LTE speeds and the fastest overall speeds. The carrier also has the highest percentage of 4G availability among all four major US carriers, though regional performance varies slightly.
When considering a recent study that suggests T-Mobile customers use the most data, it is a surprise that the carrier’s network has yet to buckle under the pressure. Either way, it appears that T-Mobile has your back if you visit South Korea for the Winter or Paralympic Games.