Roaming around the world

Everyone dreads roaming charges. Two weeks spent abroad can take two months to pay off. Depending on your home country and operator plan, loading your Facebook page just ten times can cost more than $50.00.

In the May edition of the State of the Mobile Web Report, we take a quick peek at the differences in roaming fees around the world. Comparing rates from a selection of countries like the United States, Japan, Russia and more, we take a virtual trip around the globe to see how much it’ll cost us to use a megabyte of web data. We also have a look at how many dollars it may cost you to view the Facebook home page on a mobile phone, as well as checking your Gmail inbox.

The price differences are large, across the whole board. Depending on the operator plan and the country you are roaming to and from, the cost of surfing up a megabyte of data abroad can be 90 times more in one country than another country.

See the full table with the data.

We also found that, if you plan to surf while on vacation, investing in an international data pack from your operator is usually a good idea. Such data plans vary a lot in terms of cost, commitment to plans and limits for data usage so make sure to read up before packing your suitcases. Also, don’t forget to download Opera Mini to your phone before jetting off to your destination. By visiting m.opera.com on your phone, or your phone’s app store, you can download the penny-pinching Opera Mini app for free.

To read the whole report, go to http://www.opera.com/smw/.

Growth of Opera Mini

In May, 2012 Opera Mini’s consumer base increased in unique users, to an all-time high. In all, more than 196 million people used Opera Mini and Opera Mobile browsers in April. Compared to May 2011, Opera Mini and Opera Mobile combined grew 47.6% year over year.

Opera Mini’s servers (which do not process pages from Opera Mobile) served 113 billion pages and compressed close to 20 petabytes of data for Opera Mini users.

Since May 2011, page views have increased 79.5%.

To read the full report, please visit http://www.opera.com/smw/.

About Opera Software ASA

The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the web should be a universal right. 270 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the internet. Our vision of one web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. ‘Opera’, ‘Opera Software’, ‘Opera Mini’ and the ‘O’ logo are trademarks of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.