AT&T becomes first major US carrier to offer international LTE roaming

AT&T customers roaming the exotic land of Canada will no longer have to put up with sluggish 3G data, as long as they're willing to pay the price.

The top-tier US carrier just inked a deal with Rogers, the No. 1 wireless carrier in Canada, to offer LTE data to AT&T customers visiting the US's northern neighbor.

That officially makes it the first carrier to offer international LTE roaming.

AT&T's international LTE plans come at a price, but for customers hoping to continue their normal data habits while abroad it might be worth it.

Roger that

The carrier's international LTE packages range from 120MB for $30 per month to 300MB for $60 per month, and finally 800MB for $120 per month.

Going over the limit incurs no exorbitant fees, but instead users who do so will be charged an additional $30 charge for another 120MB of data.

With these roaming packages AT&T users will be able to latch onto Rogers' network to access the Canadian carrier's LTE towers.

Rogers is the biggest carrier in Canada, covering 70% of Canadians, and it's about to expand into 95 new markets by the end of the year.

Tying the knot

This partnership re-affirms AT&T's "commitment to deliver superior international coverage to our customers," said AT&T Mobility's Executive Vice President of International, Alliances and Integrations Bill Hague.

Customers who need a fair amount of data while traveling through Canada may have to shell out quite a bit of cash, in some cases perhaps even doubling their existing wireless bills.

But it's better to have the option than not, right?

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