"Significantly, they agreed that these alerts would be provided free of charge and there was no opt in." While some wireless carriers are already providing consumers with some notifications, carriers don't have to fully comply with the industry standard until next spring. But travelers don't have to wait. There are a number of steps you can take right now. One solution is to simply buy a prepaid local phone once you reach your destination. But if you can't part with your smartphone, John Walls of CTIA, the industry trade group, says you can turn off your phone's roaming function. "So that the only time that phone will work in a data capacity is in a Wi-Fi area that won't cost you." You can also turn the device off completely and turn it on only if you know you are inside a Wi-Fi hotspot. You can also purchase a prepaid data plan. In short, says Walls, consumers have choices. "But you do have to be proactive and in this case go get it." He urges travelers to call their wireless carrier's customer service line and check the provider's website before they leave home.