In today’s connected world traveling without International Roaming (IR) activated on your mobile phone can leave you helpless.
First, lets understand what International Roaming (IR) is?: Your home service provider has cell phone towers or Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) only in the country they operate, once you leave these network areas, you go out of network. International roaming is an agreement between 2 or more service providers in two different countries, that allows you to use your mobile phone outside of your home country. To summarize: International Roaming extends the coverage of the home operator’s voice, data & SMS services, allowing the mobile phone subscriber to continue using their home operator phone number (existing phone number) within another country.
You use network partners’ coverage while communicating. When you travel abroad, your mobile operator partners (IR Agreements) with foreign networks to provide you with services. This means you can use your phone exactly the same way, as you use it in your home country. Now this comes at the higher costs, because these inter carrier agreements pass on wholesale rates, network access fees, infrastructure expenses to subscribers.
Now, lets understand why International Roaming Activation is must while you travel abroad:
- Seamless Connectivity – Even when you leave your home country, many operators provide “in-flight” connectivity. “In-flight connectivity” (IFC) gives you data (in some cases voice) while on board an aircraft, this is provided through satellite. IFC allows passengers to stay in touch with world even during long-haul flights.
- Once you land on the airport – you are instantly connected with the roaming partner’s network. The first thing you would like to do after landing is to inform your family, your business partners or travel agent which will welcome you in visiting country.
- You will need data to book a taxi, using maps to locate your hotel, business partner office or any travel destination, which, without International Roaming activated on your phone, can’t be accessed, and will keep you stranded.
- Banking transactions back home, OTPs, posting on social media are must do things, which can’t be done without IR activated on your phone.
International Roaming gives you access to your permanent Home country phone number, without changing the phone number in country you are visiting.
To know more about International Roaming you can refer to Wikipedia
Read More:
- How does International Roaming Works?
- Why International Roaming is Costly?
- How to avoid exorbitant International Roaming costs?
