Roaming helps ensure that a traveling wireless device (typically a cell phone) is kept connected to a network without breaking the connection. In wireless telecommunications, Traditional Roaming is a general term referring to the ability for a cellular customer to automatically make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, or access other services, including home data services, when travelling outside the geographical coverage area of the home network, by means of using a visited network. For example; should you travel beyond your cell phone company's transmitter range, your cell phone would automatically hop onto another phone company's service, if available.How does Roaming work?
In order for roaming to work, there are two components involved, the carriers and the phone.
- The Phone :
In order for the phone to be able to connect to wireless mobile operators, other than the one it was purchased from initially, the device must be compatible with the wireless network used by those carriers. In other words, a CDMA phone may not connect to a GSM network abroad, therefore Verizon and Sprint customers may find out that their handset can’t be used in Europe or in other international markets.
Similarly, not all GSM networks operate on the same bands, therefore not all GSM handsets can be used anywhere on Earth, so you should definitely pay attention to your handset’s connectivity characteristics in case you plan to roam a lot.
If you think 4G LTE connectivity will fix that problem, you should know that not all carriers that are adopting the next-gen wireless standard will use the same spectrum for LTE support, which means that not all LTE handsets will have 4G LTE coverage wherever LTE support is available. But we’ll tackle that problem once LTE becomes available in more and more markets
Similarly, not all GSM networks operate on the same bands, therefore not all GSM handsets can be used anywhere on Earth, so you should definitely pay attention to your handset’s connectivity characteristics in case you plan to roam a lot.
If you think 4G LTE connectivity will fix that problem, you should know that not all carriers that are adopting the next-gen wireless standard will use the same spectrum for LTE support, which means that not all LTE handsets will have 4G LTE coverage wherever LTE support is available. But we’ll tackle that problem once LTE becomes available in more and more markets
- The Carriers
In addition to the phone’s connectivity features, you also need two carriers to make roaming work, your home carrier and the visited carrier. The two mobile operators have to be bound by a mutually beneficial roaming agreement that lets one’s subscribers use roaming when under the other’s coverage. But don’t worry, most carriers, if not all, already have such agreements in place with most carriers, if not with all.
Why is it so important for them to offer roaming features? First of all, it’s all about marketing. Each carrier, especially major ones, want their subscribers to know that they’ll be able to use the handset, which is purchased in most cases for a subsidized two-year contract, abroad and enjoy the same services. And second of all, roaming agreements between carriers aren’t exactly controlled by a regulator (except in the EU), which means that mobile operators can jack up prices and raise their profit margins when it comes to charging for used voice minutes, SMS and MMS messages, and especially data used when roaming.
Even so, because mobile devices and mobile technology did not appear all of a sudden everywhere at the same time, there are various instances in which certain phones will not work in other countries, and we’re going to tell you why that happens in what follows.
Why is it so important for them to offer roaming features? First of all, it’s all about marketing. Each carrier, especially major ones, want their subscribers to know that they’ll be able to use the handset, which is purchased in most cases for a subsidized two-year contract, abroad and enjoy the same services. And second of all, roaming agreements between carriers aren’t exactly controlled by a regulator (except in the EU), which means that mobile operators can jack up prices and raise their profit margins when it comes to charging for used voice minutes, SMS and MMS messages, and especially data used when roaming.
Even so, because mobile devices and mobile technology did not appear all of a sudden everywhere at the same time, there are various instances in which certain phones will not work in other countries, and we’re going to tell you why that happens in what follows.
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