Have you ever seen roaming charges on your phone bill and wondered what they are for?
What is roaming?
Roaming is using continued data service while you are on another mobile operator other than your own service provider. For example, you can continue to text, make calls or use the internet on your phone while you’re on vacation abroad, without the need to get a local SIM card. This is thanks to the standing agreements between your service provider and local network operators in that country or area. While you typically accrue roaming charges when you travel international, technically, this can also happen even when you are home if, for example, your provider loses signal and your phone picks up another local provider’s.
Although domestic roaming is usually free, international roaming charges fees – either daily or per kb – and these charges can accumulate quickly. Roaming rates can get pretty expensive, especially if you use the internet. That includes using social media, streaming and downloading.
What are the charges?
About 85% of UK phone users who take their phones when they travel are not sure of what their roaming charges are. And while most phone users know that they will get charged expensive fees if they make calls while abroad, over 4 in ten people are still shocked when they receive their bills.
You can trigger roaming charges by:
- making or receiving phone calls, including when you leave voicemail or when you check your own voicemail
- sending or receiving text or SMS
- downloading or uploading any content on the internet, including sending or receiving email, posting on your social media or using applications on your phone that require an internet connection
The fees can vary, depending on where you are, the local network that you are using and whether you are using text, voice or internet services.
You will know that you are roaming by checking the name of the service provide that you are using. This will appear on your phone’s home screen, usually on the top part of the screen. If you see a network operator other than your own, then you are using that network’s signal and you are roaming.
There are usually settings on most phones where you can switch roaming off.
Learn more about your roaming fees and charges and call Callsure Numbers today on 01753 624 121
