What Is Data Roaming Or Roaming

Today we are going to explain what data roaming or roaming is. These are two terms that we use a lot and that we more or less get an idea of ​​what they mean. We already told you how to deactivate it on your mobile, but in the absence of a more in-depth explanation, some users may still have doubts.

Smartphones are making it easier for us able to carry our entire world when we travel, both the private one with our social networks and management and the work world. However, we still do not have absolute freedom when it comes to connecting from any country with our mobile rate, and this is where these terms come into play.

What is roaming and roaming

The word roaming itself has no official definition, and translated into English it means Roaming. Therefore, both terms mean the same thing, and they are something that you have to watch out for when you travel abroad because if you do not care, they can lead to extra costs on your bill with your operator. But what exactly are they?

In the world of mobile telephony, data roaming is when you connect to the Internet through a different network than the one you have contracted with your smartphone. Come on, the one that you can send and receive calls, messages, and data when you are outside the coverage area of ​​your mobile operator.

In the European Union, under certain conditions, the operators have already agreed to stop charging additional costs for roaming. However, when you leave the Union you still have to keep paying when you make a call, send an SMS, or consume megabytes of data while you are away.

The prices that are applied to you in each case may vary since it depends on the country from which you connect and the agreement that your operator has signed with the one whose network you start to use. Therefore, if you are planning a trip abroad and do not want surprises, it is best to talk to your operator to check the rates of the country you are going to.

The case of MVNOs

But data roaming isn’t just for when you’re traveling abroad. There is also the case of OMVs or virtual mobile operators, which do not have their data network and reach agreements with other companies to use theirs. Come on, if you contract MVNOs like Yoigo or Pepephone you will have to configure roaming to be able to use their services.

Data roaming is usually marked on your mobile with the R symbol in the place occupied by 3G, H+, or 4G in your coverage indicator, although depending on your phone the R may not appear, and instead the symbols will appear. coverage classics. That is why it is important to take it into account, whether or not the symbol appears, and make sure that we have it activated if we use it in an OMV, since errors may arise when browsing or making calls.