What is data roaming: a guide for travelers

Read on to learn how to keep in touch when traveling abroad at minimal cost and without buying new SIM cards. You will learn about the meaning of data roaming — the main way to solve the issue of communication abroad without changing your mobile operator. We will also review alternative ways to connect to wireless Internet outside your country.

What is data roaming

What does data roaming mean? Data roaming is a service that allows you to use your mobile phone out of your home operator coverage. “Data” is information that is transmitted on the network when you visit websites, view videos, download files on social networks and send messages.

Why you need data roaming

Data roaming is needed to access the mobile Internet outside the network coverage of your home mobile operator, that is, abroad.

For example, you are going on a business trip to another country and want to use your phone as usual. For this, a roaming service is provided, when a user calls and gets access to the Internet through local mobile operators.

Such services are expensive if you do not use a special tariff plan from your operator and do not activate it before the trip.

Read also: Mobile Internet in Europe: how to choose and connect the best option

Should data roaming be on or off

How does data roaming work? Calling from abroad to a mobile number in another country without activating this option will not be possible. Communication and mobile Internet roaming are expensive. Therefore, we recommend that you check the tariffs in advance.

Also, when activating data roaming, you need to make sure that applications that run in the background do not have access to cellular data. It is recommended to turn on roaming only for urgent calls or sending important messages.

Read also: Mobile Internet in Spain: how to choose and connect

Roaming alternatives

There are several alternatives for roaming:

• SIM-cards of local operators;
• eSIM technology;
• free WIFI.

Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Local SIM cards

This option is suitable in countries where you can freely purchase a SIM card with an identity card. Before the trip, analyze the terms and tariff plans, and then choose the mobile operator with the most competitive rates. The average SIM card price starts from 10 EUR in Europe.

You can buy cards either in specialized online stores in your country, or in mobile phone stores right upon your arrival at the destination point. You can replenish your account through an ATM, online services, recharge cards, when visiting a local mobile operator office, as well as at the checkout of a local supermarket or a gas station.

The cost of mobile Internet depends on the country, for example:

• Germany — 6 GB from 40 EUR/month;
• Poland — 1 GB from 13 EUR/month;
• Spain — 7 GB from 10 EUR/month;
• Denmark — 10 GB from 10 EUR/month;
• France — 5.5 GB from 10 EUR/month.

eSIM

In fact, an eSIM is a digital SIM card that is integrated into a smartphone, similar to an NFC chip. To see if your smartphone supports eSIM – check the list of models.

Today, eSIM is the most affordable option due to ease of use and favorable rates. In addition, if you use a special application, you can connect the service online from anywhere in the world where there is Internet.

Operators offer different tariff packages, their prices depend on the traffic volume. The average cost of the service per week is from 17 EUR, per month — from 120 EUR.

The best rates are offered by Yesim To activate eSIM, download and install the application, register, select and pay for a data plan.

Free WiFi

Free Wi-Fi is a free connection to a wireless Internet network. In countries with developed modern technologies, tourists have the opportunity to use wireless Internet in the open access. Free Wi-Fi is often found in cafes, cinemas, airports and entertainment centers.

There are also hotspots, which in many countries can be found via the Wi-Fi Space service. By enabling geolocation, a user will receive a map of Wi-Fi spots with passwords to log in.

This is not the most reliable Internet connection. There is no guarantee that there is free Wi-Fi where you are staying. This means that you will have to spend time searching for the nearest spots and there is no guarantee that the Internet speed will be satisfactory.

Another disadvantage of this method is an unprotected connection, which means that the security and safety of personal information are at risk. When using free Wi-Fi, the risk that someone captures passwords from accounts, personal photos and videos, documents and other confidential information, increases.

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