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Even while on a trip abroad, a modern person must constantly stay in touch. Is it possible cheap roaming? Let's try to figure out which operator's services to choose in what cases.

Why do you need roaming? Being abroad, a person, as before, wants to stay up to date with the latest news, call up with loved ones, share "travel" impressions, etc.

However, it is completely unprofitable for him to talk at the usual tariffs, since in this case too much amount will be spent on negotiations.

How to be in this case? Let's briefly tell you about available roaming and options for using it.

• Wanting to use European roaming, the subscriber must first contact the office of his mobile operator for a consultant to help him connect and configure this service.
• This is necessary if the communication service provider does not automatically offer roaming activation, that is, immediately after crossing the border.
• The mobile operator acts as a kind of supplier between foreign companies and the subscriber himself.
  Of course, the payment for such services is sometimes unreasonably high.
• For example, an outgoing call from a European country to the Russian Federation using Beeline roaming will cost about 69 rubles per minute. The cost of incoming calls is similar.
• MTS also does not please its customers with low tariffs. For example, when making calls from the territory of a neighboring Finnish state, the subscriber will pay 59 rubles.
• In the case of Beeline and MTS companies, it is easier - it does not mean cheaper. In this case, you can pay attention to Tele2 and MegaFon, whose tariffs for calls from European countries are more favorable (9 and 16 rubles, respectively).
• In order to save money, the subscriber can try to connect some additional options - for example, the "Zero without Borders" service from the MTS operator. It will allow you to receive free incoming calls - albeit for a fee.

Tourist and local SIM cards

• However, there are other, equally affordable ways to save money. For example, a subscriber can buy an international tourist SIM-card with which he can make calls from almost any country in the world.
• There are also tourist monocards designed only for calls from certain countries.
• The advantages of all tourist SIM-cards include reusability, favorable rates, ease of replenishment (while the money remains in the account) and no payment for incoming calls.
• Of course, these "sims" have their drawbacks. Among them: a completely new number and the presence of a call forwarding fee (about 7 rubles every minute). Of course, if the talk time is short, this is not very beneficial.
• You can buy a tourist SIM-card in Russia, for example, at Simtravel or Goodline. They often hold various promotions.
• Another way is to purchase a local SIM card. It is more beneficial and simpler than the previous one.
• Its disadvantages include the fact that in the absence of sufficient language knowledge and skills, it will not be easy to connect to any tariff plan and additional services.
• This method is suitable, for example, for those who like to travel with a company and often call up with friends, or, if necessary, often make calls within the territory of a foreign state.
• Another option is to call on Skype. To make it more economical, it is recommended to connect the application on a laptop or mobile device.
• In this case, you can subscribe within a specific country, or activate payment for outgoing calls after the fact.
• The disadvantages of connecting with Skype include the need for the Internet. Of course, thanks to the widespread use of free Wi-Fi in most foreign countries, this won't be too much of a problem today.

Our century is a century mobile communication and total communication between people, countries, continents. Traveling becomes more and more commonplace, but at the same time it becomes common cellular in any region of the world. Roaming is something that any owner will face mobile phone and an active cellular user. Let's figure it out in a simple way, without complicated terms and schemes.

Roaming from mobile operators

Telephone mobile networks can be conditionally divided into "home" and "guest" networks. The SIM card that you purchased in your region connects to your home network, but when you leave the region, it starts working from the “guest” network. How to be? Is it fraught with overpayment? In no case, if the "home" network has entered into an agreement with the "guest" network. All client information is transferred between networks and the client can make calls on the basis of your tariff plan in any region of the Russian Federation.

In essence, roaming is an ability or service that allows any user to keep their number in any region of their country or the world where a cellular operator operates.

There are three types of roaming: intranet, international and data roaming. Let's get acquainted with each of them.

On-net roaming

From the very name it is clear that this type of roaming operates only within the country, in our case - within the Russian Federation. This allows the client to use mobile communications in accordance with the tariffs and rates of their operator in all regions from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin.

The service can be activated in the following ways:

• Connects automatically at the moment of crossing the border of its region;
• When contacting a cell phone salon directly;
• Via USSD - a request with sending a short SMS;
• Through the SIM card menu or by calling the operator's office.

According to the law "On communication" within the Russian Federation, the roaming service within the network is paid and is paid for by withdrawing funds from the phone balance. Each crossing of the region is recorded and a subscription fee is generated. It should be noted that all major mobile operators provide customers with bonuses, discounts and various beneficial offers for using roaming.

International roaming

Similar to intranet roaming, there is an agreement, but in this case between the domestic operator and the foreign operator or provider. This agreement satisfies the client's desire to communicate by mobile phone outside the Russian Federation as well as inside it. More than 500 operators all over the world have mutual agreements and obligations, and our compatriots can use roaming in 210 countries of the world.

When using this roaming, you need to remember some characteristic points:

• Communicators and cellular centers use a variety of frequency bands that may not be supported by some phone models (relevant for North Korea and China);
• International roaming funds are not debited instantly; a delay of up to 1 month is possible.

data roaming

Phone data is "quick information" cache and all data from web browsing from a phone (smartphone, communicator, etc.). Simply put, this is the most typical mobile Internet... And data roaming is a remedy for the shock of the huge bills that will follow if you don't enable data roaming abroad.

The service is activated independently. You need to go to the smartphone settings and find the tab “Mobile Internet” there, look for information about roaming there and set the checkboxes to the required position (for Android). In addition, application help will help you figure it out much more efficiently.

How it works?

Roaming works only if operators enter into mutual agreements with each other. This leads to a general globalization of communications around the world, softening communication barriers and communications.

Roaming work can be split to the next successive steps:

1. The phone, through the operator, tries to connect to its native "home" network;
2. If the phone cannot "connect", then it automatically searches for networks with the best signal;
3. If a network is found, then a connection is made to it;
4. The new network connects to the "home" network, and information and connection protocol are transmitted;
5. All conditions are met and the phone is being serviced by the "guest" network of its operator.

It is best to independently configure your smartphone to autosearch for available networks, this is will allow you to always be in touch... And the cost issue is so minimal that it's not worth the attention. Roaming is the convenience and reliability of communication in any corner of your country and the world.

Questions and answers

What you need to know before you travel

• How to activate roaming while traveling in Russia and the world?

  For trips across Russia, intranet roaming is activated automatically, you just need to go to another city in Russia.

  To travel around the world, you need to activate the services "international and national roaming" and "international access"

  With these services you can:

  • receive any incoming calls and make any outgoing calls;
  • send and receive SMS;
  • transmit and receive data via the Internet (the Mobile Internet service is required).

  You can connect both services in MTS salons or through the Virtual Manager.

  How are communication services charged when traveling around the world?

  How are calls charged?

  Tariffication in roaming is carried out per minute, rounded up to whole minutes, starting from the first second. For example, if your call was 1 minute 10 seconds, then it will automatically be rounded to 2 minutes. No connection fee is charged.

  In most countries, roaming services are charged online. In some countries, billing may be delayed, as information from foreign operators arrives with a delay.

  How is the Internet charged?

  Internet in roaming via APN wap.mts.ru, internet.mts.ru is charged online in all countries for the majority of subscribers, for a number of tariff plans - in a mode close to real time. Internet via APN mms.mts.ru, im.mts.ru is charged in close to real time for all subscribers. Internet via other APNs is charged with a delay, depending on the receipt of information from the roaming partner, which may result in a negative balance or exceeding the established limit.

  Check out the tariffs for communication services.

  What are special types of roaming?

  You can freely communicate on your mobile phone while traveling by ferry, plane or ocean liner, thanks to MTS roaming agreements with operators that provide GSM communications on ships and aircraft.

Questions that may arise during the trip

How to call from Russia to other countries

• How to activate international communication service?

  In order to call from Russia to other countries, you need to have the International Access service. The service is free.

  You can activate the service through the Virtual Manager or in the MTS stores.

  How are calls to other countries charged?

  Calls to other countries are charged per minute, rounded up to whole minutes. Calls less than 3 seconds long are free of charge.

  Check out the tariffs for international communication services.

How to choose an operator or network

• How to choose an operator when traveling around the world?

  Upon arrival in another country, your phone will automatically register with the network of an available operator.

  In addition to automatic registration, you can select the desired operator in roaming yourself, to do this, follow these steps:

  • in the "Settings" section of your mobile phone, go to the "Network (operator) selection" menu;
  • from the list of available networks displayed on the phone, find the name of the operator you want to select and press "OK". For example, in Ukraine, if you manually select the operator UMC (MTS Ukraine), the phone may display the following names: MTS UKR, UMC UA, UKR 01.

  If registration is successful, the name or code of the guest network in which the phone is registered will appear on the display of your mobile phone. If you have difficulties with both manual and automatic registration, we recommend that you turn your phone on and off. You can find additional information on manual network selection in the instructions for your mobile phone.

  How to disable international roaming in the border regions of Russia?

  If the automatic network selection mode is set in the settings of your telephone and you have a roaming service activated, registration in the networks of MTS roaming partners is possible on the territory of the border regions of Russia. In this case, the phone displays the name foreign operator, and the calls made will be calculated according to roaming tariffs. Due to the peculiarities of the propagation of radio waves and the terrain, when traveling in the border regions of Russia, it is recommended in the phone settings in manual mode choose the MTS network. Information about the settings is placed in the manual of your phone, the user of the phone is responsible for its settings.

Can you imagine your life today without a mobile phone? These gadgets have literally become essential attributes of our existence. Therefore, mobile communication abroad is as necessary as at home.

In addition to the fact that telephones give us the opportunity to communicate with friends via the Internet, we do not refuse the opportunity to call them from other countries. How can this be done in the most profitable and economical way?

Nowadays, and as it has been since the advent of mobile communications, if you cross the border, then your operator will automatically transfer you to roaming. In fact, this is one of the most convenient ways short stay abroad.

• Do not miss:

The pros are obvious:

• no need to buy new sim card;
• no need to download additional programs.

It is especially important to note that roaming rates are quite tolerable considering the short conversations without much chatter. The main advantage in this choice of mobile communication abroad is getting rid of the problem of finding a profitable option for calls. You just do not waste time on this, enjoy a good rest and occasionally call home to say that everything is fine with you.

Additional operator services

In addition to the fact that you get into roaming, often the operator receives a message with the transfer additional opportunities... They allow you to save a sufficient amount of money while in roaming. For example, these can be proposals of the following plan:

• free reception of incoming calls;
• discounts for a tariff plan in a certain country;
• a special offer for frequent Internet users;
• packages of sms or mms messages.

Each operator has a different list of services provided in roaming, but nevertheless, I must say that this type of mobile communication abroad always turns out to be the most expensive. Therefore, if you want to communicate within a new country, you will have to look for another option.

Local SIM cards

If you get a SIM card for the country you are in, this will give you a number of advantages:

• use of favorable tariffs within the country;
• often unlimited Internet;
• ease of use during a long journey.

However, there are a number of disadvantages here:

• you cannot keep your old phone number;
• a sufficient amount of time will be spent on finding a new operator;
• if you do not speak a foreign language, using the tariff plan will be problematic.

If all the above circumstances are not a problem for you - feel free to buy a local type sim card. The only thing, remember, you will have to find another way to call home.

Tourist SIMs

Perhaps one of the most popular ways of communication among avid travelers is to make calls using tourist SIM cards. They give you the following benefits:

1. The ability to save the number.
2. The cheapest calls from all of the above options.
3. Different operators give different possibilities, which gives the right to choose the option that is optimal for you.

It is important to note that not all operators provide travel SIM cards. For some, they even work only at certain fixed rates. Therefore, be careful when issuing such a card and carefully study all the conditions of the tariff plan.

SIM cards are the most popular among tourists. Designed specifically for travelers, they offer the best rates for connecting with friends and family.

In general, today SIP telephony is considered the most progressive and economical way of mobile communication abroad. It works on voice signals over the Internet. And in order to use it, just download special application and register with the provider's network.

Skype, Viber and other applications

Today, you can hardly surprise anyone with the presence of these applications on your phone. But for some reason, when a person goes abroad, he instantly forgets about them and begins to panic. Set aside worry! Getting internet abroad is easy. There are at least two for this. easy ways:

1. Wi-Fi network any establishments, taxis and venues.
2. Local provider for home use.

The first method will be the most profitable, convenient, and most importantly - free for you. You will have to pay for the second one, but, nevertheless, the amount is not very different from the standard rates, and depending on the required number of megabytes per day, you can choose the tariff that suits you.

Skype and Viber applications allow you to call your family and friends simply over the Internet. Therefore, if they also have these programs installed, calls from abroad will not be a problem. The connection quality is excellent, and a nice bonus is added to everything. You probably already guessed that this is a video call from Skype.

Use all the achievements of the XXI century, when choosing mobile communications abroad, give priority to modern technologies and you will always have beneficial connection between countries. Then your vacation will pass without any extra hassle, and you will enjoy it 100%!

On any business trip or travel outside the home country, you still want to keep in touch with family and friends. Of course, cellular communication makes this process simple and fast, but operators' prices for this type of communication remain sky-high. However, you can always find those options that suit both the price and the quality of the services provided.

What is roaming

By itself, roaming is provided by the operator, which ensures the transfer of traffic to mobile devices even if they work abroad, that is, not in the coverage area of \u200b\u200bthe "home" operator. Simply put, you don't need to change your SIM card when traveling abroad. Telephone number retains the ability to make calls, send and receive SMS messages and transfer data via the mobile Internet. The service provider will not be your "native" operator, but a company that operates in the country where you are going. That is why various promotions do not work abroad, special rates and terms of use of the number.

Companies provide three types of roaming:

• On-net roaming... This service is provided within one country, but in different regions. In this case, only the network of one operator is used.
• Roaming national... In a large country, there may be regions where your carrier does not provide services, but you can use a different one.
• Roaming international... This is the main type of roaming used for communication from abroad.

This service makes it possible to stay in touch with loved ones no matter where you are.

How this service works

In order for an operator to provide a roaming service, it must enter into agreements with other operators that operate in those regions and countries where the operator itself is not represented. At the moment, this service is provided by almost all communication service providers, since it is beneficial to both parties to the contract.

Service performance may vary slightly depending on how the network works. However, in general, the roaming process can be conditionally divided into five stages.

• Initial is the attempt to connect to the original SIM card network.
• Second, the device performs a thorough check to see if it can connect to other networks. In the list of seen networks, those with the strongest signal at the moment will be displayed first.
• Third, the device checks if it is possible to connect to your chosen network.
• Fourth - the guest network is connected to the home network of the SIM card and the necessary technical information is obtained.
• Fifth, if everything goes well, then the device starts its work in the guest network.

The cost of such a service

For the territory of Russia, a characteristic feature is the high cost of roaming. In European countries, a huge number of operators' cooperation agreements are concluded, which greatly reduces the price of this service. The EU Parliament has officially set the legal maximum price per minute of calls. However, the countries are constantly discussing the possible absolute cancellation of payment for services outside the tariff. In Russia, the situation is absolutely the opposite. It is also complicated by the fragmentation of the country and operators, which forces the user to additionally pay for communication services even with a neighboring region.

The service is quite expensive due to the fact that the operator is forced to pay for the transfer of data from his own network to someone else's. Additionally, the tariffs of the operator who receives the call are also paid. It turns out that the user pays not only for outgoing calls, but also for incoming calls.

An operator who offers its services for outgoing calls and determines their price. Usually this price is exactly the same as the cost of international calls and communications. The home operator pays for incoming calls, which could reduce their cost, but corporations rarely work for the benefit of their users. The Internet in roaming is very expensive, so it is highly recommended to turn it off and use Wi-Fi networks for data transfer.

Tariffs for the service from the "big three"

The “Big Three” is traditionally called the three largest companies providing communication services - Beeline, Megafon and MTS. Let's make a short comparison of the cost of calls to Russia.

"MTS"

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the cost of communication services may differ depending on what tariff is connected to the user and in which city he is located. On average, in Russia, users pay about 8.9 rubles for incoming and outgoing calls. Sending one SMS message costs about 3.95 rubles on average. All incoming calls are usually free of charge. Abroad, the tariffs are completely different:

• USA - 200 rubles per minute for incoming and outgoing calls and 19 rubles for sending a message.
• Belarus - 85 rubles per minute of an incoming or outgoing call and 19 rubles for sending a message.
• China - 115 rubles per minute of conversation (both incoming and outgoing) and 19 rubles for sending one message.

Beeline

In Russia, the cost of one minute of an incoming and outgoing call ranges from 2.5 rubles to 9.95 rubles. The price of sending an SMS is the same as that of the previous operator - 3.95 rubles.

Abroad Beeline offers other tariffs:

• USA - 69 rubles per minute of incoming call and 129 rubles per minute of outgoing call. An SMS message will cost 19 rubles.
• Belarus - 49 rubles for an incoming call and 129 rubles for an outgoing call (per minute) and 19 rubles for sending a message.
• China - 69 rubles per minute incoming call and 129 rubles per outgoing minute. SMS costs 19 rubles.

"Megaphone"

Domestically, the operator offers calls at 9 rubles per minute and 3.9 rubles per SMS.

Roaming tariffs:

• USA - 79 rubles for incoming and outgoing calls, 19 rubles for sending a message.
• Belarus - 49 rubles per minute of conversation (both incoming and outgoing) and 19 rubles for a text message.
• China - 79 rubles per minute for incoming and outgoing, 19 rubles for one message.

Naturally nice roomseach operator are more expensive and with such service.

Alternative options

If you are not satisfied with the cost or quality of services provided by the Big Three, you can always use alternative communication options.

First option. IP telephony - that is, calls over the Internet. This is a fairly common and affordable service that allows you to talk to a person who is in any country for free. The connection is made via Wi-Fi networks, but the quality of the call can be affected by the quality of the Internet connection.

Second option. Paid applications that allow you to bypass roaming. Typically, these applications have fairly low communication rates, so buying an application can quickly pay off if you travel frequently at your own expense and pay for the communication costs yourself.

Third option. Travel sim card. Such a SIM card is quite expensive, but it allows for cheap and high-quality communication with loved ones from abroad. This option is ideal for those who travel a lot.

Services from "YourSvyaz"

Subscribers of TvoyaSvyaz are completely free from comparing options. For our subscribers, the transition to communication in another country occurs absolutely automatically. You do not need to purchase a SIM card, install applications. Subscription fee automatically includes the payment of one hundred minutes of international roaming. You can also buy beautiful number or buy a mobile phone numberwhich is right for your company. We care about our customers, so the system works on the principle of resetting an outgoing call and makes a call to the calling subscriber, after which it connects users. AT tariff plan you can get acquainted with the tariffs, which are presented in the form of a convenient table.

Many oS smartphones automatically update data, which can lead to internet usage while roaming. This is a rather expensive service, so we suspend the provision of Internet services for users who are abroad by default. In order to preserve the possibility of using the service, it is better to have a second SIM card with the ability to access the Internet at hand. It is most convenient to choose a phone with two SIM card slots in our online store. We also recommend purchasing a local operator's card at the airport. However, be careful not to get fooled by offers of tariffs with inexpensive internet abroad. At the moment, there is simply no such service on the market. When traveling, be sure to think in advance about where to buy a phone number.