What is Global Roaming?

Global Roaming is using your mobile phone in another country.

Your "identity" in a mobile network is contained in the SIM card (the small chip inside your phone, usually underneath the battery). Because your home mobile network does not operate in other countries, when you travel internationally, your mobile operates on a foreign network - this is called Global Roaming (or just roaming for short).

Despite companies such as Vodafone owning networks in different countries they are not the same network so you are still roaming when you use them.

Global Roaming is NOT the same as "international calls" (these are calls made from your home country to another). Global Roaming is using your mobile in another country (whether you call locally or internationally).

How much does roaming cost? 

Global Roaming is very expensive.

That's because the rate per-minute is very high, and also the method of charging can be different (for instance, you will be charged for incoming calls). We've written articles in the past about how Global Roaming is expensive (flagfalls and voicemail tromboning) and non-transparent.

Using a mobile phone with an Australian SIM card overseas costs an average of $1000 for a typical business traveller (average 10 day trip, normal corporate usage).

For a typical trip, that's the third-largest expense, typically greater than ground transport (rental cars, taxis etc), meals and entertainment. In some cases it can be greater than the hotel bills.

Fortunately vRoam offers the only post-paid alternative available in Australia to Global Roaming, saving around half the cost of using your mobile overseas.

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