Calling abroad, outside of EU
Everyone has at one point or another made the mistake of roaming under vacations abroad or calling abroad to then receive a huge bill of hundreds of dollars. A popular tip is therefore to turn of your roaming on vacation to avoid huge costs.
It’s a fitting expression for what your phone actually does when you cross a border. Your phone is actually roaming from your regular carrier’s network to the new country’s you’re using. The word roaming actually derives from the expression “to roam” or wander.
This is often happens automatically unless you turn off roaming, which is why that pricey bill may come as a surprise. A tip to see if your roaming is on is to check if you got a welcome text when landing in another country.
- Roaming means that the mobile is using an international network
- It’s common to have a more expensive bill after a trip abroad
- A welcome text at arrival in a new country is a sign that roaming is activated
- Mobile networks have lower speed in certain countries
- The mobile automatically connects to a new network
- Some subscription have additions for calls abroad
- Prices for calls abroad may vary depending on your carrier
Surf speed and tips for better prices
Something that many notice while abroad is the decreased surf sped on your mobile than at home. Mobile networks in other countries are oftentimes less developed than in Sweden. The lower speed could also happen because the phone is connecting to a domestic carrier to use that network.
The network isn’t solely used to surf but also used for calls and texts which you should be aware of since it may cost a lot more. If you want to surf for the same price a tip is to check what your own carrier offers.
You can easily do this by checking if you got a welcome text when arriving in new country. Some countries also have daytime prices and then it’s usually possible to check with customer service to retrieve a more correct price list.
Subscriptions with international focus
For those who call abroad a lot there are special subscriptions with your carrier. These subscriptions are aimed for international calls, with goal to make it cheaper to call other countries, subscriptions like these often have the word international int hem.
However, it’s different from carrier to carrier in regard to price and subscription, as some may not offer this type of benefit. If you call abroad a lot it’s worth checking carefully through the subscription selection from the carrier you’re interested in.
With most carriers you can buy international calls and thus get a better price. Some additions can be bought on a monthly basis while others have a longer contract. Here it’s also important to check the prerequisites and rules from the carrier you’re interested in. Many subscriptions can be customized according to your needs.