Roaming

Roaming

Keeping customers connected at home and abroad 

What is Roaming?

In wireless telecommunications, Roaming helps to make sure that a travelling wireless device, typically a mobile phone, is kept connected to a network, without breaking the connection.

For example, if you travel beyond your mobile phone company’s transmitter range, your mobile will automatically “hop on to” another phone company’s service, where it is available.

Who is Roaming valuable for?

  • Operators
  • Consumers

What are the benefits of Roaming?

  • Sustain seamless user experience in both home and visit network.
  • Use data to access the internet.
  • Make and receive voice calls.
  • Send and receive messaging.
  • Access other services (e.g. home data services) while travelling outside the geographical coverage area of the home network.

How the GSMA is helping Roaming

The GSMA through our Networking Groups (NG) and the Wholesales Agreements & Solutions Group (WAS), defines Roaming architecture and specifications, making Roaming work smoothly for all telecom services, including data, voice and messaging.

More information

The Networks Group (NG) specifies technical, operational and performance requirements to support International Roaming and interworking, taking into account technology evolutions.

Learn about NG 

The Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group (WAS) is responsible for Operator-to-Operator and Operator-to-Hub interoperability (including Interworking and Roaming) to provide GSMA members with a consistent, reliable GSM service for members to offer their customers.

Learn about WAS 

Additional Resources

Roaming Publications

Next-generation Interconnection and Roaming Analysis for Mobile Services

Document

Saturday 2 Jul 2016 | Resources | Roaming |

With the mobile device having moved to the centre of communications, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are just one possible player to provide network access and services to smartphone users, both consumers and corporates. Services today ...

LTE Roaming: Global Market Status Drivers for Growth Deployment Plans

Document

Tuesday 22 Oct 2013 | Resources | Roaming |

The global mobile roaming market is at a crucial moment in its development, with a myriad of technological, strategic and regulatory forces re-shaping a market that is made even more dynamic by changing end-user behaviour. Operators ...

Next Gen Roaming: Service Evolution and Innovation

Document

Tuesday 22 Oct 2013 | Resources | Roaming |

As operators roll out and extend their LTE footprint, they are launching new services, including enhanced voice, video calling and enterprise telecoms services. These new data services bring additional data revenue opportunities for ...