What is data roaming?

We Swedes are good at traveling around the world, and the mobile phone usually comes along on the journey. Something that isn't so surprising considering how much we use our phones today.

However, there are quite a few question marks about how to act when it comes to surfing abroad. What is roaming, really? How does it work? Can you dare to use the phone as usual, or should you turn off your data roaming? Below, we've tried to summarize everything you need to know about roaming when you're abroad.

What is data roaming?

First and foremost, what is roaming (data roaming) exactly? The word means "to wander" in English. Roaming is what allows your phone to access another carrier's network when you are abroad. Roaming occurs, for example, when you cross a national border. So, your phone stops searching for your operator's mast and instead borrows capacity from the masts in the country you're visiting. This applies whether you want to use the network to make calls, send messages, or use the internet.

If you turn off your roaming, your phone won't be able to surf, make calls, or send texts via the mobile network when you're abroad. Instead, you'll need a Wi-Fi connection to surf. Having roaming activated doesn't affect your ability to surf on Wi-Fi. You can always use Wi-Fi even if roaming is on.

The EU introduced new rules in 2017, which means that roaming charges have been abolished. However, not completely, so there are still some limitations. A roaming service therefore means that you get access to the internet for the same price as a local call, or at least much less than the previously sky-high charges for long-distance calls. For example, if you go to Berlin from Sweden, you'll call from a designated service provider in Berlin, and instead of paying long-distance fees, you'll pay the local phone fee in Berlin at a much better price.

However, it's important to distinguish between roaming within the EU and outside the EU. If you surf outside the EU, regular roaming charges apply, for example, if you go to Norway or Switzerland. Usually, you need to change settings on your mobile device to allow roaming when you're not connected to your regular carrier.

As soon as you travel to another country, your mobile will connect to a carrier in that country. Then you'll receive an SMS from your Swedish carruer informing you of how much you can surf for - if you have unlimited surfing in Sweden.

• Data roaming is surfing via another carrier abroad.
• With new EU regulations, you can surf just like you're at home.
• There are limitations to prevent abuse of data roaming.
• Additional charges apply for extra data beyond what your carrier has given you.
• Prices for extra data has decreased since 2020.
• You can choose a subscription without free roaming within the EU.
• No restrictions for those who commute between EU countries.
  
  

National and international roaming

National roaming refers to moving from one mobile carrier to another in the same country. Due to licensing and commercial reasons, this type of roaming is not often allowed unless it's very specific circumstances under regulation. This mostly happens when a company is assigned a mobile license to create a more open market. This allows new competitors to offer coverage compared to the major carriers.

International roaming is a more common term today, which basically means that the mobile leaves its home country and then stops receiving coverage from your regular carrier, to switch to a carrier in the country you're visiting. This usually happens automatically without you noticing it, but it may also require confirmation from the user depending on your settings. Mobile carriers make agreements about roaming between them to enable the service, and then carriers can charge the call to your regular bill. This agreement includes compensation that carriers take between them to allow their subscribers to use each other's networks.

Some charges may apply

It is recommended to turn off roaming when you are outside the EU because the costs can be much higher than you might think. Today's smartphones use more data in the background than you may be aware of. Within the EU, however, you can surf and call as if you were in Sweden, with some limitations.

So, if you call a number in Belgium while in Spain, it should cost the same as if you were calling in Sweden. However, the limitations depend on what your mobile subscription looks like. If you have a prepaid card where you load extra data, it will cost six euros per gigabyte.

If you run out of call minutes, it will cost a few extra cents when you are abroad. If you have free data surfing in Sweden, you will not have free data surfing in another EU country. However, your carrier must provide you with a substantial amount of data as compensation abroad.

Exceptions exist

Your carrier has the right to check how your use of data surfing and call minutes looks over a four-month period. If it turns out that you have used data surfing and call minutes more abroad than at home, the carrier will ask you to explain the situation within 14 days.

However, if you commute between two EU countries, such as if you live near the Danish or Finnish border, you live in one country but work in the other, you have the right to use data roaming freely. You just need to connect to your home network at least once a day.

This means that if you live in Malmö and subscribe to a Swedish plan, you have the right to surf and call freely in Copenhagen as long as you connect your mobile to your home network in Malmö at least once a day. This even if you use more data in Copenhagen than in Malmö.

How do I activate data roaming?

Android phone/tablet

1. Open Settings
2. Click on Mobile Networks
3. Turn on Data Roaming

iPhone/iPad

1. Open Settings
2. Click on Mobile Data
3. Click on Mobile Data Options
4. Turn on Data Roaming
   
   

What is Roam Like at Home?

We've all heard horror stories about people forgetting their roaming on when they've been abroad and come home to a hefty bill of several thousand SEK. This was more common before when there were no regulations on how roaming charges could be billed. But with the introduction of Roam Like at Home, this occurrence has decreased.

So what does Roam Like at Home mean? Roam Like at Home is a regulation that means carriers cannot charge any additional fees when you surf, call, and text in countries that are part of the EU/EEA. So, you should be able to use your subscription abroad without extra charges.

Many people believe that Roam Like at Home means that you have exactly the same data surfing abroad as in Sweden, but this is not always the case. There is something called the Fair Usage Policy (FUP), which means you have the right to surf up to a certain percentage of your national data package abroad. Contact your carrier to find out what applies to your specific subscription. There is also a time limit; if you stay outside Sweden for more than 4 months, Roam Like at Home will no longer apply.

Some common questions about Roam Like at Home:

Do I need to activate Roam Like at Home?
No, you don't need to activate Roam Like at Home. Roam Like at Home is entirely automatic, so you don't need to activate anything before you travel within the EU/EEA. However, Roam Like at Home does not apply when you are outside the EU/EEA. In that case, it may be good to order surfing for the zone you are traveling to in advance so that the prices don't skyrocket.

Does Roam Like at Home apply when I call friends abroad?
The service does not include when you are in Sweden and call abroad. This is because it is not considered roaming.

Which countries are included in Roam like at home?
We have listed the countries included in alphabetical order:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus (South), Czech Republic, Denmark, Desirade, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, French West Indies, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Les Saints, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Réunion, Romania, San Marino/Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Vatican City/Italy, Åland.

Are there any exceptions?
The exceptions that many overlook are countries in Europe that are not part of the EU/EEA, such as Russia, Albania, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Monaco, Montenegro, Switzerland, and Serbia.

Many believe, for example, that Switzerland should be included in Roam Like at Home and forget to keep track of their surfing. It can also be good to keep a little extra track of which carrier your phone finds if you are near a national border. One such example is Cyprus. Since part of Cyprus belongs to Turkey, your phone can jump to a Turkish carrier. Since Turkey is not part of Roam Like at Home, it can be expensive if you surf with a Turkish carrier.

How does roaming work when you're on a boat?
As long as you are connected to a land-based mobile network (for example, when you are on lakes, rivers, or near a coast), regular roaming applies in the EU/EEA. However, if you go further out to sea, you should be careful; when roaming is provided via other types of radio networks, such as satellite systems, the EU agreement does not apply. Many larger boats offer Wi-Fi, so a tip is to connect to it to avoid worrying about high costs from satellite systems.

If you want to delve deeper into what Roam Like at Home entails, you can visit this site:
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/internet-telecoms/mobile-roaming-costs/index_en.htm

Surfing in the rest of the world

However, it's not only within the EU that we travel, and the times we go outside its borders, we need to be careful with our roaming. Countries like the USA, Mexico, and Japan are places we like to visit where roaming usually costs more. But as long as you're frugal, you can still dare to activate your roaming a little if you need to. Then there are countries, like Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and India, where roaming is much more expensive. In these countries, you should be more careful about activating roaming.

A few countries where you really should be careful with your roaming are the Bahamas, Ethiopia, Georgia, Laos, the Maldives, and Namibia. Costs can easily escalate significantly if you turn on your roaming.

Also, think a little extra when sending SMS outside the EU/EEA; emojis count as more characters. This can mean that what you think counts as one SMS is actually charged as more. So avoid overusing emojis when texting friends who live outside the EU/EEA.

Pre-purchase a predetermined surf volume

For those of you who are customers with us at Dstny, there is the possibility to purchase the Travel Pass service. Then you buy a certain amount of surf intended for a specific zone in the world, at a fixed price. The surf is then automatically activated when you are in the zone you selected and can be consumed over the next 14 days. If you stay in the same zone after the 14 days have expired, you will receive an SMS informing you that your surf amount is exhausted and giving you the opportunity to buy more surf if you wish. You can also choose to buy daily passes if you won't be abroad for that long. Do you want to know more about Travel Pass? Do you want to learn more? Read more about the Travel Pass service.

Are you a customer with us at Dstny and need help activating Travel pass before a trip? Then you can contact our support via email and order the service here: support@dstny.se.

Dstny's international prices