Recently, we hosted an interactive webinar featuring experts from leading operators such as e&, Ooredoo, and Vodafone Qatar, alongside GSMA and Kaleido Intelligence. The session focused on enhancing the mobile experience for travelers compared to locals, bringing valuable insights to the table.
Our recent report on the roaming experience of travelers vs. local subscribers reveals that most users across 20 cities we have analyzed (both travelers and locals) spend the majority of their time on 4G networks. However, roamers are “steered away” from 5G networks and connect to them around 60% less often than locals. This may be due to a number of issues, including limited roaming agreements, slower VoLTE adoption, and incompatible devices. Additionally, roamers tend to rely more on Wi-Fi than locals, with 56% of roamers using Wi-Fi compared to 50% of locals. What’s more, around 11% of roamers don't use mobile data at all when roaming. These "silent roamers" often avoid mobile data usage due to high charges or network connectivity issues, especially when they use older 2G or 3G devices.
David Turkington, Head of Technology at GSMA, highlighted the ongoing global phase-out of 2G and 3G networks, which impacts seamless roaming services. David also noted that operators need to update their plans for transitioning to 5G, including VoLTE, to maintain high-quality roaming.
Some of the highlights from the session include:
Technical challenges impacting 5G roaming. Prakash Kumta Mohandas from Ooredoo Group emphasized the complexity of 5G roaming, as it involves external networks that operators don’t fully control. Factors like network architecture and traffic routing can impact the overall experience. In addition, roaming can only be launched after thorough testing as a scenario. This means resources need to be deployed to make it happen, and the handset needs to support 5G as well. Using crowd-sourced data and proactive tools to monitor and adjust in real time helps improve the user experience.
Quality matters more than price: Nitin Bhas from Kaleido Intelligence explained that the focus has shifted from pricing to quality of experience for travelers, citing that 50% of silent roamers avoid using mobile data due to poor experiences. Business customers, in particular, expect seamless, high-quality roaming experiences. Poor roaming experiences, such as slow speeds and unreliable service, drive users away even more than pricing concerns.
Seamless connectivity is becoming critical: Tamara Al Bakri from Vodafone Qatar stressed the importance of offering seamless roaming services without requiring customer intervention. She highlighted the need for strong infrastructure, global partnerships, and real-time monitoring to ensure smooth connectivity for both locals and visitors.
Real-time action key during potential friction points: Pablo Mlikota from E& UAE discussed the critical moments after a traveler lands, explaining that the first 15 minutes determine brand loyalty. Seamless connectivity during these critical moments is essential. Pablo emphasized the importance of quickly resolving network issues and offering easy access to roaming services to enhance user experience.
Managing IoT roaming: The discussion also touched on the importance of IoT roaming. Pablo and David emphasized that IoT, such as connected cars or smart watches, often need continuous connectivity across borders, and operators must secure seamless and reliable global IoT connections. As IoT usage grows across industries, issues like security breaches or improper SIM usage should also be addressed.
The panelists unanimously agreed that while pricing remains important, delivering a high-quality roaming experience is crucial. Operators must focus on collaboration, flexible pricing strategies, and offering tailored plans to meet the needs of both leisure and business travelers.
To listen to the full webinar recording, click here.
Following the webinar, we participated in the WAS20 event, where we spoke at the Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group (WAS) session focused on Quality alongside HKT, Tomia, and Sparkle. This discussion reinforced the importance of roaming quality as a crucial element of the overall mobile experience for travelers. Watch out for future blogs and articles discussing the roaming experience.
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