On a governmental level, while the new EU roaming legislation is clearly decreasing the roaming prices, it is also a big opportunity for operators to convince ‘roaming sleepers’ to wake up. More than a quarter of European visitors today turn their phones off. If operators hope to compensate for the price decrease with an increase in traffic, any ways to make roaming more pleasant should be welcomed with open arms.
As LTE deployment increases, operators in recent years have invested in launching LTE roaming for their subscribers. Problems with spectrum fragmentation are a major concern for operators whilst they try to build LTE roaming partnerships. MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) and end users alike face enough challenges when it comes to roaming abroad: device incompatibilities, high roaming charges and uncertain network coverage can disrupt the consumer experience.
LTE devices are not compatible with all 4G networks. This can result in users falling back on 3G and other lower levels of connection, which understandably results in dissatisfied subscribers. These can become not only disillusioned by their network provider, but also by roaming in general. In this scenario, users have a bad experience and operators lose out due to poor customer retention rates. Fortunately, there are solutions, one of which is device-based steering of roaming. Such a solution will help operators choose the best LTE network based on the subscriber device capability. A simple and convenient solution; sometimes that’s all it takes.
When developing, using and monetizing this type of solution, it’s key to consider that the experience of the end user, and the MNO’s ability to choose the best LTE networks, are both crucial for a happy relationship. All angles have been covered here because roaming is a two way street; there’s no way roaming business can truly succeed until operators offer a ‘like home experience’.
For greater clarity, have a look at our animation which highlights how the solution works and how it will benefit MNOs and end users alike.
httpv://youtu.be/s3jJ6yYwZ8k