What is Active Roaming

Data roaming will occur whenever your phone disconnects from your carrier’s network and connects to a different network instead. This allows you to make calls, send texts, and use wireless data even if you are outside of the boundaries of your wireless network, for example, if you are in another country. However, the downside to data roaming is that it will usually come with additional charges to your account. Active roaming refers to when you have data roaming switched on on your smartphone and are using another network rather than your carrier’s network.

For example, imagine you travel to Paris. Once you get off the plane, your phone signal is available, but your smartphone is likely to be displaying a different carrier name. This will be because your wireless carrier has an agreement with a network in France to provide you with roaming service, which will happen automatically as long as you have the roaming feature switched on.

How much you will pay for roaming charges will depend on your carrier. Some carriers have further agreements in place with networks in different countries that allow you to roam for less when you are visiting, or even free of charge. You will usually pay a different set amount for minutes, texts, and MB of data while roaming. Using roaming data is usually the most expensive, and it’s often much too expensive for most people to rely on roaming data while traveling, which is why it’s always a good idea to find out where you can get free public Wi-Fi in the destination that you are visiting. If you need to use data while you are using a different carrier network, some networks offer the option to purchase data bundles that you can use while roaming, helping your money stretch further. For example, you may be able to get a couple of gigabytes to use for a flat fee, rather than paying per MB.