Four facts you should know about international roaming fees

Whether it is for business or pleasure, if you have travelled outside of your cellular coverage area at one point or another, you have most likely been afflicted by the plague of high international roaming fees. There are horror stories of travelers coming back to their hometown after an international trip only to find out that their cell phone bill is hundreds, even thousands, of dollars higher than usual. Now, why does this happen? Here are 4 facts to help explain roaming fees and provide alternative solutions that will save you money!

International roaming fees are easy to understand

While they may be outrageously expensive, the concept of how international roaming fees work is rather simple. Suppose you live in India and use Network A. You decide to travel to the United States for a vacation and use data sending pictures back home to your friends. Well, the data used to send those pictures wasn’t covered by Network A in India – it was covered using Network B in the United States (i.e., outside of your network). Therefore, what happens is Network B will charge Network A for your data usage using their network towers. Network A passes this charge down to you (plus an additional markup fee) and calls it a roaming charge.

International roaming fees are unfair to consumers

Having understood how these fees are created, it is clearly an unfair way of conducting business. Why should the consumer have to pay more out of their own pocket just so the cell phone companies can turn a larger profit? It is no surprise that the profit margins for roaming fees are insanely high, with some companies making as much as 90% of what they charge their customers.

SIM cards can help reduce roaming fees

Despite the struggles associated with high roaming fees, there are ways to help avoid these upcharges and turn the tables in your favor. SIM (subscriber identification module) cards can help alleviate your financial worries when traveling abroad or outside your network! In general, the main function of a SIM card is to provide communication between your phone and your carrier’s network. The drawback to this is that SIM cards are usually already built into your phone and are network specific, which does not help when trying to reduce roaming fees. However, if you have an unlocked mobile device, you could opt for a global SIM card and see your roaming fees drastically reduced!

If you travel internationally frequently, invest in a global SIM card

Global SIM cards provide far more coverage than standard network-linked SIM cards. Companies like BNESIM offer cost-effective global SIM cards with major perks such as international data, multiple lines, and…you guessed it – no roaming charges! This can help users save upwards of 95% compared to their standard network rates. With savings like that, it is worth investing in a global SIM card if you are a frequent international traveler. Finally, you can avoid the financial burden of international roaming fees and start pocketing your hard-earned money!