Ben Uzor Jr
The roaming business, for many telecommunications
operators is an important source of revenue.
Whilst this service has assisted mobile networks grow their revenue
base, it has drilled a huge hole in pockets of subscribers, in most cases
pitching them against the operators. International roaming service enables MTN,
Glo, Airtel and Etisalat customers to make and receive calls, send and receive
text messages while visiting another country outside their network providers’
region. Countless subscribers have complained that they have been confronted
with huge roaming bills when they travel abroad. They say operators routinely
rip them off through roaming charges, which are often very expensive. Let look
at the international roaming charges from two networks: MTN and Globacom.
According to MTN Nigeria, prepaid customers roaming in
other African countries pay N600 a minute for calls to MTN and other networks
in Nigeria as well as America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East.
When roaming from Asia, the subscribers pay N600 a minute to MTN and other
networks in Nigeria while paying N500 a minute for calls to other parts of the
world. This is similar to calls made from Europe. However, MTN subscribers, who
roam their lines from the Middle East, pay N800 a minute to MTN and other
networks in Nigeria, while paying N500 a minute to America, Africa, Asia
Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. When roaming from North America, the
prepaid MTN subscribers pay N900 a minute for calls to Nigeria, and N500 a
minute for calls to the other parts of the world.
In the case of Globacom, subscribers who roam from the UK
pay N44.85 a minute for received calls and N493.01 a minute for calls to
Nigeria. In the US, the Glo subscribers pay N198.12 a minute for received calls
and N723.29 a minute for calls to Nigeria. While roaming for the United Arab
Emirate, Glo subscribers pay 44.85 a minute for received calls while they part
with N470.53 a minute for calls to Nigeria. Similarly, whopping sums of
N276.66; N379.67; N388.53; N88.64 and N126.76 are paid for a minute call by Glo
subscribers, who roam from Canada, China, Germany, Ghana, and South Africa. In
addition, both MTN Nigeria and Globacom cautioned that the rates were subject
to fluctuations in foreign currencies and change in rates from the roaming
partners….Yeah right!
But if you plan on travelling soon or just want the
comfort of using your own phone, follow these tips to reduce the shock when you
check your bill a few weeks after your trip. First of all, call your operator
before you depart. But know that you may have a hard time getting a straight
answer from your service provider. But at the very least, your service provider
may be able to review your most recent bills - or even tally the damage done
during recent trips - to help determine what plan or strategy would be best for
your upcoming business trip or vacation. Secondly, track usage while traveling
to avoid big surprises. It can also be a pain to keep track of your calling and
data usage while you're trying to enjoy yourself abroad or conclude a business
agreement, but the financial consequences can be worse.
Many smartphones have built-in usage trackers.
Third-party apps can help monitor your minutes and data-crunching. Please and
please, use Wi-Fi for calling and data usage. Most BlackBerry and Android
phones come equipped with a Wi-Fi calling feature, which means you can sidestep
international roaming and long-distance charges when calling the U.S - if
you're connected to a Wi-Fi network. Lastly, staying off the grid is not an
attractive option for everyone, but if you want to avoid international roaming
charges for phone conversations, forego making or answering phone calls while
traveling around the world. Power off your device to avoid text message
charges. If you leave your smartphone powered on, many mobile devices
automatically access networks to fill your inbox with e-mails or to update your
apps if they are set for automatic updates.
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