Editing Roaming (section)

== Tariffs ==

Roaming fees are typically charged on a per-minute basis for wireless voice service, per text message sent and received and per megabyte of data used for data service, and they are typically determined by the service provider's pricing plan.

Several carriers in both the United States and India have eliminated these fees in their nationwide pricing plans. All of the major carriers{{citation needed|date=November 2018}}{{which|date=December 2021}} now offer pricing plans that allow consumers to purchase nationwide roaming-free minutes. However, carriers define "nationwide" in different ways. For example, some carriers define "nationwide" as anywhere in the U.S., whereas others define it as anywhere within the carrier's network.<ref>{{cite web|title=Reduce international roaming by up to 85%|url=https://www.worldsim.com/international-roaming-tariffs|publisher=worldsim.com|access-date=13 October 2015}}</ref>

In the UK, the main network providers generally send text alerts to advise users that they will now be charged international rates so it is clear when this will apply. UK data roaming charges abroad vary depending on the nature of the phone agreement (either [[Prepaid mobile phone|pay as you go]] or [[Postpaid mobile phone|monthly contracts]]). Some carriers, including [[T-Mobile International AG|T-Mobile]] and [[Virgin Mobile]], do not allow pay as you go customers to use international roaming without pre-purchase of an international "add on" or "bolt on."<ref>{{cite web|last=Winstone|first=Liz |url=http://www.aph.com/community/know-before-you-go/aph-compares-data-roaming-charges-of-all-uk-mobile-networks/ |title=APH Compares Data Roaming Charges of all UK mobile networks |publisher=Airport Parking and Hotels |date=2014-09-09 |access-date=2014-09-18}}</ref>

An operator intending to provide roaming services to visitors publishes the tariffs that would be charged in their network at least sixty days prior to its implementation under normal situations. The visited operator tariffs may include tax, discounts etc. and would be based on duration in case of voice calls. For data calls, the charging may be based on the data volume sent and received. Some operators also charge a separate fee for call setup i.e. for the establishment of a call. This charge is called a ''[[flagfall]]'' charge.

=== Roaming within the EU ===
{{Main|European Union roaming regulations}}
In the [[European Union]], regulation on roaming charges began on 30 June 2007, forcing service providers to lower their roaming fees across the 28-member bloc. It later also included [[European Economic Area|EEA]] member states. The regulation set a price cap of €0.39 (€0.49 in 2007, €0.46 in 2008, €0.43 in 2009) per minute for outgoing calls, and  €0.15 (€0.24 in 2007, €0.22 in 2008, €0.19 in 2009) per minute for incoming calls - excluding tax.<ref name="test1">[http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/new-caps-roaming-charges-place-august/article-164430 "New caps on roaming charges in place for August"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230172359/http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/new-caps-roaming-charges-place-august/article-164430 |date=2017-12-30 }}, 8 June 2007</ref> Having still found that market conditions did not justify lifting the capping of roaming within the EEA, the [[European Commission|Commission]] replaced the law in 2012. Under the 2012 Regulation, retail roaming capping charges expired in 2017 and wholesale capping charges expired in 2022. In mid-2009 there was also an €0.11 (excluding tax) maximum price for SMS text message included into this regulation.

On 11 June 2013, the European Commission voted to end mobile roaming charges for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams |first=Christopher |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/10119159/EU-to-end-mobile-roaming-charges-next-year.html |title=EU to end mobile roaming charges next year |publisher=The Telegraph |date=2013-06-13 |access-date=2013-06-30}}</ref>

Following a European Commission vote on 15 December 2016, roaming charges within the European Union were to be abolished by June 2017. While the European Commission (EC) believed that ending roaming charges would stimulate entrepreneurship and trade, mobile operators had their doubts about the changes.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mináriková|first=Katarína  |url=http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/view/53924/20/roaming_charges_to_drop_end.html |title=Roaming charges to drop, end |publisher=The Slovak Spectator |date=2014-05-12 |access-date=2014-06-08}}</ref>

On 15 June 2017, Regulation (EU) 2016/2286, nicknamed "Roam like at Home" and having been signed by the European Parliament and Commission in May of the same year came into force. It abolished all roaming charges within the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Roaming rules for travellers in the EU: “Roam like at home” for 10 more years
|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_4198}}</ref>

=== Roaming between other countries ===
Countries that do not share a supra-national authority have also begun examining the provision of international roaming services. In April 2011, Singapore and Malaysia announced that they had agreed with operators to reduce voice and SMS rates for roaming between their two countries.<ref>http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20110316121622.aspx?getPagetype=20 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607143255/http://www.ida.gov.sg/News%20and%20Events/20110316121622.aspx?getPagetype=20 |date=June 7, 2011 }}</ref> In August 2012, Australia and New Zealand published a draft report proposing coordinated action on roaming services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/technology-communication/pdf-docs-library/communications/mobile-phones/trans-tasman-roaming/TTR%20Draft%20Report.pdf |title=Trans-Tasman Roaming - Draft Report |publisher=Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment |access-date=2013-06-30}}</ref> This was followed by a final report in February 2013 recommending that the two countries equip their telecommunications regulators with an extended palette of regulatory remedies, when they investigate international roaming.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/technology-communication/communications/mobile-phones/trans-tasman-roaming|title=Trans-Tasman roaming|work=med.govt.nz}}</ref> The Australian and New Zealand prime ministers subsequently announced that they would introduce legislation to effect the recommendations of the final report.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/joint-statement-prime-ministers-key-and-gillard-february-2013 |title=Press Office {{!}} Prime Minister of Australia |website=www.pm.gov.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728234600/http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/joint-statement-prime-ministers-key-and-gillard-february-2013 |archive-date=2013-07-28}}</ref>

On 19 February 2020, [[Bolivia]], [[Colombia]], [[Ecuador]] and [[Peru]] voted, through the auspice of the [[Andean Community]], to eliminate roaming fees amongst themselves. The agreement is set to start in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eltiempo.com/economia/empresas/eliminacion-del-costo-del-roaming-internacional-entre-bolivia-colombia-ecuador-y-peru-463954|title=Comunidad Andina anuncia eliminación de costos del 'roaming'|date=19 February 2020}}</ref>

On 1 July 2021, [[Serbia]], [[Albania]], [[Montenegro]], [[Bosnia & Herzegovina]], [[North Macedonia]] and [[Kosovo]] abolished roaming fees as part of [[Mini Schengen]] project, allowing SIM holders on those countries to use their domestic packages on another country in the agreement without having to pay their roaming fee. The agreement was signed in April 2019. There are no additional charges, just like in EU's "Roaming like home" project.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-05|title=Western Balkans to abolish roaming charges by 2021|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/western-balkans-to-abolish-roaming-charges-by-2021/|access-date=2021-07-22|website=www.euractiv.com|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=EWB|date=2021-07-01|title=Roaming charges abolished for users across Western Balkans|url=https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2021/07/01/roaming-charges-abolished-for-users-across-western-balkans/|access-date=2021-07-22|website=European Western Balkans|language=en-US}}</ref>

In November 2021, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and Gabon committed to bilateral agreements to lift charges and cut interconnection tariffs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://itweb.africa/amp/content/j5alrvQajm8vpYQk | title=Free roaming now official in central Africa | date=10 November 2021 }}</ref>

In December 2024, [[Russia]] and [[Belarus]] signed a resolution to permanently abolish roaming between the two countries effective 1 March 2025. Work on abolishing roaming between Russia and Belarus has been underway for many years. The "roadmap" for the gradual abolition of roaming between the two countries was signed back in 2019. According to the resolution, mobile users are guaranteed at least 300 minutes of free incoming voice calls and at least 5 GB of data transfer per month.<ref>{{cite web |title=Россия и Белоруссия подписали резолюцию об отмене роуминга |url=https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/675315699a794743e9203643 |language=ru |date=2024-12-06}}</ref>