Mobile telecommunications and roaming

Mobile telecommunications – Roaming

Using a mobile phone or mobile data services (Internet, e-mail) means that you can communicate easily wherever you go – both in your home country and abroad. You can be reached nearly anywhere, plus you can make phone calls, retrieve your e-mail and use Internet services. However, people often forget that using a mobile phone and mobile data services abroad can still be far more expensive than using them at home. Although voice roaming rates within the European Union were reduced to more reasonable levels when the EU Roaming Regulation went into effect, users may still incur extremely high costs when using mobile data services abroad.

"Roaming" refers to the use of other networks (usually in other countries) for mobile communications. Agreements between mobile service providers in Austria and abroad make it possible to use Austrian mobile phones and mobile Internet services in other countries. However, the roaming fees are charged to the customers by their service provider in Austria, not by the provider in the country visited.

This page provides helpful tips for using your mobile phone and mobile data services outside of Austria and near Austria's borders.

Using your mobile phone abroad

a) Making calls from other countries: The connection is handled by the network operator abroad and charged through your Austrian mobile operator. The network operator abroad charges "wholesale" fees to your mobile service provider in Austria when you use that operator's network. You pay roaming charges for outgoing calls abroad based on your contract with your Austrian mobile service provider.

b) Receiving calls in other countries: The caller is charged the rate for calls to mobile phones within Austria (regardless of your current location). The additional costs arising from the call (because you are traveling outside of Austria) are charged to you. This means that you also have to pay for incoming calls when traveling abroad. These fees are also known as passive roaming charges.

Using mobile data services abroad

Using mobile data services (with data cards, USB modems or mobile phones) when traveling abroad is becoming more and more popular. However, people often forget that such services are also mobile communications services which – like voice calls – can bring about very high additional costs for roaming when used abroad. It is especially important to pay attention to the costs when using mobile data services in other countries. First, mobile operators sometimes charge very high rates for the use of data services abroad. At the same time, the monthly data transfer volume included in your contract will generally not apply when you use these services in other countries. Second, certain device settings, such as automatic e-mail retrieval or automatic update services for mobile phones, laptops, etc., may trigger unintentional data transfers and lead to very high roaming costs. Therefore, it is advisable to inquire about the costs and to check the settings on your mobile devices before you travel. During your stay abroad, it is important to be especially careful whenever you use data services. In many cases, there are viable alternatives to mobile data services, such as wireless LANs at hotels or wireless hot spots. However, it is also important to obtain information in advance on the costs of using those services.

At least in the European Union, the Roaming Regulation has improved the situation for users of mobile data roaming services, as a mandatory cost control function serves to protect users from surprisingly high roaming costs. Click here for more details on the cost control function for data roaming services.

Checking your voice mail abroad

When you travel abroad, the automatic diverting of calls to your voice mailbox can be especially expensive. You can generally program your voice mail in various ways:

a) Deactivate voice mailbox: Calls will not be diverted to your voice mail under any circumstances (e.g., not reachable, no answer, or busy). As the caller cannot leave a message, no costs are charged on either side. The steps you have to take in order to ensure that your voice mail is actually deactivated may vary depending on the operator and product used. In order to ensure that your mailbox is not activated and that no additional costs are incurred, we recommend that you obtain detailed information from your operator.

b) Divert all calls to voice mail: All incoming calls are diverted to the voice mailbox. This does not cost you anything, but at the same time you cannot be reached. Roaming charges apply when you check your voice mail abroad. Your mobile operator can provide detailed information on how to divert all calls to your voice mailbox.

c) Divert to voice mailbox in certain cases (usually: no answer, not reachable or busy): The call is first routed to the network where you are currently located. If your mobile phone cannot be reached, the call is routed back to the voice mailbox (to Austria) and the caller can leave a message if desired.

When you are in Austria, having your calls diverted to your voice mailbox in certain cases is a very convenient option: All calls are first routed to your mobile phone. If you cannot be reached, the caller can leave a message on your voice mail. In this scenario, only the caller is charged for the call.

However, it is important to be especially careful when traveling abroad, as this type of call divert is subject to two charges. The call is first routed to the foreign network, and if you do not pick up, are not reachable or your phone is busy, it is then routed back to your voice mailbox in Austria. You then end up paying additional charges for routing the call via the foreign network.

However, thanks to a new provision in the Roaming Regulation, this situation has now changed within the EU:

As of July 1, 2010, mobile operators are no longer allowed to charge their subscribers for receiving voice messages (i.e., for receiving a call and message on their mobile voice boxes). The agreed roaming fees can still be charged for retrieving voice mail messages. For further information on roaming in the European Union, please click here.

It is not advisable to use specific call divert options when traveling outside the EU. Even if your voice mailbox is deactivated, callers can usually still leave messages by calling another number. You can also listen to your voice mail (e.g., from a land line) by dialing the same telephone number and entering an access code (which is usually specified in the service contract). For more information, please consult your mobile operator.

By default, the SIM cards provided by Austrian mobile operators are usually preset to divert calls to voice mail in certain cases. Therefore, it is up to the user to change the voice mail settings or to deactivate voice mail entirely. The options for changing these settings may vary depending on the operator and the product used. Here it is important to note that there may be differences between contract and prepaid mobile services. In certain service plans, deactivating and activating your voice mail may also be subject to a charge; for some prepaid services, it is not possible to deactivate voice mail at all.

In-network calls / free minutes

Rate packages which offer reduced rates for in-network calls or for certain numbers do not apply abroad. You pay roaming charges whenever you make or receive a call abroad. Likewise, free minutes can only be used in Austria, not for roaming calls.

Unintentional roaming in areas near national borders

In areas close to national borders, overlapping coverage by foreign mobile radio stations may cause mobile phones, data cards or USB modems (more specifically: the SIM card) to register in foreign mobile networks. This is possible in cases where the device is within range of a transmitter station belonging to the domestic network operator and a station belonging to a foreign mobile operator at the same time. Therefore, it is especially important to be careful when using mobile data services in areas near national borders. If possible, it is advisable to select the "manual network selection" setting. However, in some cases it is not possible to select this setting permanently. For this reason, it is also necessary to check the network currently in use on your mobile phone's display or in the software program used for the connection. In many cases, it is also possible to block roaming services. For more information on how to block roaming on your phone, please consult your mobile operator.

Calling cards

Calling cards can be a sensible alternative to making roaming calls abroad. However, it is important to pay careful attention to the dial-in number whenever you use a calling card on a mobile phone. In many cases, these numbers are not free of charge, although they may seem to be at first glance. Telephone numbers which are usually toll-free within a country are not necessarily toll-free for foreign mobile telephones. Therefore, it is advisable to inquire in advance if you plan to use a calling card abroad, ideally in writing with an indication of the specific dial-in number. Your operator can then tell you whether the dial-in number is toll-free in that country (or how much calls to that number will cost).

Tips for using your mobile phone in other countries

• Before going abroad, ask your operator about the rates for incoming and outgoing calls, text messages and data services. Remember that when traveling abroad, you can generally choose among several network operators which offer different rates.
• In most cases, incoming roaming calls are cheaper than outgoing roaming calls.
• Before going abroad, you should familiarize yourself with your phone's configuration options and ask your mobile operator about the "manual network selection" setting. This is the only way to choose the least expensive network and determine whether the "manual network selection" setting is selected permanently on your mobile phone or is reset automatically after a certain period of time. In some cases, the SIM cards issued by Austrian mobile operators are programmed in such a way that certain foreign networks are preferred for roaming services.
• Please also note that different billing increments for roaming may apply depending on the operator selected. Billing increments can have a major effect on the amount you end up paying for each call, so it is especially important to pay attention to these increments when you use roaming services. Your mobile operator's fee regulations generally specify the billing increments which apply to roaming under your rate plan. Click here for more information on billing increments.
• If you travel abroad regularly, it is a good idea to ask whether special roaming rates or flat rates are available for "frequent travelers" before signing a contract with an Austrian mobile operator.
• If you plan to stay in another country for an extended period of time, it may also be a good idea to purchase a local SIM card in that country. This can save you a great deal of money on telephone calls. However, remember that you will have a new number abroad and cannot be reached at your Austrian mobile phone number (at least temporarily). It will not be possible to use a foreign SIM card in your Austrian mobile phone if the "SIM lock" is activated on the phone: Many Austrian mobile phones are locked so that SIM cards from operators other than your home network cannot be used.

You do not always have to use a mobile phone: There are many other inexpensive ways to make telephone calls, for example by using call shops, public payphones or VoIP services via local wireless LAN interfaces (e.g., at your hotel).