TRA’s Travelling Tips on Reducing Roaming Charges

Mobilk - The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has released today some tips to consumers on how to avoid excessive roaming charges while travelling.

TRA’s Consumer Affairs and Media Director, Ms Ghada Ebrahim Al Qassab said “Consumer’s empowerment can be achieved by raising awareness and education, and the tips that we are publishing are important for consumers to avoid shocking bills at the end of the month. The use of telecommunications services abroad should be planned in the same way we plan our travel, so we make sure that we take the best option.”

Roaming is the service that allow consumer to use mobile services outside their country. This is possible because the mobile service provider in the country consumers are visiting (host service provider) carries your calls and data use on its network. The host service provider then bills the local service provider who in turn bills the consumer.

Usually, roaming charges are higher than those for local mobile services. Before consumer use international roaming he/she should think about:

•Do you need to use your mobile phone while abroad? 

•Is roaming available in the country you are visiting? You can find this out by asking your service provider before you travel. 

•Do you know the roaming charges of the different service providers in the country you are visiting, or at least the approximate charges? You can ask your service provider about these charges before you travel. 

•Are you better off using a prepaid mobile service in the country you are visiting?

 

How can consumer minimize your roaming charges?

•Choose the service provider who charges the least at the country you will be travelling to. You can find out the rates by asking your service provider in Bahrain about the rates operators charge in the country you are planning to travel to. 

•Try to make your calls during off-peak times. 

•Remember that you will be charged for all calls (incoming and outgoing) while roaming, so choose the calls you answer carefully.

•Data roaming charges are very expensive, make sure that data roaming function is switched off in your mobile phone (see picture below).

If you intend to make a lot of calls, use data services,  travel frequently or cannot afford roaming charges, you can find out the cost of a prepaid mobile phone card in the country you are visiting. 

For more information on how to reduce your roaming spending, please call TRA’s free consumer line on 81188 and contact your service provider to know how much it will cost you to use the roaming services.