The cost of roaming and international calls can vary significantly from one country to another, leaving travelers puzzled by the vast differences in fees. When South Koreans travel to China for vacations or business trips and use their mobile phones through international roaming, they often face high roaming charges. Similarly, Chinese tourists visiting South Korea and using their local mobile phones through roaming incur relatively lower costs. This stark contrast in roaming charges between "Korea-China" and "China-Korea" raises questions about the reasons behind these disparities.
Roaming is a temporary service that allows users to utilize a foreign telecommunications network during their stay abroad. It is like renting a hotel room in a foreign country for a short period. However, customers cannot directly rent the foreign network but have to rely on their home telecommunications provider to facilitate the roaming service. Negotiations between the home and foreign telecommunication companies determine the fees, and margins taken by intermediaries may also influence the final charges.
The primary reason for these discrepancies in roaming fees lies in the number of tourists traveling between countries. Chinese telecommunication companies have the upper hand when dealing with South Korean telecommunication companies due to the sheer number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea annually. In contrast, South Korean telecommunication companies struggle to negotiate lower fees since the number of South Korean tourists going to China is much smaller. This disparity in negotiating power affects the final roaming charges.
Similarly, international call rates also vary between countries due to the negotiating power and competition between telecommunications companies. In countries with limited telecommunication providers, these companies can charge higher fees for the convenience of providing international calls to their citizens, even though the actual cost of sending a call internationally remains relatively constant.
To overcome high roaming charges while traveling abroad, there are some tips for using data more affordably. Travelers can consider pre-booking and renting pocket Wi-Fi devices at the airport, which allows multiple users to share the cost. Alternatively, purchasing prepaid SIM cards directly from local telecommunication providers in the destination country can be more cost-effective for extended stays.
As travelers gear up for summer vacations, understanding the factors influencing roaming and international call rates can help them make more informed choices and find cost-effective ways to stay connected while abroad.