Inbound roaming

[frensel]

We have the strongest signal at the airport but still we see that inroamers are most of the time latching on the competitor network.

we have a GSM 900/1800 network. The competitor has the same. At the airport we are both have 900 cellsite.

What can be the reason that our competitor most of the time is picking up before our network?

In some cases I can understand if the roaming partner has prefer roam with our competitor.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by frensel

We have the strongest signal at the airport but still we see that inroamers are most of the time latching on the competitor network.

we have a GSM 900/1800 network. The competitor has the same. At the airport we are both have 900 cellsite.

What can be the reason that our competitor most of the time is picking up before our network?

In some cases I can understand if the roaming partner has prefer roam with our competitor.

All phones should have a preferred order to seek out networks to roam on. The phone starts at the top of the list and works its way down. It may be something as simple as the other carriers have no roaming agreement with you, and therefore you are last priority to roam on. Those carriers without roaming agreements are probably grouped either in numerical order, or in alphabetical order. Either way, I'm thinking that just by chance somehow they are preferred over your network, even though you have stronger signal.

-Jay

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

All phones should have a preferred order to seek out networks to roam on. The phone starts at the top of the list and works its way down. It may be something as simple as the other carriers have no roaming agreement with you, and therefore you are last priority to roam on. Those carriers without roaming agreements are probably grouped either in numerical order, or in alphabetical order. Either way, I'm thinking that just by chance somehow they are preferred over your network, even though you have stronger signal.

-Jay

If there's no roaming agreement you cannot roam. (period!)

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by Telekom

If there's no roaming agreement you cannot roam. (period!)

Domestic yes, but I think they are referring to international roamers if I'm not mistaken. You may have preferred roaming partner overseas, but if that carrier is not present it selects another carrier. I don't believe the carriers bar you from roaming on any networks internationally. At least that's how I understand it.

-Jay

[Telekom]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

Domestic yes, but I think they are referring to international roamers if I'm not mistaken. You may have preferred roaming partner overseas, but if that carrier is not present it selects another carrier. I don't believe the carriers bar you from roaming on any networks internationally. At least that's how I understand it.

-Jay

It's exactly the same deal. Unless there's a roaming agreement you cannot use the network other than for emergency (112/911) calls. I've used foreign SIMs in the US and they will not work on all networks more than likely because there is no roaming agreement. If there's no roaming agreement you cannot roam on another network. My T-Mobile NL roams in the US but absolutely does not register on Rogers when I go to Canada with it.

[RadioRaiders]

Operators the world over all want to know the secret to capturing roamers at the airport. There's no easy answer, and usually consultants (like me ) are paid well to go and solve these kinds of issues.

For some "free" advice, 3GPP TS 23-122 states:

4.4.3.1.1 Automatic Network Selection Mode Procedure
The MS selects and attempts registration on other PLMN/access technology combinations, if available and allowable, in the following order:
i) either the HPLMN (if the EHPLMN list is not present or is empty) or the highest priority EHPLMN that is available (if the EHPLMN list is present) ;
ii) each PLMN/access technology combination in the "User Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology" data file in the SIM (in priority order);
iii) each PLMN/access technology combination in the "Operator Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology" data file in the SIM (in priority order);
iv) other PLMN/access technology combinations with received high quality signal in random order;
v) other PLMN/access technology combinations in order of decreasing signal quality.