Accidental roaming affects MTC customers
MTC has noticed that the majority of its customers, especially those living near border towns, are unaware of accidental roaming and the effect it has on their calls and data plans.
As background, electromagnetic spectrum is a limited resource and is assigned by the respective regulative authority in each country. As a consequence, there are many cases in which mobile networks of neighbouring countries are assigned the same bands of frequencies.
When this happens, different implications to the provision of the service may occur. Particularly, interference problems can disable the possibility of placing calls and generate cases of accidental roaming inside the country of the customer.
The overlapping of network signals is a common activity at the borders of a country and often locals tend to latch onto the network signal which in most cases happens to be the foreign operator's, and subsequently results in a customer getting charged more than the usual cost.
Often this activity happens automatically, unbeknown to the customers. It may also vary depending on the device setup and network preference selection.
Once roaming is activated and a customer latches onto the foreign network, a customer normally receives a welcoming SMS from the foreign network, which is a sign that they are roaming.
MTC thus advises its customers, especially those at border towns such as Rundu, Nkurenkuru, Katima Mulilo, Oshikango, Ruacana, Oranjemund, Noordoower and Buitepos, of some of the solutions to control accidental border roaming.
The issue of accidental border roaming affects customers differently, depending on their product package or service plan. Prepaid customers are the most affected because their communication is cut upon depleting their credit.
MTC therefore urges its customers to do the following when receiving an SMS from a foreign network provider: “Switch your cellphone to a manual network search which will assist to stay on your current network, deactivate voice and data roaming by dialling *682# and then follow the instructions and acting immediately when you receive the SMS mentioned by dialling the MTC Customer Contact Centre for a guided roaming deactivation set up by our service advisors.”
STAFF REPORTER
As background, electromagnetic spectrum is a limited resource and is assigned by the respective regulative authority in each country. As a consequence, there are many cases in which mobile networks of neighbouring countries are assigned the same bands of frequencies.
When this happens, different implications to the provision of the service may occur. Particularly, interference problems can disable the possibility of placing calls and generate cases of accidental roaming inside the country of the customer.
The overlapping of network signals is a common activity at the borders of a country and often locals tend to latch onto the network signal which in most cases happens to be the foreign operator's, and subsequently results in a customer getting charged more than the usual cost.
Often this activity happens automatically, unbeknown to the customers. It may also vary depending on the device setup and network preference selection.
Once roaming is activated and a customer latches onto the foreign network, a customer normally receives a welcoming SMS from the foreign network, which is a sign that they are roaming.
MTC thus advises its customers, especially those at border towns such as Rundu, Nkurenkuru, Katima Mulilo, Oshikango, Ruacana, Oranjemund, Noordoower and Buitepos, of some of the solutions to control accidental border roaming.
The issue of accidental border roaming affects customers differently, depending on their product package or service plan. Prepaid customers are the most affected because their communication is cut upon depleting their credit.
MTC therefore urges its customers to do the following when receiving an SMS from a foreign network provider: “Switch your cellphone to a manual network search which will assist to stay on your current network, deactivate voice and data roaming by dialling *682# and then follow the instructions and acting immediately when you receive the SMS mentioned by dialling the MTC Customer Contact Centre for a guided roaming deactivation set up by our service advisors.”
STAFF REPORTER
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