With the advent of 5G and travel surpassing pre-pandemic levels, the international roaming sector is poised for a resurgence. Revenue projections echo this optimism; Kaleido Intelligence forecasts retail roaming revenues to soar to $33 billion by 2028, a 27% annual increase. However, persistent challenges could hinder operators from maximizing their share of this growth.
Roaming Challenges in Network Performance and Customer Experience
A recent EU study revealed that 80% of travelers use mobile services abroad as frequently as they do at home, courtesy of the Roaming Like at Home rule. Yet, their roaming network experience often falls short; 27% reported reduced internet speeds and 26% encountered inferior broadband standards compared to their home country.
Roamers often miss out on the seamless 4G/5G experience they enjoy domestically. A study showed that international travelers spend 60% less time on 5G networks than local users. This discrepancy is partly due to the exclusion of 5G in international roaming agreements and network practices that prioritize local subscribers. Even in well-covered cities like New York and Seoul, roamers access 2G and 3G networks up to 13 times more than locals.
Despite prioritizing customer care, a seven-day response time is inadequate when most travelers return from trips within this period. Customer loyalty has been further questioned; a UK study found that 22% have switched or plan to switch providers due to renewed roaming charges, underscoring the need for operators to offer better support abroad.
Operators previously lacked insights into customers’ roaming experiences or partner network performance, exacerbating the rise of silent roamers and travel eSIMs—an emerging market estimated to reach $10 billion by 2028.
Forging a New Path
Deep network analytics now transform this landscape, offering operators complete visibility into customers’ roaming experiences. At the network level, operators can execute comprehensive partner network performance monitoring, enabling proactive detection and mitigation of degradation issues. This enhances customer support, reduces troubleshooting costs, and informs better network steering decisions, enhancing the roamer experience.
At the customer level, deep analytics provide individualized insights, allowing operators to swiftly address customer care issues and tailor personalized services, such as VIP monitoring and proactive support.
As travel rebounds, the average retail roaming spend per trip is expected to decline due to regulatory constraints, expansion of 'roam like at home' offers, cheaper daily bundles, and the rise of travel eSIMs. Operators need to leverage tools like deep network analytics to counter these challenges and enhance direct channel revenues. Focusing on superior roaming service quality and customer experience is crucial to thrive in this evolving market.