Roamers miss out on 4G, 5G network access – Opensignal report

Aside from filling out confusing customs forms and waiting on the arrival of lost luggage, dealing with lower performance on mobile phones while roaming is among the top headaches for travelers. Many roamers are also often missing out on the benefits of 4G and 5G networks, according to a new report by Opensignal.

Mobile travel plans are an added cost, but they don't deliver top performance for users. Indeed, subpar roaming experiences lead to choppy calls, slow data speeds and unexpected bills, said Opensignal.

These poor experiences can impact customer satisfaction and lead to churn as frustrated customers may seek out a new service provider for a better roaming experience. More than one-fifth (22%) of people in the UK have or plan to change service providers as a result of the reintroduction of roaming charges, according to Opensignal.

Travelers doomed to 2G, 3G networks

Roamers spend much more time on 3G and 2G networks than local mobile users, missing out on the performance benefits of 4G and 5G while they're on the road, Opensignal added. Most mobile users – 85% of locals and 84% of roamers – spend the majority of their time on 4G networks.

Use of 2G and 3G networks by roamers is also higher in Middle Eastern and North African cities. In addition, roamers are on 2G and 3G networks up to 13 times more than locals in cities such as New York and Seoul.

Related:Vodafone rocks eSIMs to tempt concertgoers with a free ride on its network

Roamers spend less time on 5G networks

However, travelers using roaming services spend 60% less time on 5G networks than locals.

"This disparity is likely due to limited 5G coverage, the absence of 5G in international roaming agreements, and operators' network steering practices that often prioritize local users," explained Sylwia Kechiche, head of Opensignal's analysis team, in a recent blog post.

(Source: Opensignal) Figure 1: The proportion of time spent by roamers and locals on different network technologies across 20 cities.

Less 5G availability is due to limited 5G coverage and commercial availability, "but it is primarily linked to the nature of 5G non-standalone access (NSA), which is only activated during more demanding activities and thus observed less frequently," said Kechiche.

Although 5G NSA presents challenges in providing quality 5G coverage, 5G standalone (SA) deployments are on the rise and could address these performance problems.

"While 5G SA deployments appear to have slowed in 2023 compared to previous years, we expect momentum to increase from 2024 due to rising enterprise demand for private networks and interest in network slicing, as well as consumer demand for immersive gaming and VR applications," wrote Karim Yaici, lead analyst for Middle East and Africa for Ookla, in a blog post. India, the US and Southeast Asia are leading the charge in 5G SA adoption, and the UAE and South Korea lead in 5G SA performance, explained Yaici.

Still, while T-Mobile was among the first operators to deploy 5G SA nationwide in 2020, roamers using T-Mobile only access an active 5G signal in New York 5% of the time, and 6.6% of the time in Los Angeles, according to Opensignal. These roamers spend a "disproportionately high amount of time on 2G" in part because T-Mobile is the only service provider in the US still supporting 2G, the research firm said.

Disparity in 5G access between locals and roamers likely also stems from roaming agreements. Many operators haven't yet finalized or implemented 5G roaming agreements, "which require different commercial frameworks compared to 4G roaming and involve additional technical challenges," explained Opensignal.

The trouble with 'silent roamers'

To cut costs and in an attempt to access better connectivity, roamers also use quite a bit more Wi-Fi than locals – 56.4% compared to 49.8%. On a device level, "5G devices spend the least time connected to Wi-Fi (55%), while 3G devices are mostly used while on Wi-Fi (87%)," according to Opensignal.

"This reliance on Wi-Fi underscores the need for more affordable and reliable mobile data options for travelers, but also suggests potential dissatisfaction with the quality of their mobile experience while traveling," said Kechiche.

There's also a group known as "silent roamers," who tend to have older devices and don't access mobile networks while traveling. They represent an untapped revenue opportunity for service providers, said Opensignal.

Between 10-20% of travelers make up the silent roamers category; in addition, 52% of 3G and below devices remain "silent."

"These older devices often struggle with compatibility issues and are prone to frequent disconnections, resulting in a subpar mobile experience," explained Opensignal.

Silent roamers are also more prevalent in cities in the Middle East and Asia, while Western cities such as New York, Los Angeles and London have more active users on 5G and 4G.

Roamers seek cost-cutting alternatives

In addition to using Wi-Fi and switching to a different host network in an attempt to improve network performance, 2.5% of roamers are also using local SIMs, some via eSIM technology, to gain a better mobile experience.

"eSIM technology offers added flexibility for users who need to switch between multiple networks on a single device, making it ideal for those managing separate work and personal lines or frequent travelers," said Opensignal.

Light Reading's Tereza Krásová recently reported on how the use of embedded SIMs (eSIMs) can be an important option for travelers.

"The technology, which is already embedded in many devices, relies on a programmable SIM and can hold up to eight virtual SIMs at a time," wrote Krásová. "It can allow customers to access cheaper travel packages, or to try a competitor's network for free."

Vodafone UK recently provided a free trial of its eSIM technology with 50GB of mobile data, 500 minutes and 500 texts for festivalgoers at Glastonbury, British Summer Time Hyde Park and Kendal Calling, and during Wimbledon.

Pointing to a recent report from Juniper Research, Opensignal noted that "the number of travel eSIM users is expected to increase by 440% over the next five years, reaching 215 million by 2028, up from 40 million in 2024, driven by rapid adoption in North America of eSIM-enabled smartphones and digital-first plans."