Roam with a little piece of home. Global Roaming with your telco vs. local SIM cards.

Published Date 2024-04-15

Written by Circles.Life

In an era of international travel, staying connected is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Whether for business or leisure, being able to connect with friends, contacts, and even just Google Maps is crucial. But are you better off getting a local sim with a local provider, or opting to travel with your telco from home? 

In this article, we go through the pros and cons and discuss some important factors to keep in mind.

Pro: Roaming with your existing telco

One of the most significant advantages of using your existing telco for global roaming is the convenience it offers. With global roaming, there's no need to hunt for a local provider upon arrival in a foreign country. Instead, you can rely on the familiarity of your own provider, the mobile app and a single bill. This removes the need to deal with local vendors, comparing local plans, and dealing with language barriers.

Moreover, using your existing telco means you retain your phone number, contacts, and settings, ensuring a seamless transition between your home network and international roaming. This continuity in service not only simplifies communication but also provides peace of mind, knowing that you're reachable to friends, family, and colleagues without interruption.

Con: You may miss out on local deals

Depending on which country you’re travelling to, you may find the local rates and pricing is a lot less than what you pay in your home country. That said, there may be hidden costs (like taxes) that are unexpected, and given the Australian Telco industry is so highly regulated - you always have recourse for retrospective action if you think you’ve been overcharged - whereas you will not have these protections in other countries.

Pro: Potentially a more reliable service

Reliability and quality of service are paramount when it comes to staying connected while abroad. While local SIM cards may offer competitive rates, they often come with caveats such as limited coverage, network congestion, or slower data speeds, particularly in remote or tourist-heavy areas.

By using your existing telco for global roaming, you leverage the infrastructure and partnerships established by your provider, ensuring consistent connectivity across multiple destinations. Major telecom companies have roaming agreements with international partners, granting access to robust networks and prioritised services for their subscribers. This translates to reliable coverage, faster data speeds, and fewer dropped calls, enhancing the overall travel experience.

Summing it all up

While a lot of articles focus on the cost-savings of local sims, and sure that is a factor, there are other considerations to keep in mind. 

Circles Life now offers both daily and monthly roaming products called CirclesRoam. For more information, head to our Global Data Roaming page.

Switch to Australia’s Most Trusted Mobile Plan Provider

Offer ends in

00

day

00

hr

00

min

00

sec

10GB

eSIM
  • Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
  • No-lock in contracts
  • Unlimited calls and text
  • International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

$20.00

Buy Plan

30GB

For 6 months*

eSIM
  • Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
  • No-lock in contracts
  • Unlimited calls and text
  • International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

$25.00

$30.00

Buy Plan

60GB

50GB

For 6 months*

eSIM
  • Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
  • No-lock in contracts
  • Unlimited calls and text
  • International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

$35.00

$40.00

Buy Plan

100GB

For 6 months*

eSIM
  • Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
  • No-lock in contracts
  • Unlimited calls and text
  • International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

$40.00

$50.00

Buy Plan

250GB

For 6 months*

eSIM
  • Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
  • No-lock in contracts
  • Unlimited calls and text
  • International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

$65.00

$70.00

Buy Plan

*Offer ends 16/08/2024. All for use in Australia. Personal use only and not a broadband replacement. Plans auto renew every month. Roll over your unused base data monthly and build up to a massive 500GB. Data will not expire while plan remains the same, but may be lost if plan is upgraded or downgraded. On selected plans only. T&Cs apply, refer to our Critical Information Summaries and General Terms.

**Additional charges and T&Cs apply for International Roaming and International Dialing.

Switch to Australia’s Most Trusted Mobile Plan Provider

Offer ends in

00

day

00

hr

00

min

00

sec

30GB

60GB

100GB

250GB

30GB

For 6 months*

eSIM

$25.00

$30.00

Buy Plan
  • Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
  • No-lock in contracts
  • Unlimited calls and text
  • International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

*Offer ends 16/08/2024. All for use in Australia. Personal use only and not a broadband replacement. Plans auto renew every month. Roll over your unused base data monthly and build up to a massive 500GB. Data will not expire while plan remains the same, but may be lost if plan is upgraded or downgraded. On selected plans only. T&Cs apply, refer to our Critical Information Summaries and General Terms.

**Additional charges and T&Cs apply for International Roaming and International Dialing.

Share

ABOUT THE ARTICLE

Published Date 2024-04-15

Written by Circles.Life

TAGS

data roamingdata usageroaming

RECOMMENDED

Want more?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get notifications when there’s more to read!

Email Address

We are Circles.Life

Acknowledgement of Country | Circles.Life acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this land where we work and live. We celebrate stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.

Acknowledgement of Country | Circles.Life acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this land where we work and live. We celebrate stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.

  • Plans

    250GB

    160GB

    100GB

    50GB

    30GB

    10GB

    eSIM

    International Calls

    International Call Plans

    Global Data Roaming

  • About Circles.Life

    Media Centre

    Network and Coverage

    Customer Exclusives

    Refer-a-friend

    Blog

    Mobile Network Coverage

  • Customer Support

    Contact

    Outage Checker

    Circles Mobile App

    FAQs

    Report a Security Issue

    How Circles Work

    3G Network Switch Off

    Payment Assistance Policy

  • Retail

    Retailer sign-in

    Become a retailer

    Store locator

  • Privacy & Legal

    Critical Information Summaries

    Promotional T&Cs

    Privacy Policy


© 2022 © Circles.Life / Circles.Asia

383 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000