Increase in Overseas Travelers... The Truth About Roaming "Will You Face a Bill Shock?"

Photo by SK Telecom

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] As international travel demand increases with the reopening of air routes after two years, SK Telecom introduced related communication products on the 16th.

Roaming VS Local SIM VS Portable Wi-Fi

The main communication methods for overseas travel include roaming, local SIM cards, and portable Wi-Fi. Here is a comparison of their features.

T Roaming is a service that allows you to conveniently use 'my phone, my number as is.' Upon arrival overseas, you just need to turn your phone off and on to start using it immediately. Data and duration depend on the roaming plan you have subscribed to.

A local SIM is a SIM card purchased from a local carrier in the travel area, which you replace to use the local carrier’s plan. After arrival, you visit the local carrier, select a SIM and a prepaid plan, then replace the SIM and restart your phone to use it.

Portable Wi-Fi uses a rented Wi-Fi router to access data locally. After arriving, you turn on the portable Wi-Fi device and connect your phone to that Wi-Fi to start using it.

When making phone calls from overseas to Korea, roaming allows you to use the same number you had in Korea. When using a local SIM, calls made to Korea incur international charges. Also, receiving calls on your original Korean number is not possible. Portable Wi-Fi does not support phone calls; only data calls such as KakaoTalk calls or T Phone are available.

For text messages, T Roaming allows you to send and receive SMS with your existing Korean number just like in Korea, and SMS is free if you use a roaming plan. However, local SIM and portable Wi-Fi do not allow sending or receiving texts to your original Korean number.

[Provided by SK Telecom]

Is Overseas Roaming a Bill Shock?

So, is overseas roaming a bill shock? The term 'bill shock' in roaming is becoming a thing of the past.

The idea that you get a bill shock unknowingly when using roaming is not true. All SKT customers who go abroad without subscribing to a roaming plan are automatically covered by 'Auto-Safe T Roaming.' Even if you use roaming data, you will be charged a maximum of 5,000 KRW per day regardless of usage. Roaming voice calls are charged up to 10,000 KRW per day for up to 30 minutes. Additionally, roaming voice calls are free for the first 3 minutes per day.

Each country has multiple carriers. Roaming services borrow networks from these carriers to allow their customers to use communication services abroad as if they were in Korea. Both overseas roaming and local SIM provide services through the same networks.

While overseas travel is possible with just local SIM or portable Wi-Fi, difficulties may arise if unexpected situations occur, such as flight delays, getting separated from travel companions, or urgent calls from Korea. In such cases, roaming, which allows you to use your own phone and number as is, offers a convenient and satisfying experience.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.