Maximize Your Roaming Experience: Essential Tips for Business Travelers
Looking to keep your business connections strong but high roaming charges significantly impacting your travel budget? Become a savvy business roamer today!
What is International Roaming?
International roaming is a term that describes the ability of your phone to connect to different networks when you travel outside your home country or region. Roaming allows you to make and receive calls, send and receive texts, and use data services like browsing the web or streaming videos.
How does International Roaming work?
When you turn on your phone in a foreign country, it will automatically search for a network that has an agreement with your home operator, i.e. Maxis. This is called a roaming partner. Once your phone finds any Maxis roaming partner, it will register with it and use its network to provide you with service. You don't have to do anything else, except pay attention to the roaming charges.
Roaming charges are the fees that Maxis charges you for using a roaming partner's network. These fees can vary depending on the country you're in, the type of service you use, and the rate plan you are on.
How do International Roaming charges work?
There is no monthly charge for international roaming access or service. Charge based on types of service:-
- SMS – receiving SMS is free, sending SMS is chargeable based on pay per use;
- Mobile call – receiving and making calls while roaming are chargeable based on pay per use;
- Mobile data – data roaming can be charged on pay per use basis, which can be very expensive, therefore most operators now offer data roaming passes with quota or unlimited data with fair usage policy. The passes could be meant for single country or multi-countries for a specified number of days.
Wondering why roaming charges are higher when you travel abroad? It's because Maxis has to do an extra step to connect your call with a local operator in the country you're visiting. This extra step is costly for Maxis, as we have to maintain agreements with operators in every country. Hence there's more charges for international roaming.
Here are the roaming checklists for the things you can do prior to your business trip, while overseas and after you have returned from your trip.
Things to Do Before Travelling
Check out these tips to make sure you have a smooth and hassle-free trip.
Here are some things to do before you travel:
1. Activate your roaming service.
You don't want to miss any important calls or messages while you're away, right? You can easily do this by getting your Company’s Person In Charge (PIC) to assist with the activation of International Roaming service via Maxis Business Hub.
2. Choose a roaming package that suits your needs.
Depending on where you're going and how much data you need, you can find different options for roaming packages on the Maxis Business website. Just click Maxis Roaming page and see what's available for your destination country.
These are the ways to purchase a pass for immediate usage:
- Via Company’s PIC: To assist with the request submission on Maxis Business Hub. Any subscription via this channel will be charged to company bill.
- Via Self-serve:
- Maxis app: You may subscribe to passes at your own convenience and perform self-pay with multiple payment methods available on the platform. Do note that there are selected passes available on app.
- Easy Menu (dial *100#): Any subscription via this channel will be charged to company bill. Do note that there are selected passes available on this channel.
3. Schedule your roaming pass
Planning to have all the necessary preparations made before your business journey? You may schedule the activation of your roaming pass from 6 hours up to 14 days in advance. To do so, you may get your Company’s PIC with the pass schedule via Maxis Business Hub.
4. Turn off call forwarding and voicemail services.
This will help you avoid any unwanted roaming charges while you're abroad. You can do this by dialing *100# and following the instructions on your phone.
5. Put your phone on airplane mode while in-flight, in transit or on a cruise.
This will prevent your phone from connecting to any networks that might charge you extra fees. You can switch off airplane mode once you reach your destination.
6. Switch on your data only when you need it.
To avoid using up your data package too quickly, you can switch on your data only when you want to use it. You can do this by going to Settings > Mobile Network > Data Roaming on your phone. Different phones may have different menus, so check your phone manual if you're not sure how to do this.
7. Ensure you have sufficient credit.
To avoid barring due credit limit when you are abroad, do check your current unbilled usage, overdue and credit limit to ensure you have sufficient credit for your roaming usages.
Should your account fall into arrears or surpass its credit limit, temporary restrictions on your service may arise. To reinstate your mobile service, reach out to your designated Company’s PIC for assistance.
That’s it! You're now ready to be all-ways connected with your business without concerns about excessive phone charges. Enjoy your travels and prioritize safety!
Things to Do While You’re Abroad
How to stay connected without maximising your travel expenses? Fret not, let's delve into ways to utilize mobile data roaming usage effectively.
1. Turn on your mobile data roaming only when you really need it.
Otherwise, you might end up using a lot of data without realising it. For example, some apps might run in the background and consume data even when you're not using them. So, it's better to switch off your data roaming when you're not using your phone or when you have access to WiFi.
2. Check out the amazing data roam passes that Maxis offers.
Depending on where you're going and how long you're on your business trip, you can choose the best pass for your needs. For example, if you're going for a short trip, you can get the 1-Day Business Unlimited Data or DataRoam pass that will be automatically activated for you (if applicable) for eligible countries. This way, you don't have to worry about running out of data or getting charged extra. You can find out more about the data roam passes and the countries covered by Maxis Business for data roam passes.
3. Activate a long validity pass if you're going for a longer trip.
Long validity passes such as 7-Days Business Unlimited Data pass, 30-Day Business Unlimited Data pass and Monthly Business World Unlimited Data pass will give you more data and more flexibility for a longer period of time. And the best part is, if you activate either of these passes on the same day as your auto activated 1-Day Business Unlimited Data pass, the RM38 charge will be waived.
4. Lastly, there are some things you should be aware of when using data roaming.
For instance, Maxis Data Roaming passes are not applicable for Maritime (cruise ship) and OnAir/Aeromobile (aircraft) usages. So, if you're on a cruise or a flight, you might want to avoid using your data roaming or else you'll be charged as pay-per-use. Also, if you're travelling near the border of two countries, your device might pick up the signal from another country's network if it's stronger than the one from your visiting country. If that happens, you'll get an SMS notification from Maxis. You can always switch back to your visiting country's network by doing a manual network selection on your device settings.
So, there you have it. Some handy tips on how to use your mobile data roaming wisely and enjoy your trip without any hassle.
Things to Do When You Are Back in Malaysia
Hello, just a brief reminder for your attention. If you turned off Call Forwarding and Voicemail before, don't forget to turn them back on when you need them. You may get your Company’s PIC to activate for you via Maxis Business Hub.
Also, if you're near the borders like Johor and such, you might want to turn off International Roaming service through the assistance of your Company’s PIC as well. This way, you can avoid unwanted charges and stay connected with your business.
Stay connected wherever you go.
