TELECOM ROAMING AND INTERNATIONAL TESTING
The sky is the limit with our TCG roaming testing for mobile network operators
THE CHALLENGE
To ensure that both roaming subscribers and international visitors receive high-quality mobile services that are accurately billed.
Why Test Mobile Roaming?
The end-to-end roaming process has many points of possible failure. After all, a huge amount of technical configuration goes into roaming, especially when you consider all the carrier price lists, zone bands, international number plans and partnerships that makes roaming possible.
The days of MNOs waiting around for TAP records are almost gone. Now is the era of near-real-time billing across many parts of the world, which of course also requires corresponding near-real-time assurance.
Maintaining positive margins on roaming usage relies on the preferred visited operator being automatically selected. By testing if the preferred operator is being used when roaming, this enables the home network to verify the correct rollout of PRL lists and maximises profitability.
Our Approach to Roaming Risk-Mitigation
Start by testing your roaming hot-spots:
- No need to make it complicated; maximise risk coverage and begin by testing your top 5 roaming destinations.
- Account for seasonal changes; we’ve got you covered with a flexible inclusive approach and global coverage.
What about Special Events? in 2024 alone, we have both Euro 2024 in Germany and the Paris 2024 Olympics. Events like these can draw millions of international visitors and therefore are a key revenue opportunity for mobile network operators:
Are you expecting many of your mobile subscribers to travel to the Euros or the Olympics? If so, consider some of the risk-mitigation test areas you could assure before the special events:
- Network message accuracy
- Roam-like-home business rules and pricing
- Service provisioning accuracy
- Measure and improve Quality of Service (QoS)
- Roaming bundles/package application
- Check that preferred operators are available and defaulted to
- Check 4G & 5G access, along with specific services e.g. VoLTE
- Verify inbound call cost accuracy while roaming
- Use testing to speed up the roaming agreement verification process e.g. service level agreements and IREG testing
Are you a host network during one of these special events? If so, consider some of the risk-mitigation test areas you could assure before that first plane arrives:
- Preferred roaming operator verification: You might have negotiated excellent roaming agreements, but are they being met? Does the roaming traffic land on your network?
- Visitor tariffs/SIMs need to be spot-on before the visitors arrive
- Verify both your home customers and visiting customers quality of experience (QoE) before and during the event.
- Ensure CDRs are being produced correctly (e.g. TAP, NRTDE)?
- Check that the correct Inter Operator Tariff rates are being applied?
How TCG Testing Can Help
Our Roaming Quality of Service Monitoring – ensuring voice, SMS and data are performing in line with SLAs for 3G, 4G and 5G (including eSIM).
Our Roaming Billing Validation – easily find straightforward errors such as the wrong rates being charged for outgoing/incoming usage.
Shown below are examples of the more complex roaming issues that our TCGs can identify:
- Missing or incorrect roaming 'welcome' messages
- Wrong roaming partners used due to network steering issues
- Calls failing due to system configuration errors e.g. missing back-end MCC/MNC codes
- Under-metered data usage resulting in bundles lasting longer
- Timing Errors e.g. 24-hour bundles lasting for longer than 24 hours.
- Roaming SMS messages delivered and charged for twice due to errors in the visited networks SMSC configuration
- Unable to activate bundles whilst connected to certain roaming networks due to unrecognised USSD codes
- VoLTE calls failing when roaming in certain countries
- Missing records for roaming VoLTE calls under 5 seconds
- Issues with caps, limits and fair usage policies
- Rating errors when calling customer services whilst roaming
Global Roaming Is Available
- Our roaming footprint extends around the world and uses our SIM server technology. As a result, we can roam your SIMs abroad and independently verify agreements and margins. A list of over 160 countries is available upon request.
- Employ our own international collection of SIMs to roam onto your network and generate real end-to-end independent traffic to verify KPIs. These are very useful as (a) destination numbers for international calling destinations and (b) to check roaming steering and (c) bypass detection.
- Our TCGs are physically located in-country, using self-contained phone modules that generate real traffic on the roamed network. SIMs loaded into our proprietary central SIM-server are transported globally to generate local traffic.
Are You Ready For The 2024 Olympics in Paris?
One example test strategy for the Paris Olympic Games 2024 using a 35-day roaming project is shown below:
How to Use Our Roaming Services
- For new customers: Decide what, where and when you want to test, send us active SIMs and we do the rest as part of a managed service.
- For existing customers of Roscom: Roaming services can be added to your existing managed service package, just ask your account manager.
- For everyone:
- A quick turnaround for 2024 special events: our TCGs in France and Germany are ready to go!
- Switch testing on/off with ease to suit sudden changes
- Utilise any CDRs with our flexible decoders and expertise
- End-to-end audit using real traffic, real routes.
An easy just add SIMs approach!
Combine Osprey™ TCG with Imperium™ Analytics for Enhanced Roaming Coverage
Request A TCG Roaming Demonstration
Our Osprey™ TCG demonstrations are flexible and suited to your needs. Ask our roaming experts questions or listen along, there are no obligations.
