Differences between roaming and international calls

Are you going on a trip or do you want to call a non-Spanish phone and you don't know the difference between roaming and international calls?  

Although both involve communications outside national borders, there are major differences between them that are important to understand in order to avoid unexpected surprises on your phone bill.

What is Roaming?  

Roaming is the service that allows mobile phone users to make and receive calls, send text messages and use data while travelling outside Spain. It allows your mobile phone to always be operational in any foreign country.  

This is when a user travels to another country where their mobile service provider does not have direct coverage, at which point the phone temporarily connects to another provider's network that does have coverage in that area. This allows you to continue to use your mobile phone as normal while in another country, although it may incur additional charges depending on the agreement between the roaming service providers.  

For example; Maria is travelling from Spain to France on business and needs to be available to her customers. While in France, her phone is automatically connected to a French network, allowing her to make calls, send text messages and use data as if she were in Spain.  

*At Hits we have established agreements with the various European Union countries and some partner countries for you to use your mobile tariff as if you were in Spain, you will be able to use your call minutes and browsing data in the same way as in Spain at no extra cost!  

These countries are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Hungary, Ireland, Martinique, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal (Madeira and Azores), Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain (only for destination area purposes) and United States (only for destination area purposes).  

What is an international call?  

On the other hand, an international call is simply a telephone communication made between two people located in different countries via mobile phones or landlines. In essence, any call that crosses a national border is considered an international call.  

An example of an international call would be: Juan, who lives in Madrid, wants to call his friend in the United States to wish him a happy birthday. Juan will pay the specific rate for international calls in his phone plan, but the cost of this call will depend on the country where the number you are calling is located. 

Differences between roaming and international calls  

1. Geographic Scope  

Roaming refers specifically to the ability to use mobile services while travelling outside the local service area. Whereas international calls can include communications made from any location within one country to a location in a different country.    

2. Nature of Service  

Roaming is automatically activated when a user travels outside their local service area and needs to connect to a foreign network to maintain connectivity. On the other hand, the International calls are deliberate and require the user to dial an international access code followed by the recipient's country code and telephone number.  

Calling to Countries outside the European Union  

If you are travelling to a country outside the European Union, you should be aware that when you make a call, you will pay the rate stipulated by your operator for the country you are visiting.  

And that's it! You are now ready to make calls to all your friends and family wherever you are. Remember to compare different options and choose the one that best suits your budget and needs, at Hits we have the mobile phone rates with international calls.   

Now you can enjoy getting in touch with your loved ones without worries!