While we usually associate roaming with short-term international travel, we can use roaming SIMs in fixed and mobile devices to ensure network reliability and stability for globalised SIMs.
What is permanent roaming?
Permanent roaming is when a SIM card connects to a visiting network for an extended period. This allows for global deployment of IoT devices across the world in multiple countries. Permanent roaming SIMs can usually connect to a variety of roaming partners in the region they are deployed.
Remote SIM Provisioning
Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) allows for the same SIM to be used in all products, regardless of where they are deployed. RSP-capable SIMs can switch between multiple preloaded or downloaded profiles to localise the connections.
RSP is particularly useful for multi-region and global IoT deployments but are restricted to eSIMs or with providers using the correct roaming agreements.
Permanent Roaming & Compliance
While RSP enables a more seamless global IoT deployment, IoT devices must still connect in ways that are compliant with each region’s regulation and restrictions which can create challenges for unfettered connectivity. These are the current special permanent roaming rules globally.
- Europe- EU regulations allow MNOs/MVNOs to benefit from network access and capped rates. That said, certain conditions to prevent permanent roaming or anomalous or abusive use of wholesale roaming access are permitted and increasingly require specific agreements between parties.
- North America- MNOs implement commercially motivated policies which impose limits if not outright bans on permanent roaming.
- Australia- MNOs implement commercially motivated policies which impose limits if not outright bans on permanent roaming.
- Turkey- Permanent inbound roaming is not permitted in Turkey by law.
- China- Permanent inbound roaming is not allowed in China.
- Brazil- Brazil’s government has set a 90-day permanent roaming limit. After 90 days the SIM will need to be localized or removed from the network.
- India- Permanent inbound roaming is not allowed in India.
- Other- Other countries not explicitly highlighted here also implement permanent roaming restrictions. This includes a combination of explicit bans or de-facto bans (Saudi Arabia, UAE) resulting from MNO policies or the need for local licensing or data sovereignty related issues.
Related Terms of Permanent Roaming and Compliance
Soft localisation- Regions that require soft localisation require a local IMSI provided by a local MNO. The local IMSI can however connect to another provider’s mobile core network and its associated RSP and Connectivity Management Platforms (CMP).
Full localisation- Some countries and local MNOs require full localisation. For permanent roaming in this situation, the SIM must have a local profile loaded and must also connect to mobile core network of the local profile provider.
IP localisation- IP localisation is about reducing latency for optimized application performance and data sovereignty. The latter demands that data stay within the region, so a local data centre and packet gateway are required.
MNO policy- There are instances where MNOs can block permanent roaming for commercial reasons and enforce a soft or full localisation policy.