What is International Roaming Service?

What is International Roaming Service?

International Roaming Service enables you to take your mobile phone to another country and use it to make and receive calls in the same way as you do in the Maldives. When you visit overseas, all your calls to your mobile will be automatically redirected to you wherever you are. The only conditions are that Dhiraagu should have a Roaming Agreement with a GSM operator in the visited country and you must be within the coverage area of that operator.

How can I recharge?

If you are a prepaid roamer we recommend that you carry recharge vouchers with you when you travel or recharge before leaving Maldives. You can recharge up to Rf 3000 now. In addition you can ask your family and friends to recharge your phone even when you are abroad by using Dhiraagu Quick Recharge and Quick Topup service. Dhiraagu shall arrange recharge vouchers in neighboring countries shortly.

How does it work?

When you arrive as a visitor in another country and switch on your GSM mobile phone, the GSM network there detects that a Mobile customer is present, and if there is a roaming agreement between Dhiraagu and the visited network, you are ready to make and receive calls. The name or the code of the visited network will be displayed on your phone indicating that you have successfully been connected to the visited network.

If there are many GSM networks in the visiting country, which one would my phone use?

Your phone can select a network automatically or manually. When you turn on the phone in automatic network selection mode, the phone will search for the available networks and select the one with the strongest signal. In the manual network selection mode, you will be prompted to select one from the list of available networks. The phone will accept any network with which we have roaming agreement. You can check Dhiraagu website and also check with Dhiraagu Customer Service to find out the networks with which we have roaming agreements.

Do I have to get a special phone to get roaming service?

In most cases you would not require a different phone as most GSM networks are of GSM 900 and 1800 type. The latest mobile handsets support all standards (900, 1800 and 1900 networks) and also support GPRS, EDGE and 3G. However if you handset does not support, you will need a 3G handset to roam in 3G networks and to roam in a GSM 1900. Please refer to your handset guide for details.

How can I get roaming?

To apply for roaming you have to send a blank SMS to 515. Simply have enough balance and you can use your Dhiraagu prepaid phone aboard where we have agreements.

Are there any fees for roaming?

There is no setup or monthly fees for this service.

How can I make get some to call me while overseas?

It is cheaper to receive calls than make calls. Initially you cannot make a call while in the visited country but you can get them to call you. To get someone to call you, you should use *100*<number to call>#. Example-1: if you want to get connected to number 1234567 in the Maldives while overseas, you would dial in the following sequence of numbers: *100*1234567#. You can now send USSD call me requests to international numbers.

What is Optimal Call Routing or Local Direct Dial or Local Direct Call?

For Dhiraagu prepaid roamers, Optimal Call Routing service cannot be allowed due to technical limitations.

How can my friends, family and business associates call me when I am roaming?

They can simply call your Dhiraagu Mobile number. You will receive the call as if you are in the Maldives. The callers will not even know that you are out of the country. (Unless of course you tell them).

Now that people can call me on the same number while roaming, what about the cost they have to bear?

If they are calling you from Maldives, they simply pay for a mobile call. A person calling you from another country will have to pay for an international call to Maldives.

How are local and Int MMS charges applied whilst roaming?

When you receive an MMS, roaming GPRS prepaid GPRS roaming charges.
If you send a local or international MMS, the local tariff for these services and GPRS roaming charges will apply. For example; If you send a MMS to 7712341 then you will be charged for a local MMS and postpaid / prepaid roaming GPRS charges. If you send an International MMS to UK number while roaming, you charges will be International MMS charge and postpaid / prepaid GPRS roaming charge.

How are calls charged whilst roaming?

Calls made while roaming are charged according to visited network's calling rates for roamers. For example, if you are roaming in Sri Lanka and you receive a call from a friend in Male' you will have to pay for an 'international call' from Maldives to Sri Lanka plus any applicable network charges in Sri Lanka, and your friend will only pay at the applicable mobile call rate in Maldives. Further, if you receive a call from your friend in Singapore, while you are roaming in Sri Lanka, your friend will pay for the international call from Singapore to Maldives and you will have to pay for the 'international call' from Maldives to Sri Lanka plus any applicable network charges in Sri Lanka.

How are SMS’s charged whilst roaming?

For each SMS of 160 characters (some phones support 140 characters) you will be charged according to visited network's rates per SMS for roamers. For SMSs received while roaming, most GSM networks do not have a charge.

For example, if you are roaming in Sri Lanka and send an SMS of 200 characters you will be charged for 2 SMSs. However, if you are roaming in Sri Lanka and you receive an SMS from a friend in Male' you will not have to pay to receive SMS.

How do I pay for roaming call charges?

For postpaid customers the charges incurred while roaming are converted into Rufiyaa and included in the normal telephone bill, which you receive for Mobile services.

For prepaid customers the roaming charges incurred while roaming are deducted almost immediately from your prepaid account.

If a country is listed in the list of roaming countries, does it mean I can use my phone any where in that country?

As is the case with all mobile networks, you can use the service only where there is coverage. Dhiraagu is working towards having roaming agreements with all popular network operators in all the popular countries visited by Maldivians.

How can I get help when I am roaming?

For inquiries and assistance, you may call the customer service number for the network in which you are roaming. The customer service number may or may not be toll free, depending on the network. Alternatively you may call our Dhiraagu Customer Service, bearing in mind that it would be a chargeable IDD call. Customers can call customer service while abroad +9603338887.

Can Dhiraagu assure roaming network’s quality?

Dhiraagu cannot control the quality of roaming network. That is why you may have dropped calls, cracky voice etc. while roaming.

Why can not I see the number (CLI) while roaming?

As explained above, the quality and delivery of service is controlled by the visiting roaming network and sometimes by the international carriers. Hence Dhiraagu is unable to ensure that CLI is delivered while roaming.

Can I enjoy all roaming services enjoyed by postpaid customers?

During first phase, you cannot make calls or user GPRS, MMS and Local Direct Dial service.