Definition
Roaming Partner is an overseas operator that has signed a roaming agreement with the home operator (the HPLMN's MNO). When IoT devices go abroad, they cannot access the home network and need to connect through the VPLMN network of the Roaming Partner to achieve cross-border connectivity. The International IoT Cloud Platform (ICMP) usually cooperates with multiple Roaming Partners in over 200 countries/regions worldwide to ensure global device reachability.
Working Principle
Roaming Agreement Terms: The main operator and the Roaming Partner mutually grant network access permissions. When a device uses the partner's network, the main operator pays roaming fees to the Roaming Partner and then charges the customer. The charges depend on the Rate Card stipulated in the agreement, and the unit price may vary significantly among different Roaming Partners. The ICMP platform, through PLMN Selection and Preferred Network configuration, guides devices to preferentially connect to Roaming Partners with lower rates and better quality, optimizing both cost and experience.
Use Cases
In scenarios such as cross-border logistics, fleet management, asset tracking, and global retail, devices need to roam in multiple countries. The number and quality of Roaming Partners directly affect: Coverage — whether a connection can be provided in the target country; Tariff Level — a significant difference exists in the Rate Card of different partners, and network selection strategy directly affects TCO; Connection Quality — signal strength, latency, and stability vary by partner; Compliance — some regions have regulatory requirements for roaming, requiring connection to specific partners. The platform configures roaming strategies for different countries and customers through Roaming Policy, coordinating with the Roaming Partner ecosystem.
Practice in ICMP
SimtoLink ICMP collaborates with numerous MNO and Roaming Partners worldwide, covering 200+ countries/regions. The platform maintains the mapping between Roaming Partners and PLMN, Rate Card, allowing customers to configure network selection strategies through PLMN Selection and Preferred Network, prioritizing access to high-quality partners. Combined with Usage Analytics, it can analyze the usage distribution and costs of each partner, continuously optimizing the Roaming Policy. The platform regularly evaluates partner quality and tariffs, expands new partners, and provides customers with a better cross-border connectivity experience.