topic Re: Weird roaming messaged in Mobile Services

Weird roaming messaged

Peter274 — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 20:29:59 GMT

I keep getting texts from EE telling me that I am roaming in Jersey when I am at Nolton Haven in West Wales. The linear distance between these places is 350 miles, so can anyone explain how this happens? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Re: Weird roaming messaged

XRaySpeX — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 20:41:06 GMT

@Peter274 : It's more likely to think you are roaming in Eire on a clear day 😉 .

Re: Weird roaming messaged

bristolian — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:53:52 GMT

When you're in a location where foreign networks are visible and your home operator is not available, your phone will roam by design, if the facility is enabled.

The notification texts serve a dual-purpose, one of those is to warn you when this scenario occurs.

As mentioned though, I'm surprised you got Channel Islands networks from west-Wales, that's some unique RF conditions!!

Re: Weird roaming messaged

Peter274 — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:44:43 GMT

Quite correct, but if the Jersey transmitter is that powerful, surely all who live in the South and West of England would have the same experience, but they don’t. Hence my question - why does this happen to me here when 350 miles from Jersey?

Re: Weird roaming messaged

bristolian — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:52:02 GMT

You need to have no coverage from your home network and usable service from a foreign network, to roam.

It just so happened that those criteria were fulfilled by a Jersey network where you were.

If at any intervening point between the Jersey site and your location, either EE had service or (if not) another foreign network (Eire most likely but France or Manx not impossible) was stronger, your scenario would not have been replicated.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

Peter274 — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 11:38:58 GMT

Thanks, but I still find it hard to understand why I get these messages when the local masts are all approximately 2 miles away, and Jersey is 350 miles as the crow flies. Can transmissions in the 800Mhz to 2.6 GHz range travel that distance and still be detected by a mobile phone? Plus there are a few large obstacles in the way, such as the Brecon Beacons. There must be another explanation.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

bristolian — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 12:06:37 GMT

@Peter274 wrote:
There must be another explanation.

Why? The only other explanation is that a site close to your location was configured to identify as Jersey Telecom. Highly unlikely, and what would the motivation be?

What were the RSRP, RSRQ & SNR values of the signal you received from Jersey/Guernsey Telecom.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

Peter274 — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 09:32:25 GMT

Thanks - I’ll check next time it happens.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

JoPembs — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:12:26 GMT

This has happened to me this week and I did pass through Nolton Haven on that day, Tuesday 16/4/24. Very weird!

Re: Weird roaming messaged

Plymouthbloke1 — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:51:15 GMT

How odd. I always thought that although you could theoretically receive mobile mast signals from potentially hundreds of miles away, your phone wouldn’t register if the distance between phone and mast was over approx 35km, due to time-coding on the radio signal? In other words, the two go slightly out-of-sync due to distance and won’t register? I get that all the time at Seaton in Cornwall. Phone will pick up Channel Islands and French networks, but won’t register on any of them….. where the OP is points to a freak anomaly on the EE network most likely…

Re: Weird roaming messaged

bristolian — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 08:03:24 GMT

@Plymouthbloke1 wrote:

your phone wouldn’t register if the distance between phone and mast was over approx 35km, due to time-coding on the radio signal?

You're thinking of TDD & FDD, and the timeout. If the OP received the "welcome to country" text, that's a strong indication that registration has happened.

@Plymouthbloke1 wrote:

where the OP is points to a freak anomaly on the EE network most likely…

The anomaly would be that an EE-radio-site is configured to identify as a foreign operator.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

KeithP73 — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 18:18:30 GMT

Peter strangely for the first time I also today received that very same welcome to Jersey roaming message while on the beach at Mwnt, just north of Cardigan where I live. Almost immediately followed by welcome back to the UK. Must be a world record for travelling West wales to Jersey and back.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

bristolian — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 19:49:37 GMT

Pretty unique weather conditions that a Jersey network was stronger than an Irish or Manx one, I'm not sure what the roaming selection criteria are when multiple MCC's are available.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

LandyLeafe — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 14:39:40 GMT

Had the same issues, different location, relieved the welcome to Jersey message on 19th May and again today, 10th June whilst traveling over Honistor Pass in the Lake District, 371 miles from Jersey. My daughter got the same messages.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

PH66 — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 15:03:46 GMT

I had the same a few weeks ago. I was in St David’s and the next minute my phone was welcoming me to Jersey! I had a mild (financial) panic but a few hours later my phone welcomed me home again…..took me a while but I guessed the reason it had happened. Disconcerting though!

Re: Weird roaming messaged

iamadi — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:00:49 GMT

Both my husband and I have had the same issue in the same place - very strange... and pretty amazing that the signal in Jersey is soooo strong! Something weird is definitely happening with the EE network around there, as this morning I had a call from my husband at Nolton Haven beach, but showing as a completely different phone number to his. I tried calling it back but just got a voice message explaining that the call had been routed through a company called wave mobile (https://wavemobile.net/) .

Main concern though... will I get charged roaming fees if I use my phone while 'in Jersey' if I am not actually in Jersey? Surely that would be EE's problem not mine? I'll keep an eye on my bill!

Re: Weird roaming messaged

bristolian — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:37:04 GMT

Using your phone when connected to foreign networks is classed as roaming, irrespective of where you are physically located. This is partly the reason for the "welcome to country" text messages.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

Peter274 — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:08:36 GMT

So tell me why I am connected to Jersey when in Nolton Haven, Pembrokeshire? How can masts 350 linear miles away connect to my phone. No one has yet provided an answer, but EE insists that I am roaming. Other people here have experienced the same issue, but EE fails to respond.

Re: Weird roaming messaged

bristolian — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:44:42 GMT

If your phone has no coverage from its home network, it will seek roaming networks if available.

If your home network has coverage, it will be preferred.