Digital Transformation Ministry conducting survey on national roaming
National roaming should work until the end of the war, but it can be extended (Photo:LDProd/Depositphotos)
The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine is studying the possibility of continuing national roaming after the end of hostilities, according to the agency’s Telegram survey posted on Jan. 31.
Ukrainian mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell agreed to launch national roaming in the country in early March 2022. The service allows mobile users to freely switch between operators, so if the services of their own operator were not available, they could still use their phone with another.
Initially, only subscribers in the war zone were given the option to switch freely among operators, but later it became available throughout the country.
National roaming became particularly relevant in the context of the power outages that began in the fall as a result of Russia's campaign of missile strikes against energy infratructure. Not every operator was able to provide stable coverage, so the ability to switch to another operator or contact loved ones via 3G was useful.
The assumption was that national roaming would not continue after the war ends. However, the Ministry of Digital Transformation is now studying the possibility of extending the service.
Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is conducting a survey in which Ukrainians will be able to vote for or against the extension.
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