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Long Distance Add On

Obice
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

Hi,

 

I'm curious how long distance works from a technical standpoint. Obviously here in Canada we have our mobile carriers so if we call over to the States, for example, is Public Mobile/Telus connecting to a mobile carrier from the States in order to connect/align the call?

 

If so, isn't that essentially what roaming also is?

4 REPLIES 4


@Obice wrote:

@ShawnC13 wrote:

@Obice wrote:

Hi,

 

I'm curious how long distance works from a technical standpoint. Obviously here in Canada we have our mobile carriers so if we call over to the States, for example, is Public Mobile/Telus connecting to a mobile carrier from the States in order to connect/align the call?

 

If so, isn't that essentially what roaming also is?


Roaming is when you are no longer connected to your "home" network to initiate or receive the call.  With the long-distance add-on, you are still initiating the call while connected to Public Mobile.


Fair enough, but if you are calling to another country there must be more at play than simply calling a number.


At the risk of over simplifying the discussion, we don't need to know how to build and operate a cellular network to use one.  The service that you buy is for use when connected to the home (Public Mobile) network.  All activities are initiated from the home network.  Be it calls, text, web browsing, everything starts with the activity originating from the home network.  Only for calling, the destination network matters when assessing cost.  If the destination network is outside of the designated area of the calling plan you have selected, additional charges apply, usually in the form of consuming add-on minutes that are pre-purchased.  For text and data, the destination is immaterial and no additional costs are incurred.

 

When you are roaming by way of purchasing a roaming add-on, this gives you access to connect to a partner network that Public Mobile has contractual agreements with.  In essense the roaming network becomes the home network.  

dna2016
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@Obice when you make a call outside of your home network (in this case Telus/PM in Canada), you are technically connecting to the other carriers network.  So for example when you're in the U.S. you'll be connecting to maybe AT&T.  When you make that call it hits their towers and then from there dials out for you on Telus' behalf.  This is called roaming, in other words you're on someone else's territory.  Now back in the day, when I used to work in communications, the networks would know when a cell that does not belong to them is on their network.  Technically, at that time, AT&T would then bill Telus on the back end (we as customers don't see this).  Telus would be charged whatever amount was agreed between the parties on roaming costs (this charge is usually I believe a contract agreement that is agreed upon over a period of time). or some providers would be billed by that foreign provider at the end of the year.  I'm sure lots has changed since then.  So companies like Telus have to determine what an appropriate roaming cost would be in order to make up for the charges they get from those foreign providers.

Obice
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@ShawnC13 wrote:

@Obice wrote:

Hi,

 

I'm curious how long distance works from a technical standpoint. Obviously here in Canada we have our mobile carriers so if we call over to the States, for example, is Public Mobile/Telus connecting to a mobile carrier from the States in order to connect/align the call?

 

If so, isn't that essentially what roaming also is?


Roaming is when you are no longer connected to your "home" network to initiate or receive the call.  With the long-distance add-on, you are still initiating the call while connected to Public Mobile.


Fair enough, but if you are calling to another country there must be more at play than simply calling a number.

ShawnC13
Oracle
Oracle

@Obice wrote:

Hi,

 

I'm curious how long distance works from a technical standpoint. Obviously here in Canada we have our mobile carriers so if we call over to the States, for example, is Public Mobile/Telus connecting to a mobile carrier from the States in order to connect/align the call?

 

If so, isn't that essentially what roaming also is?


Roaming is when you are no longer connected to your "home" network to initiate or receive the call.  With the long-distance add-on, you are still initiating the call while connected to Public Mobile.

 


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