Engadget Logo Entered Japanese version of the Japanese version, I tried international roaming Rakuten Mobile (Junya Ishino)

I became a free supporter of Rakuten Mobile and came to my first overseas business trip.I visited San Francisco, the United States, where the Samsung Electronics was present.As a line for the interview, I tried roaming using Rakuten Mobile's SIM card.The roaming fee is 0 yen during the free supporter period.The capacity is separated from 100GB, but since it is all -you -can -eat, it can be said that it is virtually unlimited.

I tried international roaming with Rakuten Mobile SIM card

First of all, if you review the basic parts, Rakuten Mobile's international roaming is very different from three major carriers. The three major carriers are directly connected to local carriers and provide roaming services, while Rakuten Mobile connects to overseas carriers via the French carrier Orange. If you want to express more accurately, it is better to say that the SIM card switches to Orange only when traveling abroad. As for the mechanism, we have two IMSIs with unique identification numbers assigned to the SIM card, depending on the country and regions used. Of course, it is not just an Orange service, but the information is ultimately transmitted to the network on the Rakuten Mobile side, so the capacity used is counted. By switching the contents of the SIM card, the roaming route has been via Orange.

▲ Use Orange services for international roaming.You can store two carrier IMSIs in one SIM card, switch and use

Try it with a model not subject to support programs

今回、SIMカードはドコモ版の「Galaxy Note10+」に入れて使ってみることにしました。ところが、空港に降り立ち、電源を入れても一向にネットワークをつかみません。無料サポータープログラムの対象機種ではないため、仕方がないのかもしれませんが、どうやらIMSIが楽天モバイルのままになっているようです。もしやと思い、無料サポータープログラム用に購入したOPPOの「A5 2020」にSIMカードを挿し直し、電源を入れてみたところ、しばらく経ってから、米キャリアのAT&Tに接続しました。ただし、APNは楽天モバイル用の「rakuten.JP ".At first glance, I don't know if IMSI is switching.However, when I tried the speed test, the connection route was via Orange.

▲ When I pointed the SIM to OPPO A5 2020, I was able to roam immediately

▲ APN is Rakuten.The JP was connected as a JP, but the MMC indicating the carrier name was Orange why the docomo version Galaxy Note10+was useless, and if it was OPPO A5 2020, it switched to ORANGE immediately? This is probably because the docomo version of the DOCOMO version has eliminated the application "SIM Toolkit" to rewrite the information of the SIM card. Actually, after starting international roaming with A5 2020, I re -inserted the SIM card into Galaxy Note10+, and I was able to communicate in the same way. When I opened the APN column of Galaxy Note10+, the APN column was filled with Orange APN. If you can't communicate, you can see that the IMSI switches and recognizes it as an Orange SIM card because it was an APN of Rakuten Mobile. I use it from the afternoon to night when I arrived in this state, but there is no particular problem.

▲ローミング可能になったあとのSIMカードを挿したところ、OrangeのAPNが出現。これもSIMカードのIMSIが切り替わったためだちなみに、米国ではAT&TとT-Mobileのどちらかにつながるようです。ネットワークサーチをかけ、接続できたのがこの2つで、残る2キャリアのVerizonとSprintにはつながりませんでした。サンフランシスコ市内では、正直どちらに接続しても十分なエリアですが、郊外に出るようなときや大都市圏でなければ、筆者の経験上、AT&Tに接続した方が使い勝手はよさそうです。

▲楽天モバイル側から細かな情報が公開されていないが、米国ではAT&TとT-Mobileにつながる模様通信速度は、サンフランシスコ市内中心部のホテルで、10Mbpsをやや下回る程度。大容量ファイルのダウンロードには向かないかもしれませんが、Webを見たり、比較的容量の小さな写真をダウンロードしたりするには、十分な速度が出ています。ローミングのためか、遅延が500ms以上出ているのはネックですが、現地キャリアに直接接続しているわけではないため、これは仕方がない点と言えます。

▲AT&Tで速度を計測した。遅延が少々気になるが、速度はまずまず参入を宣言してからサービス開始まで、比較的短期間だったため、大手3キャリアのようなローミングは難しかったというのが実情でしょう。1社1社と交渉していくのは、マンパワーも必要です。SIMカードのIMSIを丸ごと切り替えるというのは、その意味で、楽天モバイルらしい裏技的な解決方法と言えるかもしれません。ローミング状態では電話やSMSが利用できませんでしたが、楽天Linkによってそれも可能になっています。最新規格のRCS（リッチ・コミュニケーション・サービス）を活用し、足りないサービスを補っているところも、新規参入事業者らしく、好感が持てるところです。

▲ You can't call, but while you can stand and depart via Rakuten LINK, this method has a limit. This time, the terminal will be limited, just as my docomo version Galaxy Note10+was not initially available. During the free supporter program, the terminal is specified, so I dare to use the docomo version Galaxy Note10+, but when I accept other companies' terminals in this service, there may be trouble. In fact, if you move from DOCOMO as it is, there is no way to respond. If you try to use a phone or SMS, Rakuten Link may be a must, and at this time the iPhone will also be out of options. At the moment it is free, so I don't care about some trouble, but it's unclear how much the price will be. DOCOMO and au have expanded 980 yen for the international roaming of career, but DOCOMO has a multi -day contract, and au has also introduced a mechanism that allows you to receive discounts by pre -ordering, and price competition is occurring. It is important to see how far you can compete here.