Smart Roaming
Enhance your roaming SIMs to find the best network per site.
Most customers assume roaming SIMs always pick the right carrier. In practice, devices can stay on a network that looks strong but does not pass data well. Smart Roaming adds device side intelligence that checks real connectivity and latency at each location, then moves to the carrier that works best.
Want to learn more about the power of Smart Roaming? Use the button below to speak to our team and request a demo of everything Smart Roaming has to offer your business.
Smart Roaming – Next Generation Reliability for Roaming SIM Cards
Smart Roaming: What it is and why it matters
Roaming SIMs open access to multiple carriers, but the device decides when to switch. In practice, many modules stay on a familiar network or judge only signal bars while IP traffic stalls.
Smart Roaming adds device-side intelligence that scans options, tests reachability and round-trip time, and moves to the carrier that works best for that site. For your business this means higher estate uptime, fewer truck rolls, steadier SLAs, and less revenue at risk when conditions change.
For engineers it delivers clear policies, timestamped change logs, RCMS and SMS control, and a repeatable way to run at fleet scale. It is included with Robustel routers at no extra licence cost, so you can turn it on and raise resilience across the estate immediately.
Check out our ‘Smart Roaming Quick Pitch’ video to learn more
How Smart Roaming Works
Smart Roaming adds a clear, step-by-step process to how a router chooses its carrier. Instead of relying on signal bars, the device maps available networks at the site, tests if IP traffic actually works, and then applies your policy to select the best network per site. Every action is recorded and controllable from RCMS (with SMS as a fallback), so operations can trust the outcome and engineers can fine-tune behavior at fleet scale. Here’s how it works:
- See choices at the site: On boot or on demand, the router performs a network scan to discover usable PLMNs and builds a local view of the options.
- Measure what matters: Health checks validate the link with ping success, round-trip time, and signal thresholds, because good RSSI alone does not guarantee data flow.
- Decide and switch with guardrails: If policy thresholds are exceeded, Smart Roaming selects a better carrier and records the decision with a timestamp. If a manual choice fails to register, it safely reverts to automatic.
- Control from anywhere: Set policies, nominate preferred networks, and trigger scans or site surveys from RCMS. When the WAN is down, send SMS commands as a fallback.
- Verify and operate: Review live status and change logs, run an on-device speed test for spot checks, and schedule automated site surveys to guide roll-outs and audits.
Smart Roaming Feature Comparison
|
Feature |
Standard Router |
Smart Roaming Router |
Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CORE FEATURES | |||
|
Full network scan for available networks |
✗ |
✓ |
Build a per‑site picture of every usable carrier at boot or on demand, so installs and troubleshooting start with facts, not guesses. |
|
Automatic recovery from network outage |
✗ |
✓ |
If data stops flowing, the router moves to the next working carrier and restores service without human intervention. |
|
Timestamped Network change log |
✗ |
✓ |
Every carrier change is recorded with time and cause, giving support and compliance a clear audit trail. |
|
Healthcheck by ping target |
✗ |
✓ |
Validate real IP reachability to your target; if traffic can’t pass, switch rather than sitting on a ‘connected’ but broken link. |
|
Healthcheck by signal strength |
✗ |
✓ |
Protect service by moving off weak cells when signal drops below your threshold. |
|
Healthcheck by Ping round trip time |
✗ |
✓ |
Watch latency; when response times exceed policy, switch to a faster network to protect SLAs and user experience. |
|
Select any network manually |
✗ |
✓ |
Let engineers pin a carrier for testing or policy needs, with safe rollback when finished. |
|
Failsafe when manually selecting Networks |
✗ |
✓ |
If a manual selection fails to register, automatically revert to keep the site online. |
|
Live network status view |
✗ |
✓ |
See current carrier, signal and health checks in one place for faster triage and clearer decisions. |
|
Run a Speedtest on current network |
✓ |
✓ |
Spot‑check throughput on site to choose the best carrier during install or diagnosis. |
|
5G NSA Supported |
✓ |
✓ |
Leverage 5G NSA where available for higher capacity and lower latency on capable models. |
|
Control Smart Roaming fully from Cloud platform |
✗ |
✓ |
Set policies, trigger scans, and review logs centrally in RCMS—manage fleets without site visits. |
|
Perform a fully automated site survey at boot time |
✗ |
✓ |
On power‑up, record available carriers and quality and upload results automatically to inform planning. |
|
Perform scheduled, automated site survey |
✗ |
✓ |
Run periodic surveys to track changing RF conditions and prove service quality over time. |
|
Perform a fully automated manual site survey |
✗ |
✓ |
Trigger an on‑demand survey remotely to verify an install or resolve issues—no truck roll. |
|
OPTIONAL FEATURES | |||
|
Forget last known good network |
✗ |
✓ |
Avoid ‘sticking’ to yesterday’s carrier by clearing stale preferences when conditions change. |
|
Force a rescan of visible networks manually |
✗ |
✓ |
Refresh the RF picture on demand to confirm coverage after antenna or site changes. |
|
Delete Forbidden networks |
✗ |
✓ |
Clear FPLMN entries on the SIM that block registration, restoring access to viable carriers. |
|
Nominate ‘preferred’ networks |
✗ |
✓ |
Prioritize carriers that meet your commercial or performance policy while keeping automatic failover. |
|
Control Smart Roaming fully by SMS |
✗ |
✓ |
Maintain control when data is down: change settings, trigger scans and recover remotely via SMS. |
Smart Roaming + RCMS
Manage Smart Roaming centrally in RCMS. Apply policies by group, trigger scans or site surveys, and review logs across the estate. Combine with RobustLink for monitoring and Operations Console for installation quality and incident analysis. Use Zero-Touch to roll out changes safely in rings, with activity records for audit.
Real-World Use Cases: Why customers are choosing Smart Roaming
One estate, many carriers — Smart Roaming keeps every site connected to the best network.
Situation
A national IoT device deployer using roaming SIMs across mixed locations. Some sites show good bars but poor throughput; others recover slowly after outages. Teams spend too much time pushing manual network changes or rolling trucks.
What they did
They enabled Smart Roaming on Robustel routers. The device scans available carriers, verifies real IP reachability and latency, and automatically moves to the carrier that actually works best for that location. Policies, preferred networks, and site surveys are managed centrally in RCMS, with SMS control if data is unavailable.
Business impact
- Higher estate uptime: Devices avoid “connected but unusable” states and recover without site visits.
- Lower operating cost: Fewer truck rolls and shorter incidents; consistent logs improve post-event reviews.
- Simple to own: Keep the roaming SIM contract you already have; add device-side intelligence to make it perform.
“I wanted to report an observation from a customer regarding R1520 performance.
This customer has over 50 x R1520s in operation, primarily across Scotland, and over 2 years we have seen various niggles with deployments with the R1520 which they have worked to resolve with a combination of antennas, location & Smart Roaming v2.
They reported a few months ago that they now deploy with Smart Roaming v2 turned ON, but with RSSI Quality check switched OFF. They have now NOT seen issues over many deployments and in fact are looking to swap out the <competitor router> now for another R1520 on the power supply due to its performance and the fact that Smart Roaming v2 has this flexibility.
I thought I would let you know about this, not only as a good review, but also it is interesting that something so small and specific as Smart Roaming seemed to make such a big difference.”
— James N., Instrument Manufacturer, UK
MNOs and MVNOS – Are you selling Roaming SIM Cards as a service?
Turn “your SIM isn’t working” into “we picked the best network at that site.”
Roaming SIMs unlock multiple carrier benefits. Smart Roaming turns that access into a result your customers can feel: best network per site, proven by live checks. Bundle Robustel routers with Smart Roaming and you’ll cut noisy support tickets, lift estate uptime, and sell performance instead of plastic.
Why this matters to your business
- Shrink L1 noise and churn: Device-side decisions and timestamped logs separate real network faults from device behavior, so “the SIM is down” stops flooding your queue.
- A stronger value story for unsteered roaming: You can promise per-site performance validated by reachability and latency, not just signal bars.
- “Fastest network” becomes a feature: Latency-aware switching helps you win renewals and new logos with a clear, testable differentiator.
- Happier enterprise accounts: Uptime rises without new carrier contracts or complex playbooks, and customers see exactly what changed and when.
“Roaming SIM access + Smart Roaming control.” The router scans local PLMNs, tests IP reachability and round-trip time, then selects the best working carrier for that location. Policies and preferred networks are managed in RCMS, with SMS control when data is unavailable.
Easy first steps
Run a short pilot on a sample of customer sites. Share the change logs and latency deltas as proof of value. We can host a 30-minute live demo for your key accounts and provide ready-to-use slides so your team can start selling a performance-led roaming service.
Work with IoT Experts who Respect your Industry Knowledge
You know your industry best. We bring deep expertise in IoT device development and deployment, turning your goals into stable designs, repeatable profiles, and smooth rollouts. Together we build a long term partnership that supports scale, growth, and efficiency.