I use Wataniya as my primary mobile number apart from a backup Dhiraagu number. Basically, I carry two handsets; a Nokia N82 with a Wataniya SIM card and a Nokia 1202 (a so called Nokia bathhi) with a Dhiraagu SIM. In the past week or so, Wataniya was experiencing some (I would say, major) issues with their network coverage in some areas of the country including Baa Atoll, where I reside. Those were hard times for me in those (almost) 4 days when there was virtually no coverage. Even now, the coverage isn't completely well. Whenever I switch off and switch on the mobile, it takes a long time for the SIM card to register with the network and I had to wait for sometime before I could make a call. Moreover the EDGE (mobile internet) service is also having some random cutdowns even now. EDGE is the successor of GPRS, faster than GPRS and backward compatible. That means if my handset doesn't support EDGE it will select GPRS by default. Also Wataniya provides EDGE in some areas only. For instance, EDGE is available in the resort which I work but not available in my home island. Wataniya's EDGE is much much faster than Dhiraagu's GPRS. Even Wataniya's GPRS is faster. Moreover, Dhiraagu doesn't provide EDGE. Not as far as I know.
During the network outage, I felt disturbed and uneasy. Luckily that I had my backup Dhiraagu number, which I made great use of during the outage. But I was thinking of something else. Something more advanced and convenient for everyone. I was thinking of the situation where I may not be having a backup number. I can have a thought of how frustrated I would be. So, here comes my solution. Both the operators can have roaming agreements with each other and activate roaming during an outage. This would save us all from the hassle of an outage of a service that has become a basic need in the 21st century.
You could wonder "what on earth am I talking about?". Well, an example is the best way to explain a theory. Let's assume the instance I had in the past couple of days. Wataniya could have a roaming agreement with Dhiraagu so that they could use Dhiraagu's network and let all of us (Wataniya users) roam in Dhiraagu network, just the same way as we do overseas. Now, you could ask if it is possible. Yes, it is possible in every other way as roaming is not limited to between countries. Instead, roaming could be established between operators in the same country too. In this way, operators could relieve it's customers from the inconveniences of a network outage.
You would now start wondering why wouldn't they just do it. Well then, you better start wondering why they didn't implement sending MMS between the two operators eventhough they both have implemented sending MMS to operators in other countries.
