An extended network is a common technique employed by cellular providers to enable continuous service to customers when they’re in an area not covered by the company’s own cell towers.
When a customer travels outside of a service provider’s established network coverage, their smartphone will automatically switch to a network run by another company that their own provider has made a deal with. The entire process is completely seamless and, in most cases, doesn’t incur any extra fees. Data speeds on extended networks can often be slower though.
What Is Extended Network LTE?
Extended network LTE is one of many different phrases used by mobile phone carriers to describe the extended network feature or process described above. The phrase can be used on a provider’s official website and can even appear on your iPhone or Android smartphone in place of your carrier’s name once a connection has been made to a provider on an extended network.
Other words and phrases frequently used by mobile providers to describe the extended network process and service are:
- Extended
- Extended network
- Extended network LTE
- Extended LTE
- Extended coverage
- Off-network data
- Off-net coverage
- Domestic roaming
- Roaming domestically
While the volume of different phrases used for the same service can be overwhelming, individual carriers often stick to just the one or two. You likely won’t find yourself confronted with all of these words at once if you stick to just the one company.
When comparing cellular providers, it’s important to remember most will often use completely different words for describing the same services offered by their rivals.
For example, AT&T tends to use off-network and off-net when describing their extended network options while Verizon and T-Mobile refer to this feature as domestic roaming.
What Does Extended Network Mean With Verizon?
While Verizon does typically refer to its extended network service as domestic roaming, when this feature activates on your smartphone when out of range of a Verizon cell tower, the words Extended and Extended Network will be used to inform you of the switch.
Typically, Extended will appear in place of Verizon’s name at the top of your smartphone or tablet and Extended Network will display whenever you open your device’s carrier settings page.
Why Does My Phone Say Extended Network Instead of Sprint?
As with Verizon handsets, Sprint smartphones will also display Extended or Extended Network once they’ve switched to a third-party provider’s network. This is true for both Android smartphones and iPhones and is not something to worry about.
How Are Extended Networks and Roaming Different?
Extended network almost exclusively refers to domestic roaming. Domestic roaming is generally a free service offered by cellular providers so they can promise their customers their smartphones will work everywhere within the United States, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Some older mobile plans may still charge for connecting to an extended network so it can be worth speaking to a customer service representative to confirm the specifics of your plan and to discuss the possibility of switching to a better one if available.
International roaming, on the other hand, uses extended networks to provide service to customers while traveling abroad. International roaming, sometimes also called global roaming, can be very expensive and is something most should speak to their provider about if planning to use their mobile phone while overseas.