For many years, Mobile phone roaming charges have been sinking step-by-step from stupid pricing down to more pocket friendly pricing.
Historic Pricing – Data/Image – European Commission
Today marks the day that changes – and the abolishment of roaming charges.
Using one of these could become a lot cheaper inside the European Economic Area (my old iPhone 6 after it was repaired after a screen crack – Image, Economy Class and Beyond)
The new rules from the European Commission state that customers will be able to call, text and browse the internet on their mobile devices/mobile phones for the same price you pay at home.
In the past, the costs to roam inside the European Economic Area have varied, with either bolt-on’s required for extra roaming, or paying extra for calls.
A full FAQ can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/faq/frequently-asked-questions-roam-home
An important note is that the EU Mobile Roaming Rules do NOT apply to Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Monaco and Switzerland – and different companies are handling these countries in different ways
These will be would be chargeable under your operators international rates
Operators are reacting differently. Inside the United Kingdom, there is variation on the major providers in how data is being offered to customers:
- O2 Pay as You Go: 10GB limit
- O2 Contract: 20GB limit
- Three UK (Contract/PAYG): 12GB limit
- Vodafone Contract: None set.
- EE Contract: 15GB limit
Money Saving Expert has a clear guide on what’s covered and what’s not covered as well as some deeper numbers and advice on cheap roaming
It’s a welcome change for those of us who travel for days at a time and need the connectivity to keep going.
Just be careful of the data caps.
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