Remember the days, before 2017, when you might have been faced with mobile phone “bill shock” after travelling in Europe?
Many business travellers and holidaymakers were hit with unexpected charges of hundreds or even thousands of pounds, after using mobile data abroad. In 2017 the EU brought in legislation which meant that the data bundles that applied in a user’s home country, also applied in other EU countries.
Following Brexit, that legislation no longer applies in the UK and since January of this year, mobile operators in the UK have had the ability to reintroduce roaming charges. However, all four networks (Vodafone, O2, Three and EE) initially said that they had no plans to do so.
Change is on the cards now, though, as EE has announced that from January 2022, customers will face a £2 per day charge to use their tariff allowances in 47 European destinations. This is, however, relatively small when compared to pre-2017 roaming fees, and EE will also offer 30-day packages for people travelling for longer periods.
Vodafone, Three and O2 still say they do not plan to introduce roaming charges, but there are “fair use limits” on the amount of time that customers can use their phones abroad. Examples of such fair use limits include:
- You could not take a mobile phone contract out in an EU country and then use it all year round in the UK.
- UK customers who spend more than half of their time overseas, and use their UK mobile tariff whilst there, will be subject to additional charges.
- Data limits apply:
- Customers of O2 have a monthly data limit of 25GB and will be charged £3.50 for each GB after that.
- Vodafone’s limit is also 25GB with a £3.13 charge per GB after that.
- Three is cutting its fair use limit from 20GB a month to 12GB and will charge £3 per GB above that.
The costs to the networks, when we use our mobiles abroad, vary depending on what agreements / reciprocal arrangements that the operator has made with its counterparts abroad. Such arrangements are subject to change and it remains important to check your tariff with your provider, before you travel.
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