During my recent business trip to Cairo, I encountered a frustrating situation upon arrival. The driver who was supposed to meet me was nowhere to be found. In need of a solution, I turned to my WhatsApp messaging app, which I had used to arrange this transportation with my guide. After activating my mobile roaming, I was able to address the issue and find a resolution. However, this simple exchange of messages ended up costing me a whopping £160.
Prior to my trip, my mobile provider, O2, had already sent me a text message warning about the exorbitant data charges of £7.20 per megabyte (MB). Despite this alert, I never anticipated exceeding my budget. Unfortunately, my phone had automatically updated all its apps, consuming 26MB of data. It was certainly a humbling experience to realize my rookie mistake, but I soon discovered that I wasn’t the only one. A friend who recently returned from New York encountered a similar shock. Being a customer of EE through his BT Business account, he quickly reached his data cap of £120 because he had forgotten to activate Roam Abroad with EE.
Data roaming charges can be complex and vary greatly depending on the provider and destination. However, one thing is certain: using 4G on the go will devour your data at an alarming rate. A simple action like checking a navigation app can use up 1MB of data, while a few minutes of web browsing or scrolling through Facebook can consume 10MB. Sharing a photo instantly eats up multiple megabytes.
In the UK, there are four main mobile networks: EE, Three, Vodafone, and O2. Other providers rely on these networks for access. With the exception of a few third-party providers like Virgin, Talk Talk, and Tesco, who have resisted reintroducing European roaming fees, mobile roaming is no longer free in Europe.
New customers signing up directly with EE, Three, and Vodafone, as well as those who have renewed their contracts or joined the provider after the 2021 cut-off date for free EU roaming, now pay a flat daily rate for calls, texts, and data roaming in Europe, up to the limit of their UK allowance. This daily rate varies, with Three charging £2 per day, Vodafone charging £2.25 per day (£15 for 15 days), and EE charging £2.29 per day (£15 per month). Only customers who joined their provider before the 2021 cut-off dates can continue to use their UK allowance in Europe without any additional charges.
Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these charges if you travel frequently. Some mobile companies include free roaming in Europe, and sometimes even beyond, as part of selected, albeit more expensive, pay-monthly SIM-only and phone contracts. They may also offer promotional deals to entice new customers.
If your new phone plan does not include roaming or an affordable add-on, the safest way to prevent a hefty bill is to activate flight mode and rely on Wi-Fi for calls, web browsing, and downloads. Additionally, setting a low roaming charge cap for emergencies can be beneficial.
There are situations where using roaming is necessary, such as ordering a taxi on the street, utilizing Google Translate’s chat feature, or determining your location (although apps like maps.me offer offline GPS-enabled mapping). For independent travelers, purchasing a local SIM card is a wise decision. Modern smartphones often have dual SIM capabilities, and for iPhone 12 and 13 users, it is possible to convert your UK account into an e-SIM, allowing you to use a local SIM card in the physical slot or vice versa.
In countries where obtaining a local SIM card is challenging due to bureaucratic hurdles, it might be worth considering purchasing one before your departure. Several companies now offer travel e-SIMs through mobile apps, providing coverage for data usage. It’s important to review their available destinations, as some cover countries that others do not. Companies like Airalo, Nomad, and Holafly offer a range of country-specific and regional packages at different prices.
For those whose mobile phones only support physical SIM cards, Dataroam offers an international pay-as-you-go card that can be used in 27 non-EU countries. Pricing starts at £29.99 for 1GB of data for 30 days in the US and increases to £69.99 in Singapore.
Each of the four main mobile networks provides various roaming packages, with some included for free in more expensive contracts and others requiring a daily charge. It’s crucial to carefully check the list of covered countries before committing, as certain providers have significant omissions in their coverage.
In countries where no roaming pass or add-on deal is available, standard roaming rates apply, as was the case with my experience in Egypt. These rates typically range from £1 to £2 per minute for calls, 50-60p for texts, and £6-£10 per megabyte for data.
To prevent customers from incurring astronomical bills, mobile companies have established Fair Usage Policies. Personal accounts are designed for holiday travel rather than extended business trips or extended stays abroad. If you surpass a certain usage threshold, it may result in extra charges or a reduction in data speed from 4G to 3G.
Unlike the other major networks, O2 does not charge any customers for roaming in Europe. They are the only network that does not impose charges for European roaming. Customers on selected O2 Refresh and SIM-only tariffs, as well as Virgin Volt customers, also enjoy free roaming in 27 destinations outside of Europe through O2’s Travel Bolt On deal, which includes unlimited calls, texts, and data roaming. Other customers can access a paid Travel Bolt On for £6 per day, covering 68 countries outside Europe. For countries not covered by these options, O2 offers data roaming bundles, such as 1GB in India for £65.
EE customers on more expensive plans, such as Smart Benefits or Full Works, can choose a Roam Abroad pass as a benefit to avoid the daily £2.29 charge in Europe. Other customers who joined after July 7, 2021, can purchase a Roam Abroad pass for £15 for 30 days, allowing them to utilize their UK plan allowance in Europe, North America, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.
Unfortunately, there are no deals available for using your UK allowance in other destinations. In such cases, you will need to activate a Travel Data Pass, which costs between £6.26 and £7.84 per day for a relatively small amount of data (150-500MB). This makes EE an expensive option for worldwide roaming.
Vodafone offers selected plans, called Vodafone Xtra Plans, that allow customers to utilize their UK allowance in up to 83 destinations worldwide. However, cheaper plans purchased after August 11, 2021, do not include roaming (except for Ireland, Iceland, and Norway) and instead charge £2.25 per day in Europe and £6.85 per day in 73 other worldwide destinations. These destinations include countries like India, Egypt, and Singapore, which are often excluded from roaming deals by other providers due to their higher costs.
For Three customers on Pay Monthly plans starting on or after October 1, 2021, accessing Go Roam in Europe costs £2 per day. Go Roam World allows for roaming in a more extensive range of countries, including much of the Caribbean, South America, the US, and Australia, for £5 per day. However, oddly enough, Canada is not included in this offer. To access discounted roaming in an additional 18 countries, including Canada, Turkey, and Thailand, customers will need to purchase a Data Passport for £5 per day, specifically for unlimited data.
When selecting a mobile network, it’s crucial to compare options and consider your specific needs and destinations. Remember, your experience and usage may vary depending on the provider. Please share your own experiences and feedback in the comments section below.
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