Vodafone is the second UK mobile phone company to announce the reintroduction of roaming charges for travellers in Europe.
A charge of at least £1 a day will apply from January to new and upgrading customers using their mobile phone in EU countries. A number of tariffs are planned, with Vodafone’s approach to limit those including roaming in Europe to “selected plans”. This will include its more expensive options.
The news comes after rival firm EE announced similar plans in June. All mobile operators originally claimed they would not bring back roaming charges after Brexit, even though they could.
Fair-usage limits
From Wednesday 11 August, the rules will change for both new and upgrading customers, but will not affect existing users while they are on their current contracts. However, roaming in the Republic of Ireland will remain included for all customers at no additional cost.
The new charges will start in January, with customers paying £2 a day to use their allowance in Europe, or £1 if they purchase an eight or fifteen day bundle. Fair-usage limits will also apply to roaming 25GB of data a month.
Since 2017, UK customers have had the ability to use their mobile phone tariffs to make calls, send texts and use data in the EU as freely as they can at home. But in December 2020 when the EU trade deal was signed, the possibility opened up for users travelling in Europe to face charges. The agreement did not ban companies imposing charges, but encouraged they have “transparent and reasonable rates”.
EE is the first operator to introduce charges, with a £2 daily rate to begin from January in 47 European destinations. Although, consumers using phones in the Republic of Ireland are exempt from the rule changes. O2 currently caps roaming at 25GB of data, with anything over that charged at £3.50 per gigabyte. Meanwhile, Three cut its fair-use data limit in Europe from 20GB to 12GB a month, charging £3 for every gigabyte over that.
‘Harsh reality’ of Brexit
Ernest Doku, an analyst from Uswitch, says it is “disappointing” for consumers to see operators shifting from their original decisions. Following Brexit, all of the UK’s largest mobile providers claimed to have no immediate plans to change their models for charging customers roaming within the EU.
Mr Doku fears that “roaming at no additional cost could soon be a distant memory for UK residents”. He warns travellers who are due an upgrade in the coming months, to check the small print. He also advises that while on holiday, people should always use hotel and cafe wi-fi facilities wherever possible.
Meanwhile, Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, says the price changes are a “harsh reality” of Brexit. He says it is a “pretty easy decision for telcos”. As wholesale roaming rates change when the UK exits the EU, it will push higher prices without EU protection. Mobile firms “are struggling with margins being squeezed, and are seeking ways of increasing revenue”. Meanwhile, they are investing billions in new expensive fixed and mobile networks for the future.
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