Roaming charges when using your mobile phone abroad are to be scrapped in 2017, after MEPs formerly voted to approve the legislation.
This means that you’ll be able to travel anywhere within the EU and pay exactly the same for mobile phone calls, text messages and most importantly for data usage as you would if you were at home in the UK.
From April 2016 roaming charges will have caps of 3p per minute, text messages 1p and for data will be capped at 3p/MB (plus VAT and your normal network rates). By the middle of 2017 roaming charges will be banned across the EU for all mobile operators. As an added bonus, from 2017 you’ll also no longer pay a premium to receive a phone call whilst in the EU.
You should still be wary of using your mobile when travelling outside the EU as then there’s no cap on the charges that can apply. It makes sense to turn mobile data off before you leave the UK and potentially remove your SIM card and rely on WiFi if you want to keep in touch that way. You can of course make Skype or other voice over IP calls using WiFi.
Using mobiles in the EU without worrying about roaming charges will be welcome for any ecommerce retailer who goes on holiday in 2017 (check the exact implementation date nearer the time!). It’ll enable you to stay fully in touch with your business via email, web and phone if needed without worrying about what it might be costing.
