Mobile Roaming: Cheapest Calls When You're Abroad

Hellhawk

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but does anyone know if the rate changes which apply tomorrow to all European Mobile Operators also apply to others selling roaming SIM's from the UK - even if they are middlemen for US based (or Isle of Man, Lichenstein, etc) companies?

A company such as 0044 states that they can save the user up to 90%. As of tomorrow this is likely to be a false statement. Worst, in the case of SMS (short messaging) the charges are going to have to fall from upwards of 40 euro cents per message to 11 cents just to be on a par with your normal phone !!

I worry that they won't be required to make these changes and so people who think they are getting a good deal will soon not be. Or, even worst, that they will rapidly fail as businesses as people migrate back to their normal mobile for roaming. If that happens, get out quick before your "cheap" roaming company goes down with that 30 dollar top up you just gave them.:eek:

mrcamp

The rate changes do not apply to those roaming sims. However, due to the new EU legislation, a lot of them, even the bigger ones, such as United Mobile have fallen on hard times lately. UM is currently out of business. And, you are correct, it's only going to get worse for most of these roaming sim sellers. Their rates are no longer better in the EU, so the few of them that are still in business, have shifted focus to the US. Since roaming rates iont he US are still quite high, and US carriers still charge high roaming rates. They are now coming out with dual US/UK sim cards.

Hellhawk wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but does anyone know if the rate changes which apply tomorrow to all European Mobile Operators also apply to others selling roaming SIM's from the UK - even if they are middlemen for US based (or Isle of Man, Lichenstein, etc) companies?

A company such as 0044 states that they can save the user up to 90%. As of tomorrow this is likely to be a false statement. Worst, in the case of SMS (short messaging) the charges are going to have to fall from upwards of 40 euro cents per message to 11 cents just to be on a par with your normal phone !!

I worry that they won't be required to make these changes and so people who think they are getting a good deal will soon not be. Or, even worst, that they will rapidly fail as businesses as people migrate back to their normal mobile for roaming. If that happens, get out quick before your "cheap" roaming company goes down with that 30 dollar top up you just gave them.:eek:

Hellhawk

I should have plastered "Roaming in Europe" all over my first post and of course any marketing hype w.r.t savings from any of these companies is probably justifiable when talking about the totality of Global roaming.

I am sorry if I didn't make that clear.

Nevertheless, if one needs to roam around Europe and save money one needed a global SIM. But, from tomorrow, maybe the phone you have in your pocket right now is going to be cheaper - or at least the same price - for calls and for data.

Short message roaming in Europe is a whole new ball game from tomorrow. Check your rates carefully !!

On a personal note, the cost savings for these US based "call back" SIM's outweighed the hassle of finding a phone to work with the service messaging needed to enable the call back element of making a call (if you have ever used one of these things you will know what I mean - you call them, they call you and then they connect you to the number you dialled.... maybe).

My guess is that without the savings, my better half will be over the moon because she will be able to make a call as nature intended - simply by pressing go and waiting for ring tone.

redux

Hellhawk wrote: »

I should have plastered "Roaming in Europe" all over my first post and of course any marketing hype w.r.t savings from any of these companies is probably justifiable when talking about the totality of Global roaming.

I am sorry if I didn't make that clear.

Nevertheless, if one needs to roam around Europe and save money one needed a global SIM. But, from tomorrow, maybe the phone you have in your pocket right now is going to be cheaper - or at least the same price - for calls and for data.

Short message roaming in Europe is a whole new ball game from tomorrow. Check your rates carefully !!

On a personal note, the cost savings for these US based "call back" SIM's outweighed the hassle of finding a phone to work with the service messaging needed to enable the call back element of making a call (if you have ever used one of these things you will know what I mean - you call them, they call you and then they connect you to the number you dialled.... maybe).

My guess is that without the savings, my better half will be over the moon because she will be able to make a call as nature intended - simply by pressing go and waiting for ring tone.

I don't think you can encapsulate the subject in a few generalised remarks.

The most expensive network for roaming in Europe 4 or 5 years ago, Vodafone, has worked towards becoming the cheapest, albeit perhaps temporarily at the moment. O2 had cheaper roaming well before the EU regulations a couple of years ago, with an add-on option for free incoming calls, and text messages are free from those included on a contract.

Nevertheless, it was and will be cheaper in some places to use roaming SIMs, especially outside Europe, and some of them conveniently come out of main network inclusive minutes, so allowing free incoming calls.

Some countries have cheap international or local calls, some in single figures of cents per minute, and these will still be attractive compared to roaming outgoing calls at the regulatory tariff of about 50 cents a minute, or 35p on some British SIMs, though 3 and T-mobile have both increased roaming prices this year.

For people who want to send a lot of sms, who are not O2 or Vodafone customers, look instead at the various mobile Java programs that send an equivalent via data.


But in fact, the declaration that everything will be different from tomorrow is wrong anyway. British networks have been and will probably still be cheaper than the Eurotariff for call rates, because of the drop in the exchange rate (notwithsatnding the increases by 3 and T-mobile).

And the EU regulators didn't actually mandate that rates drop tomorrow.

What has actually been implemented is that average rates over a defined future period, either 10 or 12 months (I ought to check, but it's in my emails at home), must meet the requirements. Obviously companies who don't decrease tariffs soon will be faced with having to take them below the mandated rates to achieve an average.

So don't assume cheap text message roaming starts tomorrow. My guess is that some might wait until August

babeeface

Martin has said that the price of the traveltalksim is £30.00 but when I go to buy one online it costs £34.99 and there is no option to buy at a retail outlet - has anyone got any ideas to cut postage and packing on this. I think that is expensive for a sim postage! !

scotnut2407

Something to be aware of. Just got this week's Money Tips email stating that from today within the EU making calls will be capped at 37p a min, receiving at 16p a minute and texts at 9p each.

However - I got a text yesterday from Orange - and have just checked online - and they intend to charge 38p a minute to make calls, 19p a minute to receive calls and 11p a text!

To add insult to injury a quick check of another operator's site - T Mobile - says that they will charge 43p a minute to make calls, 19p a minute to receive them and 11p a text. Is this a case of mis-information or operators still trying to wriggle out of this legislation?

jkd_3

For those that use Skype on their phone.
When in the USA, for example, go to any Starbucks where there is free wi-fi, jump onto your Skype function on your phone and voila - free calls !! :j

redux

scotnut2407 wrote: »

Is this a case of mis-information or operators still trying to wriggle out of this legislation?

No. British networks were already cheaper than the latest level of call rates for the new Eurotariff. Perhaps this is why 3 and T-mobile both decided to increase their call rates in Europe, though it's obviously not very competitive.

As I said in a post just above, there was not a mandate to introduce new tariffs necessarily starting from exactly the 1st July, only that an average must be met over a specified period of the next year or so

rasinkernow

Off topic a little but important tip i feel... I was taking a walk in Dover the other day and my super-hot-uber phone, in its wisdom, switched to a French network automatically. Although there must have been 30 miles of sea between me and France. Luckily i noticed before i rang the wife.

MKB

I was a bit concerned when I read in this week's newletter that I could be charged for unanswered calls that divert to my voicemail while I'm abroad. I'd never heard of this before and don't ever recall having been charged in the past.

However, I have just called Orange and they assure me that they do not in fact charge the person being called for calls to voicemail, whether the phone is home or abroad. Nor should they of course. The notion is quite outrageous.