MSE News: 'Free' mobile roaming in the EU starts on Thursday

Former_MSE_Steve_1

New European Union rules which come into effect this week will slash the cost of using your mobile in most parts of Europe...

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'Free' mobile roaming in the EU starts on Thursday - 10 things you need to know'

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System

Be careful!

I was in Rhodes and some days, my phone picked up Turkcell as the foreign network. The name gives it away - a Turkish mobile network. I always noticed this and resolved by switching my mobile off and on.

In September, I will be going to Croatia for a holiday. With two day trips to Bos-H and Montenegro. These two latter countries don't have the 'free' roaming etc. I will check when I return to the hotel, that I am on a Croatian network.

I wonder how many people have been caught out from visiting a different country or near a border to an non EEC country and made calls etc presuming they are on a EEC country's network?

Ian011

The next few months will show up just how bad most peoples grasp of geography is.

It cannot be stressed enough for people to check the actual list of included countries as published by their particular provider as there are many issues to trip up the unwary.

You need to be careful if you visit Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man as well as Monaco or Switzerland and use your phone while there. Some providers no longer count these as Europe and instead charge extortionate rates to make and receive calls, send text messages or use data.

You also need to be aware of countries that are never included such as Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus (North), Faroe Islands, Greenland, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and several others.

eDicky

ScarletMarble wrote: »

Be careful!

I was in Rhodes and some days, my phone picked up Turkcell as the foreign network. The name gives it away - a Turkish mobile network. I always noticed this and resolved by switching my mobile off and on.

In September, I will be going to Croatia for a holiday. With two day trips to Bos-H and Montenegro. These two latter countries don't have the 'free' roaming etc. I will check when I return to the hotel, that I am on a Croatian network.

I wonder how many people have been caught out from visiting a different country or near a border to an non EEC country and made calls etc presuming they are on a EEC country's network?

Instead of the default automatic network selection when roaming, a manual choice of network operator can be made in your phone's mobile networks settings. A scan is made and a list presented for you to select one (or revert to automatic). Using this should enable you to avoid straying onto the wrong networks across a border etc. I assume it's possible with any phone, including iPhones with which I have no experience.

ballyblack

Instead of the default automatic network selection when roaming, a manual choice of network operator can be made in your phone's mobile networks

This is has been a fact of life around border areas in Northern Ireland and the Republic for the last 20 years with users having to manually lock onto their own network

At long last its free to auto roam around the border:T


.

Delerium_2

My only advice is to look at your operators website to see which countries are included in the roaming changes. This does differ from operator to operator.

Its great news for mobile users but be aware that operators are allowed to enforce 'fair usage' and apply charges should you suddenly become a very heavy user in Europe.

andyuk2005

I think there's a glaring mistake on those 10 points. It says:

'4. Calls to any EU number will come from your UK allowance, not just calls back to the UK. Until recently some providers' 'roam free' packages such as Three's Feel at Home let you use your UK calls allowance abroad - but only for calls back to the UK.

Yet under the new EU rules, while roaming in the EU you'll be able to call most landlines and mobiles within the EU (and in due course, Iceland, Liechenstein and Norway too) paying just what you'd pay in the UK - useful if you want to make a booking at the restaurant down the road, for example. Check if you're unsure though - some premium rate numbers for example will still cost more, even if there's no extra roaming charge.'

But I checked with the FAQ of my mobile provider (Plusnet) and it says that calls from my mobile to EU numbers are NOT included in my allowance. Also, on the EU website (http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/telecoms-internet/mobile-roaming-costs/index_en.htm) it says:

'Calling another EU or non-EU country from home is not considered as roaming so the roam like at home rules don't apply. You should be aware that the prices for these calls are not regulated and can be expensive.'

Can someone from MSE check and find out if this is correct and update if necessary? I want to know if I can call EU numbers if they're included in my allowance!

Ian011

The new rules have no effect on calling EU countries from the UK.

The rules affect making and receiving calls, sending and receiving text messages, and using data while you are outside of the UK. In selected countries (principally EU member states, later also EEA countries), you will pay the same for calls and texts to UK numbers as you do when using your phone in the UK. You will also pay the same for calls and texts to EU landline and mobile numbers and for data usage as you pay when you are calling and texting UK landline and mobile numbers from the UK and when using data in the UK.

It is imperative to inspect the list of included countries as published by your mobile provider. In many cases there are a number of exclusions such as Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Monaco, Switzerland, etc. and other countries such as Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus (North), Faroe Islands, Greenland, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and a number of others. These places are not part of the EU.

Delerium_2

andyuk2005 wrote: »

But I checked with the FAQ of my mobile provider (Plusnet) and it says that calls from my mobile to EU numbers are NOT included in my allowance. Also, on the EU website (http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/telecoms-internet/mobile-roaming-costs/index_en.htm) it says:

'Calling another EU or non-EU country from home is not considered as roaming so the roam like at home rules don't apply. You should be aware that the prices for these calls are not regulated and can be expensive.'

Can someone from MSE check and find out if this is correct and update if necessary? I want to know if I can call EU numbers if they're included in my allowance!

I can confirm that a call from the UK to the EU is classed as an 'International call' and is therefore not a roaming call. These are not covered by the regulation.

tocheto

What about if a friend is in UK with EU sim and I call him.
Will there be a charge or it will come from my bundle

ballyblack

What about if a friend is in UK with EU sim and I call him.
Will there be a charge or it will come from my bundle

this is an international call and you are not roaming.

He is , so no cost to him