BT Mobile now let you use your allowance when roaming

[Lewis]

Was pleased to get an email about this earlier in the week. Might be of interest to those of you who take regular trips to Europe. You can use your inclusive allowance with BT Mobile from late June in the counties below:

Roaming Zone 1a

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (Incl. Azores & Madeira), Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City

Roaming Zone 1b

Canary Islands, French Guiana, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Iceland, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland


A healthy bit of competition for Three and Vodafone with their similar deals. I found BT to be the most competitive big network for my needs in the last couple of years. Unlimited minutes and texts and £15gb data for £16 p/m. We do use BT Broadband which gets us a discount but they also tend to offer good sign up incentives like £100 vouchers too. Also find inclusive access to Openzone WiFi network to be very useful.

Hopefully this is the direction of travel for all providers in the future.

 

[bvddobb]

.Hopefully this is the direction of travel for all providers in the future.

It'a nothing special from BT. It's EU ruling: all providers have to drop roaming costs in the EU 15 June latest. May be one of your last benefits. Will be interesting to see what providers will do for UK customers when Brexit is a fact.


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[Erbster]

In our recent trip to Hannover, I really enjoyed "free" data roaming in all four countries we visited. However, nowhere we visited had a 4G signal (even big cites like Hannover or Amsterdam). I also found the mobile data rate really slow. I experienced this last year when on holiday in Spain too, but blamed it on poor signal area). I get the impression that roaming data provision gets a low priority and/or is "throttled". Any else experienced this?


Charles

 

[WelshGas]

In our recent trip to Hannover, I really enjoyed "free" data roaming in all four countries we visited. However, nowhere we visited had a 4G signal (even big cites like Hannover or Amsterdam). I also found the mobile data rate really slow. I experienced this last year when on holiday in Spain too, but blamed it on poor signal area). I get the impression that roaming data provision gets a low priority and/or is "throttled". Any else experienced this?


Charles

Yes, in Italy. Could receive emails, but browsing was so slow. I was using a 3 Mifi with a good signal.

However if I logged onto the Camp wifi no problems.

 

[Victor_Tango_]

Good experience with EE Max so far. Fast 4G or decent 3G+ in cities and some countryside in Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands. Not the cheapest but no apparent throttling and "generous" data limit ("generosity" tempered by the fact that they'll soon be obliged to under EU law as bvddobb says).

 

[Victor]

Once we are out of the EU expect roaming charges to rocket again !!

 

[Erbster]

Once we are out of the EU expect roaming charges to rocket again !!

Another Brexit benefit #I'llGetMyCoat


Charles

 

[WelshGas]

Once we are out of the EU expect roaming charges to rocket again !!

Why?
I don't believe we are part of the USA or Australia and 3 Data works fine in those countries as it does in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka and others.

 

[briwy]

4g everywhere in Norway but generally only 3g or H+ in Spain/France/Italy
If its just for emails we use the other halfs KIndle which I bought her about eight years ago. It came with free data which I expected to stop after a year but its still going strong. USA/Columbia/Peru and everywhere we have been in Europe all free. Only place it wouldn't work was the Isle of Man.

 

[bvddobb]

Why?
I don't believe we are part of the USA or Australia and 3 Data works fine in those countries as it does in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka and others.

The issue was not whether it worked, but how much you are charged for roaming. Roaming will of course work when you're not an EU member, but I fear free EU roaming will be for EU citizens only.


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[WelshGas]

The issue was not whether it worked, but how much you are charged for roaming. Roaming will of course work when you're not an EU member, but I fear free EU roaming will be for EU citizens only.


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I was relating to costs. It works both ways as it does in the countries I mentioned in my post. This was a commercial decision by companies prior to any EU edict and the same commercial decisions will be made in the future. The companies want you to use data, but customers won't overpay for it.

 

[bvddobb]

I was relating to costs. It works both ways as it does in the countries I mentioned in my post.

Welshgas, can you roam on 4G networks anywhere in the EU (I am not that interested in USA, Hong Kong, or Australia) from your local plan, without additional roaming charges? Wow! Who is your provider, I would be interested!

 

[WelshGas]

Welshgas, can you roam on 4G networks anywhere in the EU (I am not that interested in USA, Hong Kong, or Australia) from your local plan, without additional roaming charges? Wow! Who is your provider, I would be interested!

3 . No additional roaming charges for Data usage in any of the EU edit change. countries. That's all I want. That has been the case for 18+ months.
With data then I have Internet, email , wifi calls on my phone, Skype, Whatsapp, iMessage and FaceTime.
Most of the time I get a good 3G signal? 4G in the cities.. I use PAYG and get the sims from eBay or Amazon.
http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Devices/Huawei/E5573_4G_Mobile_Wi-Fi?memory=0&colour=White

 

[bvddobb]

3 . No additional roaming charges for Data usage in any of the UK countries. That's all I want. That has been the case for 18+ months.
With data then I have Internet, email , wifi calls on my phone, Skype, Whatsapp, iMessage and FaceTime.
Most of the time I get a good 3G signal? 4G in the cities.. I use PAYG and get the sims from eBay or Amazon.
http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Devices/Huawei/E5573_4G_Mobile_Wi-Fi?memory=0&colour=White

Thanks, interesting options! But this is data only and I can't find across which countries this applies easily. What are the 'UK countries' you refer to? England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

That may be all you want, but not for us and I thought the point here was: use of your local plan without additional roaming charges across the EEA. Phone, text, and data. That comes mandatory to all EU consumers of local plans from June 15 (most providers offer this per June 1). And will that flexibility remain for UK consumers after Brexit?

I am just not so convinced telecom providers will be that altruistic... Already now providers have a ceiling in what they can charge on roaming within the EEA. But just go on one of the ferry's sea link networks e.g. between Dunkirk and Dover, and see what happens. If providers are not bound by ceilings, their tariffs go through the roof!

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks, interesting options! But this is data only and I can't find across which countries this applies easily. What are the 'UK countries' you refer to? England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

That may be all you want, but not for us and I thought the point here was: use of your local plan without additional roaming charges across the EEA. Phone, text, and data. That comes mandatory to all EU consumers of local plans from June 15 (most providers offer this per June 1). And will that flexibility remain for UK consumers after Brexit?

I am just not so convinced telecom providers will be that altruistic... Already now providers have a ceiling in what they can charge on roaming within the EEA. But just go on one of the ferry's sea link networks e.g. between Dunkirk and Dover, and see what happens. If providers are not bound by ceilings, their tariffs go through the roof!

If you have a Phone on 3 then the same applies for calls and texts as well as Data.

http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Roaming_and_International

My phone is just that, a phone. Haven't joined the modern generation.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks, interesting options! But this is data only and I can't find across which countries this applies easily. What are the 'UK countries' you refer to? England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

That may be all you want, but not for us and I thought the point here was: use of your local plan without additional roaming charges across the EEA. Phone, text, and data. That comes mandatory to all EU consumers of local plans from June 15 (most providers offer this per June 1). And will that flexibility remain for UK consumers after Brexit?

I am just not so convinced telecom providers will be that altruistic... Already now providers have a ceiling in what they can charge on roaming within the EEA. But just go on one of the ferry's sea link networks e.g. between Dunkirk and Dover, and see what happens. If providers are not bound by ceilings, their tariffs go through the roof!

Should have read EU countries.

 

[SimonB]

I'm on EE with a Sim only in an unlocked phone. I pay £16pcm for unlimited minutes & texts and 3Gb of data all over the EU.
From the 10th May new and upgrading customers use their minutes, texts and data in 48 destinations across Europe on the new pay monthly phone plans - and in even more places if you're on a new 4GEE Max plan.
4GEE Essential and 4GEE plans include roaming in the EU
From 15th June 2017 all existing customers, including pay monthly, pay as you go, tablet and mobile broadband, will be able to use their allowances in the EU too. I had a very good signal in Dublin recently.

 

[RichardH]

In our recent trip to Hannover, I really enjoyed "free" data roaming in all four countries we visited. However, nowhere we visited had a 4G signal (even big cites like Hannover or Amsterdam). I also found the mobile data rate really slow. I experienced this last year when on holiday in Spain too, but blamed it on poor signal area). I get the impression that roaming data provision gets a low priority and/or is "throttled". Any else experienced this?


Charles

We've found 3G and 4G access very variable in France and Spain. Improving.slowly but still many places with very slow speeds or none at all. By contrast here in Croatia there's been excellent access even on apparently remote parts of the islands. It can be done!