Roaming charges are back

[Graham376]

We spend 4 or 5 months abroad but my complaint is home broadband. £27 a month with Virgin just used for browsing and email when we are there. That was an intro offer and is about to rise substantially. City centre now has free wifi which claims to be fast and we are in that city centre. Going back home I may see if we can do without a broadband connection and use a dedicated mobile.

On renewal a couple of years ago, I squeezed PlusNet down to £16.99 for unlimited standard broadband + line rental + anytime calls. Now gone up about £18.50. May have deals for new customers. Annoying that can't be done on monthly contract as we're away for half or more of the year.

UK land lines being discontinued anyway over the next couple of years, all phones will be via VOIP so, if power goes down, no telephone.

 

[Mistroma]

We spend 4 or 5 months abroad but my complaint is home broadband. £27 a month with Virgin just used for browsing and email when we are there. That was an intro offer and is about to rise substantially. City centre now has free wifi which claims to be fast and we are in that city centre. Going back home I may see if we can do without a broadband connection and use a dedicated mobile.

This whole comms setup seems to be based on users of Netflix and football channels. These mobile companies are probably cross subsidising, rather than it being purely brexit. Someone has to pay for broadcasting rights.

We got rid of Virgin years ago because we were away from home for >6 months every year. I got a really cheap dongle for about £10 and it is still working well, though the battery is not great now. I pay VOXI – the mobile network with Unlimited Social Media £20 for 100GB each month and loads of other stuff is unlimited (Youtube, Netflix etc.) and doesn't impact the 100GB. I also stick the SIM in a phone sometimes when travelling in the UK as I get free calls, texts and 100GB data.

Cosmote was great in Greece this year. We paid 12 euro for the first 30 days and I think it dropped to 9.80 euro. The deal ended on 31st October but they texted to say I'd get another 30 days free because I'd bought more than 2 during the summer. That tided us over until lift-out at start of October and yard Wifi was fine till we flew home.

I had paused VOXI in April and just went on-line at Gatwick to start 100GB/month again. We don't get a great signal at home but 10-12Mbps download and 6-8Mbps is adequate.

 

[Bristolfashion]

What a weird world - no roaming charges for us in the Republic of Ireland, but having to pay roaming on the Isle of Man! Go figure.

 

[jordanbasset]

What a weird world - no roaming charges for us in the Republic of Ireland, but having to pay roaming on the Isle of Man! Go figure.

I'm surprised the Isle of Man has got the Internet

 

[Bouba]

My French orange contract covers all of Europe including the UK…but I don’t know about the Isle of Man

 

[Dunx]

Lebara uk considers the channel Islands as roaming. Only £14.99 per Mb and calls at £3.50 per min! EU roaming is free. Guess they are trying to rip off the unwary..

 

[greeny]

On renewal a couple of years ago, I squeezed PlusNet down to £16.99 for unlimited standard broadband + line rental + anytime calls. Now gone up about £18.50. May have deals for new customers. Annoying that can't be done on monthly contract as we're away for half or more of the year.

UK land lines being discontinued anyway over the next couple of years, all phones will be via VOIP so, if power goes down, no telephone.

Will CB radio run off batteries make a comeback? Only as a back up of course. Doubt it.

 

[nortada]

Will CB radio run off batteries make a comeback? Only as a back up of course. Doubt it.

Doubt if we will see CB come back as it was just a fad that swept the country. The modern mobile phone does far more than CB ever could.

If power goes down for any length of time, lack of phones will not be our biggest problem.

 

[billskip]

If power goes down for any length of time, lack of phones will not be our biggest problem.

Maybe not your biggest problem, but think of the suicide rate

 

[doug748]

Lebara uk considers the channel Islands as roaming. Only £14.99 per Mb and calls at £3.50 per min! EU roaming is free. Guess they are trying to rip off the unwary..

I have checked this with them and they have confirmed it, well spotted. Looks like they are classing it as the "Rest of the world" or similar.

.

 

[Koeketiene]

What a weird world - no roaming charges for us in the Republic of Ireland, but having to pay roaming on the Isle of Man! Go figure.

Had a similar unpleasant surprise when first visiting the Channel Islands 20 years ago.

 

[st599]

Lebara uk considers the channel Islands as roaming. Only £14.99 per Mb and calls at £3.50 per min! EU roaming is free. Guess they are trying to rip off the unwary..

It's £14.99 per MB, so astronomical, but not as bad as £14.99 per Mb

 

[webcraft]

My contract with EE has run out, and they keep sending me offers to upgrade. No thanks, I will continue with my existing free roaming deal SIM only.

 

[Beneteau381]

What a weird world - no roaming charges for us in the Republic of Ireland, but having to pay roaming on the Isle of Man! Go figure.

That was always the case, quite few got caught with that one!

 

[Beneteau381]

My contract with EE has run out, and they keep sending me offers to upgrade. No thanks, I will continue with my existing free roaming deal SIM only.

Similar to me

 

[Hoolie]

Lebara uk considers the channel Islands as roaming. Only £14.99 per Mb and calls at £3.50 per min! EU roaming is free. Guess they are trying to rip off the unwary..

I had the same problem in Australia earlier in the year. Data was firmly turned off.
Strangely Lebara UK limit data usage to £42? to preempt excessive charges. That's less than 3Mb - what use is that!

 

[Boathook]

My contract with EE has run out, and they keep sending me offers to upgrade. No thanks, I will continue with my existing free roaming deal SIM only.

Mines expired as well and the phone is struggling with apps. Went to EE shop about a new phone and they said that they would include EU roaming in a new contract for me. I haven't been abroad for a couple of years but likely to start again.

 

[st599]

Mines expired as well and the phone is struggling with apps. Went to EE shop about a new phone and they said that they would include EU roaming in a new contract for me. I haven't been abroad for a couple of years but likely to start again.

I'm sure they will - they charge £2.29 per day for it.

"If your plan started on or after 7 July 2021, there is a £2.29 daily charge to use your minutes, texts and data allowances in our European roaming zone. If your contract started before this date, the EU daily charge won’t apply."

Will be interesting to see what the 3 Vodaphone merger means for the industry, but not sure that BT will remove their EE roaming charges.

 

[st599]

I had the same problem in Australia earlier in the year. Data was firmly turned off.
Strangely Lebara UK limit data usage to £42? to preempt excessive charges. That's less than 3Mb - what use is that!

45 euros is the limit in EU contracts, probably just have that as the limit hardcoded somewhere. Less of an issue for EU contract holders as the legal limit on data outside fair usage is 1.55/GB dropping to 1.00/GB soon. (Also, it's 3MB not 3Mb. 3Mb = 0.375MB)

 

[Boathook]

I'm sure they will - they charge £2.29 per day for it.

"If your plan started on or after 7 July 2021, there is a £2.29 daily charge to use your minutes, texts and data allowances in our European roaming zone. If your contract started before this date, the EU daily charge won’t apply."

Will be interesting to see what the 3 Vodaphone merger means for the industry, but not sure that BT will remove their EE roaming charges.

They were going to include at no extra charge for getting a new phone from them. I just dread the having to set up the apps again with a new phone, especially the banking ones. Took me ages when an update mucked up Bluetooth a few years back and I had to do a reset.