topic Re: Roaming not working in italy in Tech Support

Roaming not working in italy

MrFulmine99 — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 23:24:29 GMT

Roaming doesn't work for me in Italy.
I tried all possible solutions. in March it worked with the iliad network.
Now its not working, i tried reset apn, airplane mode, remove sim, change all networks.
it always connects to tim, trying many times I can connect to wind or not to iliad.
Only data works, calls and texts don't.
In a certain moment the calls work, I send a text message to myself that I don't even receive and neither the text messages nor the calls work anymore.
Then to make calls again I have to turn off, change the network a lot of times.
I need the texts and they don't work please fix.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Cleoriff — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 06:45:24 GMT

@MrFulmine99

A few more things to try....

* Make sure data roaming and mobile data is turned on in your phone's settings.

* Manually search for another network

* If you have an iPhone change your data APN to "mobile.o2.co.uk"

* Try toggling Airplane mode on/off (it often helps kickstart things)

* Drop down to 3G and see if that helps.

* Contact O2 to see if there are any roaming bars on the account

You can call O2 for free when abroad

From abroad	+44 7860 980 202	Free†

Or via social media

Facebook ( https://o2uk.co/O2CFB), Twitter ( https://o2uk.co/O2CTW), or Instagram ( https://o2uk.co/O2CIG)

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Enlli — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 06:58:44 GMT

Italy is a difficult one as there is no 3G and to make calls you will need to have 4G Calling (VoLTE) as you can't rely on 2G.

How that effects texts too early to say.

But as with all things roaming you are at the mercy of the roaming networks

Re: Roaming not working in italy

MrFulmine99 — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 12:21:25 GMT

I have tried all the solutions, I have also activated the times. when i get the calls to go i send a sms and then nothing works anymore.
The default network and tim, if I can connect to others after 3m they disconnect and give the same error.
I bought these sims specifically for roaming, I'm at an economic loss.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

pgn — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:20:06 GMT

PAYG SIMs cannot access WiFi or 4G calling anyway, if I understand your statement, @MrFulmine99

You may need to get a local SIM, with a local number, temporarily, or switch to using WhatsApp (both you and your called party(ies) will need to use WhatsApp too) - then you keep your number, and only need to be in range of a decent WiFi access point (hotels, some shops, restaurants, etc usually have some form of guest WiFi). Good luck!

Re: Roaming not working in italy

MI5 — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:20:13 GMT

@MrFulmine99

Try forcing the phone on to 2g if you have that option in your settings.

Data won't work but you should be able to make calls and send texts.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

MrFulmine99 — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 21:03:56 GMT

Data always works.

The problems are calls and sms
If I change 4g to 2g, sometimes works..I can call but if send 1 sms or try to send, I cant call and every sms dont send.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

MrFulmine99 — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 21:06:22 GMT

Ah and if change network in different from tim, after 2/3 minutes signal lost, only tim "works", but not enought. Data always works, call sometimes, sms never.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Al7fox — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:15:26 GMT

Hello, I am having exactly the same problem described by MrFulmine99.

Is there any update/fix for this ?

I tried every suggestion mentioned here and several other related threads with no luck.

I have internet data under TIM network but I can’t receive nor make any phone calls. Quite frustrating

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Enlli — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:37:41 GMT

You need 4G Calling enabled to make and receive calls in Italy.

Without it the phone will try to drop to 3G but all 3G is shut down in Italy

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Cleoriff — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 18:56:32 GMT

@Enlli wrote:
You need 4G Calling enabled to make and receive calls in Italy.
Without it the phone will try to drop to 3G but all 3G is shut down in Italy

Maybe this sort of info should be added to the Roaming Megaguide @Enlli?

Are there any other countries where 4G calling is required? If so, we should have a list.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Enlli — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 19:02:24 GMT

@Cleoriff This is the latest map I can find. This is countries with no 3G others may have one or more networks shut down

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Al7fox — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 19:05:07 GMT

Thanks Enlli. If that’s the case then O2 should really look into this further.

PAYG customers don’t have access to Wi-Fi calling however o2 makes many adv claims about PAYG customers being able to also enjoy free roaming.

In Italy o2 use the TIM network which, as you mentioned, have no 3G coverage. If this is a blocker for making and receiving calls, then o2 should perhaps rely on a different provider in Italy with 3G network like ILIAD.

Right not, even if I select manually ILIAD, I only have connection for a few minutes probably due to a missing agreement between the two networks.

If fixing the roaming in Italy for PAYG customers is not a priority for o2 (as it seems so far) they should at least make this limitation clear to clients otherwise at the very least this is false advertising and huge limitation if I can’t use the phone to make and receive calls while abroad.

What would be the best way to further escalate this?

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Cleoriff — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 19:55:29 GMT

Initially we should have this info added to our .

I doubt at this stage O2 will be able to change networks they are roaming partnered with. However we'll contact the community managers so they are aware and they can take any action needed.

@Chris_Kand @Dave-O2 please look at this. Thanks.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Enlli — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 21:48:25 GMT

The answer is simple.

4G Calling and VoLTE should be standard.

My 2nd SIM is 1p mobile. 5G, 4G Calling and VoLTE. The same goes for my wife's Voxi SIM

O2 just needs to get up to date with changes.

Don't forget by the end of next year they will be the only UK network still with 3G.. Guess they don't see the need.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Cleoriff — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 22:43:58 GMT

Of course it doesn't help that many people still have to call CS to activate Wifi Calling, before they can turn it on in their phone settings.

Add to that, there are many people of a certain age who don't have devices compatible with 4G/Wifi Calling (One might say that's their own fault) but at least it would be made clear if this was added to the Roaming Megaguide...or even added to O2's Roaming advert.

Re: Roaming not working in italy

pgn — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 07:27:15 GMT

Agreed - O2 need to step up to the plate. If they continue to advertise:

EU roaming up to 25GB, at no extra cost
We cover roaming in our Europe Zone as part of our tariffs. So your data (subject to roaming limit), minutes and text allowances will work in our Europe Zone, just like they do at home.

Then O2 need to do whatever it takes to make it work "like it does at home" for calls, for texts, and for data (apart from the 25GB limit) for all their customers: Contract, Business and PAYG.

Being confined to the likes of WhatsApp when in Germany or Italy or Greece (where 3G is gone, and 2G also in some countries) is all fine and good, but with banks using SMS to do what they call multi-factor authentication, airlines sending texts to inform their customers of flight cancellations and changes, etc, then that's not going to be "just like it is at home" (well, apart from the Santander OTP debacle, or port from TescoMobile to O2 fracas, or... any of a dozen other domestic issues with O2's network and its customers across all offerings, currently!)

Actually, now I think on it, with the problems customers post here on the forum when in the UK, perhaps the O2 service is no more or less like it is in the EU, or in the USA, or... when roaming. Well done, O2. your advertising is 100% correct: "So your data (subject to roaming limit), minutes and text allowances will work in our XYZ Zone, just like they do at home" is exactly right!

And just to remind us all where O2 customers need "special handling", in just one large part of the world not so far from home, never mind Zone 2 or Zone 3 (whatever it is they are!):

(as I have used many times previously, and @Enlli has posted above - and for which I cannot find a similar map that is more up-to-date *anywhere*).

Re: Roaming not working in italy

pgn — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:21:26 GMT

For example, off O2's own pages: https://www.o2.co.uk/eu-roaming

5G not available to PAYG anywhere.

4G Calling not available to PAYG anywhere

Italy has no 3G now.

Misleading, no, @Chris_K?

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Dave-O2 — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:24:30 GMT

Thanks for the tag @Cleoriff 😊

I'm going to get this checked out @Al7fox and will back when i have more details 👍

Re: Roaming not working in italy

Cleoriff — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:29:09 GMT

Thanks @Dave-O2 👍