Is O2 roaming worth bothering with?

[jimthing0]

AFAIUI, all roaming (Europe or elsewhere) is limited to just a 500 Kbps speed cap. 

So regardless of having "O2 Travel" or "O2 Travel Inclusive Zone", there is no point in having either, as your data will be so slow as to be unusable.

[I've used even basic things like email and map apps in various countries, and Mbps speeds are essential to have even basic things work fluidly and quickly.]

For example, I was in Italy last year for two weeks (almost nothing worked on O2 whilst there), and in USA year before that (again, almost nothing worked on O2 whilst there) – nor did it for the people I was with on O2 too; so this was not my personal O2 account issue, but clearly one with the whole of O2. 

So from a customer perspective (clearly from O2's perspective; it's a sales ploy), what exactly is the point of O2 Travel and/or O2 Travel Inc. Zone bolt-ons, at all? Presumably I'm correct for data, but what about voice calls/texts? 

[Enlli]

Roaming speeds in the EU are not capped. Usage is at 25GB per billing cycle.

Voice is fine but you need Volte enabled in countries that have closed down 3G. 

[pgn]

Roaming on O2 in Europe is pretty good and provided as part of O2's Europe zone roaming.

Travel Inclusive is tariff dependent and offers another group of countries, then O2 Travel deals with some more (£6.00 per day).

Only roaming on O2 in the USA is rate-limited, @jimthing0.

Some countries do not support roaming at all, eg Israel.

Differences here: https://www.o2.co.uk/international/using-your-phone-abroad

And full roaming megaguide here: Guide: Roaming MegaGuide 

[jimthing0]

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@Enlli wrote:

Roaming speeds in the EU are not capped. 

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@pgn wrote:

Only roaming on O2 in the USA is rate-limited, @jimthing0.

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That's not what the T+C's say: 

https://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/o2travel-paymonthly-terms-and-conditions 

"O2 Travel is available to Consumer Pay Monthly customers and can be obtained as:

1. a paid subscription, with unlimited minutes and texts and data (with capped data speeds of 500 kbps) in all our O2 Travel destinations (“O2 Travel Subscription”); "

Those links mention nothing about SPEED, they talk about volume. 

[jimthing0]

(dupe.)

[Enlli]

I've only done France, Belgium and Germany on O2 and had no problems. 

I guess if it doesn't suit the answer is to find a network that does. Or if you travel a lot one of the travel SIMs that are available.

[pgn]

Three roaming products:

Europe Zone

O2 Travel Inclusive Zone (Tariff or Volt dependent)

O2 Travel (£6.00 per day)

Otherwise: Standard rates

Differences here: https://www.o2.co.uk/international/using-your-phone-abroad

The Jun-2022 doc you reference seems to relate to O2 Travel, the last one of the three options. As does this discussion thread: https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly/No-data-whilst-roaming-in-the-USA/m-p/1555088/highlight/tr...

And as @Enlli notes - many of the Europe Zone countries are getting rid of 3G, and some their 2G, service, adding to the complexities:

More on the global status of 2G and 3G networks here: https://www.smartviser.com/post/2g-3gnetworkshutdown

[jimthing0]

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@Enlli 

I've only done France, Belgium and Germany on O2 and had no problems. 

[...] Or if you travel a lot one of the travel SIMs that are available.

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Done all those countries last 12months, all had exactly the same problem: 500Kbps speed cap (as per the T+C's I linked to) making it unusable for me, and anyone in my party of users, 5 of us on O2. 

Unless you can find another page hidden away that somewhere separates Europe under a difference cap – though I doubt such a page exists, as the global cap is just 500Kbps (they don't have separate one(s) for Europe countries). 

"Or if you travel a lot one of the travel SIMs that are available." 

If you mean buying a local SIM card, that's precisely what O2 users are being forced to do to get working services abroad. 

The whole Travel thing on O2 is utterly pointless. 

[Enlli]

I can only comment on my experience which was different to yours in the EU

This is a Customer to Customer Community so nobody from O2 will read your post

If you wish to complain start here

https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

After that you can take if further if you wish.

[jimthing0]

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@pgn wrote:

Three roaming products:

Europe Zone

O2 Travel Inclusive Zone (Tariff or Volt dependent)

O2 Travel (£6.00 per day)

The Jun-2022 doc you reference seems to relate to O2 Travel, the last one of the three options. As does this discussion thread: https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly/No-data-whilst-roaming-in-the-USA/m-p/1555088/highlight/tr...

That doc actually refers to all Travel bolt-ons and zones, (not the Europe Zone, see next post below) as it's the only travel-related T+C doc in the whole of the Mobile T+C's list for monthly, here: 

https://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile 

• O2 Travel terms and conditions - if you're using O2 Travel on or after 17 June 2022