EU Roaming Changes from 15th June 2017 “CONTRACT ONLY" Modification 19th March 2018

[darrengf]

Roaming Changes from 15th June 2017 “CONTRACT ONLY”

PAY AS YOU GO Info https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Roaming-Changes-from-15th-June-2017-PAY-AS-YOU-...

From the 15th June 2017 all EU networks have to offer “free” roaming from one EU country to another (Only when roaming in another EU Country other than your own, for us this would be UK.)

However there a number of things that people need to be made aware of and what it all means to them.

Which Countries are included in the new rules from the 15th June 2017

Austria	French Guiana	Latvia	Reunion Islands
Azores	Germany	Liechtenstein	Romania
Belgium	Gibraltar	Lithuania	Saint Barthelemy
Bulgaria	Greece	Luxembourg	Saint Martin
Canary Islands*	Guadeloupe	Madeira	San Marino
Croatia	Guernsey	Malta	Slovakia
Cyprus*	Hungary	Martinique	Slovenia
Czech Republic	Iceland	Monaco	Spain*
Denmark	Ireland	Netherlands	Sweden
Estonia	Isle of Man	Norway	Switzerland
Finland	Italy*	Poland	Vatican City
France*	Jersey	Portugal*

*Canary Islands include Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura

*Spain Includes, Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza.

*France includes Corsica.

*Italy includes Sardinia.

*Portugal includes Madeira

*Cyprus ** Southern Cyprus only is part of the EU

**Northern Cyprus is Turkish and therefore normal rates will apply. Unless you have o2 Travel

Terms and conditions here on o2 Travel

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

More info on O2 Travel here

https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/international/using-phone-abroad

There may be other little Islands that I could have missed, but if you are not sure, please ask.

The EU only brought the law in if you were roaming in another EU country then to call another EU country.  Ie Roaming in Southern Ireland back to Northern Ireland. This will come out of your allowance if you have one or any left.

You can call people in the EU as long as they are registered with a UK network.  Ie you are calling a friend in Spain but there network is Vodafone in the Uk, this is classed as a normal call to you as you are not ringing a foreign number

Ringing any foreign number like Southern Ireland from Northern Ireland ie +353 and then the number is classed as a international number.  If your in Souther Ireland and calling a Southern Ireland number, then it is covered as long as you have mins etc.

Note if you are calling a friend / family who live on Isle of Man and Channel Islands and have a SIM card from one of their networks there. Then you will be charged as this is classed as international roaming from the UK as they don’t have UK networks.

it can get a little confusing

Now this is one of the myths that people are miss understanding “Free” or “No Extra Charges”

When you are roaming in one or the above places, you now take you own home UK free allowance. This is Mins, SMS and DATA.

So lets say For example, you only have 500 MINS, 1000 SMS and 500mb of data, then this is all you would be able to use before charges apply before your next billing date.
But what if I’ve already used some Mins from my 500 MIN allocation – Then you can only use what you have left before charges apply.

You always need to check the MY o2 app or O2 Website for uptodate allowences and any charges you may have incured.

I have Unlimited Mins and SMS – Then Fair Usage policy applies in one of the above Countries. “O2 Reserve the right for removing the service and making you pay for any charges if you abuse the service”

What is included with Mins and SMS

You can call/SMS the country you are visiting (Or one of the above countries) and back to the UK.

It’s the same with what you can use your MINS/SMS for now.

Premium Calls/SMS are chargeable as they would be in the UK, so would 0845, 0870 and other Chargeable numbers as per the UK list

If you are making calls to family and friends etc. and as long as you wouldn’t be charged when you would call them in the UK, then you will be fine for when you are roaming in above country

Data Services Abroad - Currently O2 has 4G roaming in 22 countries as of the 31st July. 

These are Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Isle of Man and Australia.

We know in Germany it’s with O2-DE.

4G in Spain is probably be on Telefonica?

4G in Czech Republic is probably be on O2-CZ

4G in Isle of Man may be on Manx Telecom? As Telefonica used to own them.

4G in Australia.  Not sure on this one? Note this is not part of EU roaming. Only a for 4G availability. 

If any one knows could you please PM me and I will update the info.  Thanks

You can find the remaining countries that have 4G roaming here. 

All other networks you connect to overseas will either be 3G or 2G so Data may be slower than it is in the UK.

You can use all the services as you would do normally in the UK, but O2 won’t guarantee the speed or if the services will work.

Data speeds will also be slower in Peak Season

More info can be found on o2 key facts page regarding Speeds overseas

https://www.o2.co.uk/sites/default/files/2017-07/traffic_management.pdf

How much Data is included – At present, you are able to use all your free Data Allowance in any of the above Countries. So if you have a 20GB allowance in the UK, you can use either all or what is ever left, when you visit one of the above places. You are also able to buy Extra Data if you run out just as you would be able to in the UK and its the same price and bundle as you would buy in the UK too.

Picture Messages are chargeable as they would be in the UK, check your own contract for charges as there not all the same price.

O2 Travel Inclusive – If traveling outside of Europe you may want to consider the O2 Travel Inclusive bolton which gives you inclusive data roaming in 27 international destinations. 

Why all of a sudden for the changes.

The EU made it law that Mobile Networks in the EU were to abandon charges to each other for Mobile customers when overseas. It’s been about 10 years in the making with charges being slowly wiped out over the last 10 years.

However there are caveats and if your own Mobile network thinks you are abusing the service then they can remove it and charge you for everything when roaming.

The services is for when you are going on holiday or short breaks. If you are going to be in a country for longer than a month or 2 then this is not classed a holiday or short break, so you need to be careful or you could receive a bill. O2 will SMS you first if this is about to happen and I would suggest you speaking to O2 customer care on 202 (Free from abroad on you o2 mobile) to verify or check anything.

I can see countries that are not a part of the EU or are EEA.

Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland – Are part of the EEA, but are included in the No Extra cost roaming from O2.

Switzerland is not part of the EU / EEA, but O2 have included this (Not for PAYG)

Monaco, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey are again included (But not on PAYG)

More Info on Roaming from the 15th June can be found here

http://www.o2.co.uk/help/pay-monthly/roaming-in-europe

To Learn more about Roaming it self, visit here

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/International-Roaming-and-Whats-it-all-about/m-...

For any Roaming charges visit here https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/international 

** Please remeber that this is a customer forum run buy the Public so we would not be able to answer any billing questions etc, but alot of people on here including my self are very knowledgable on Roaming, so for any questions please ask. 

There are no stupid questions ask, if you have to ask it then we have either not covered it, or we may have not made it clear some where else.

*** Please note that the above information was correct as of 29th May 2017, it is your responsability to always check for the correct information and or charges that may apply ***

Versions 

5th Feb 2018 - Slight changes to wording, added 1 4G roaming country and added little info regarding Cyprus and Turkey. Links to o2 Travel + Terms and link to KFI

19th March 2018 - Added the info for 5x 4G roaming countries and a few tweeks in wording

We also do not know what will happen when we leave the EU. but while we are still in Europe the above will apply.

Current info in what all networks are saying regarding roaming in EU after Brexit or when we leave the DSM (Digital Single Market)

Website below

https://fullfact.org/europe/roaming-fees-brexit/

[MI5]

lol, yes indeed.
Who was looking into the issue for you ?
Was it someone on the forum?

[GJD]

I find myself now in a medium-sized town in Bavaria. Prior to the free-in-EU arrangement I did not use O2 Travel but found that my modest data usage in Europe averaged out at less than £2 a day, AND I had perfectly decent data speeds.

Now, as per the experience of others here, O2 is barely usable on roaming. For ten minutes Google Maps was showing just two indistinct lines representing the entire town I was relying upon it to help me navigate around.

It's quite a dilemma now. I have zero complaints about my O2 service in the UK and I've been with them for ten years. Experience with it now in Europe though is next to useless. I'm very reluctant to go through the faff of changing networks, but if the quality of EU roaming doesn't improve drastically to the point of being fit for purpose by the time my very good SIM deal is out of contact in October (and no, I'm not fussed about streaming HD videos while abroad), I'm going to have to go looking for another provider.

Tesco anyone? (Running a service off the back of O2's network to a standard vastly surpassing anything O2 sees fit to provide!)

[MI5]

We are told that Tesco works very well when abroad.

[Anonymous]

No. I reported the issue with the O2 chat line, who said they'd look into it within 5 days.

Actually that's not so great, because I still have a business to see to - even if officially on holiday.

Skype is a little limiting, plus I never got round to installing it on my mobile properly - so just the office computer or skype phone in there.

Normally I leave the sim card in the dual sim phone and connect it once per day to collect messages from clients.

But with all of the office O2 ones removed, (just in case some clown turns it on), they are on their own unless they take to the e-mails.

Whatsapp is proving much more useful that I had expected.

Interestingly I tackled Andorra Telecom about not being on the list of countries posted by O2 as signed up to the agreement. (Pity I hadn't found that instead of taking the chat lines advice).

May have stirred up a bit of a hornets there, because they were more or less forced to sign up to the agreement by the EU.

You have to remember that it is effectively a land locked and surrounded by the EU.

So if they want electricity or fuel.....

Only two official ways in or out - one to Spain and one to France.

Sometimes the French border control feel the need to go on strike or go slow.

In the winter they shut that road when a flake appears in France - in case of Avalanche, but as far as I know none have got to the road.

Then there is white lining to do on the road in Spain, so they of course need to introduce traffic control in the middle of school holidays - tourism harvest.

Reminds me of some years ago when a freight train of goods for us was travelling from Orsk (near Kurdistan) to Tallin in Estonia to be shipped out. (2300km)

The Estonians had incurred the wrath of Mr Putin, so the Russians felt they had to do repairs on the Moscow to Tallin line - for five months !

I'll be please when they sort out this O2 mess.

[Anonymous]

PS. I'm surrounded by Dutch, Belgian, French and German offices here and note with interest that they are happily chatting on their mobiles for nothing -or very little. Indeed it was a Dutch guy that caused my chat line enquiry, when he pointed out that Andorra was 'in'. He was using Telefonica.

[darrengf]

Andorra is not part of the EU and Andorra Telecom is the only provider in Andorra.

It sets its own rates which are expensive, beleive me Ive been.

Only one network supports Andorra Telecom as part of EU Roaming and this is Asda Mobile which is clearly marked on their website.

No other Mobile network support it as of 15th July 2017.

I can advise that EE did include it in some of their contracts with EU roaming in 2016, but this was soon chnaged a couple months later, so any one on EE needs to first check.

Andorra does have great free wifi all over the place and Andorra Telecom installed free wifi to all in the city of Andorra and its amazing, I used it for 6 hours with out any questions and its pretty fast and wide spread,  There wasnt once place i couldnt get it.  Shops seem to all have free Wifi there and so does Hotels.

Andorra is also one or the cleanest and cheapest places ive been to,  Wine was 90p a bottle  Not that i support any one drinking.  It was just an observation.

If you need to know more, let me know, I speant 4 days there and I can say there were superb.

[darrengf]

More info on O2 speeds and other networks here as of 15th July 2017

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/O2-EU-Roaming-versus-Vodafone-Three-Asda-BT-and...

Just to make you aware.

O2 Contract Customers are beng throttled overseas in EU at 0.50Mbps Download

O2 PAYG and Tescos have no throttling imposed.  However speeds are limited to 3G only which can vary with congestion and Mast breathing

O2 do have 4G agrrements in place over in the EU. but they are limited to certain Business Customers only.  they are not active on O2 Contarct, PAYG and Tescos

[Anonymous]

Hope you knowledgeable people can help. Arrived in Holland on 7th June to a text from O2 to say roaming abolished and that I could use data as at home. So I did, after checking details. Now have £35 bill for using data abroad. Original text had no reference to 15th June. I'm going to have to speak to them about this, I think?

[MI5]

Netherlands are included so unless you managed to roam off an EU network you shouldn't be charged extra.

[jonsie]

Presumably you have been charged for the 8th to 15th on O2 Travel. Query the exact charges with customer service but if you were only calling and texting back to the UK and vice versa that should have been £1.99/day.

[iphone4sir]

I'm trying to get those on holiday roaming with 02 to post their speed results.. any help etc

https://twitter.com/fanofthetan/status/889581136195846144

[ElaGirl]

Is there such a document or thread like this for the rest of the world?

We are traveling to the US soon and want to make sure I know what type of charges I will be receiving.

Thanks!
Ela

[adamtemp64]

Only the official travel pages here https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/international/using-phone-abroad

[jonsie]

Best option is to get the phone unlocked and get a Three sim and top up £20. 

If you are contract then use TU over wifi to use your calling and text allowances you have with your tariff. You won't be able to use your data allowance though. 

Another option is to use the O2 Travel bolt on you should have and pay £4.99/day but be aware that sending even one text will automatically trigger the daily rate. 

Enjoy your time there, it's an amazing experience. 

[Anonymous]

If you go to a country e.g. spain where you can use your uk data, on the iphone you have a data roaming setting.

Does this need to be set to on or off, as if it is showing as off would data work as you are using your uk data allowance.

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous For data to work in any country you roam in...data roaming / mobile data has to be set to on. If you are anywhere with WiFi.... then use that instead...

[gmarkj]

Also don't expect to be able to use your data abroad due to o2 restricting the speed so as to not impact on other customers...
See here:
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/O2-EU-Roaming-versus-Vodafone-Three-Asda-BT-and...

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Don't think it's much of a use. As comparison my work phone is on EE and 4 g works across Europe perfect with fabulous speeds. Will be bye bye o2 when contract expires. And I've been with o2 perhaps 15 years or so. 

[jonsie]

I think many people will be doing the same @Anonymous

[Beenherebefore]

---

@jonsie wrote:

I think many people will be doing the same @Anonymous

---

Yes, even if they only holiday in Europe once a year, the way O2 have deceived their customers for several years on this, is enough to make them doubt O2's veracity

[Anonymous]

The spelling on this page is absolutely appalling.

[MI5]

Which page?

[Beenherebefore]

[coleva12]

why is it if I am in jersey I can use my contract allowance to call Uk but I cannot call a jersey mobile from uk without being charged

[MI5]

Because different rules apply when roaming.
You can call uk from anywhere in Europe now but not from the uk.

[Anonymous]

Good piece of work! 

Can anyone one tell me WHY O2 has got no 4G agreement, when is it going to be rectified and also why O2 Callcenter insist they have 4G in the EU?

I can definitely confirm there is no available 4G in Italy and in Hungary. 

[jonsie]

No one on here can answer that. Business customers can get 4G in certain countries but whether we consumer customers will get it or when is something you will have to ask O2 directly.

[MI5]

Whilst they are still throttling 3G speeds I can't see 4g being an option anytime soon unfortunately.

[Cleoriff]

And if O2 call centre staff did tell you they have 4G abroad then it's an outright lie. I can never get it in Spain...my husband has just returned from the Malaga region (which has 4G everywhere) and he could only get 3G.

[jhcooper7]

Hi,

I'm moving to France next month, I've just got off the phone with 202 and the lady I spoke to informed me that the best option is to pay-off my contract and go to a different network.

Why did she say this and not inform me that I can use the existing allowances on my contract out there?

Her reasoning was that I would still be charged roaming fees which would make my monthly bill very expensive.

[MI5]

No roaming fees but the T&C’s state that you cannot use it permanently abroad and if you do your contract may be terminated and you will be liable for the full costs.

[jrhop123]

Anyone have any update on when this stupid throttling will be removed? 

[Cleoriff]

---

@jrhop123 wrote:

Anyone have any update on when this stupid throttling will be removed? 

---

Most people are reporting much better speeds @jrhop123 (from the end of September)

[MI5]

No throttling anywhere I've been recently which has included, Austria, France, Belgium and Slovakia.

[Anonymous]

I am currently on holiday in Kos, Greece and when I arrived I receive a nice text message from O2Roaming welcoming me to.Greece and stating that my calls, text and data would come out my UK  I had received an earlier text stating welcome to Turkey and that I would be charged £3.99 per day. I noticed on my bill that I was receiving this charge of £3.99 per day even though I was in Greece, and the later text had stated this was so. It would appear that my phone had automatically picked a Turkish telephone provider rather than a Greek provider, which would have been preferable. I would have thought that O2 would have used location services to determine exactly where I am as this seems more preferable and is suitable for Facebook and the like. I have only used the hotels wifi to communicate with the world through Facebook and messenger. I will pursue this with O2 when I return home.

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous The problem with Greece is, dependent where you are, your phone may latch onto a Turkish network and you will be charged. Even for calls and texts.

You could try to manually select a Greek network and turn off auto network settings on your phone. If you can't get a Greek network then using Wifi is best anyway ...you could also download Tu for calls and texts over WiFi https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/tu-go.

Contact details for O2 are in this link https://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

[adamtemp64]

The issue is mainly the greek islands that are close to the turkish Mainland only manual network selection will stop accidental roaming as explained here https://www.o2.co.uk/help/pay-monthly/using-your-phone-abroad . p,s. same in cyprus etc

[Anonymous]

Thank you @Cleoriff i understand regarding the border my issue is when I landed in Kos I got a message stating that I was in Turkey and I would be charged £3.99 per day. 10 minutes later I got a message saying welcome to Greece and my UK allowances applied. At no time did I get a further message saying I was back in Turkey I would have then been alerted to the fact that I would be paying. I also feel it should be O2’s responsibility to resolve this ambiguity as I in Greece not Turkey so roaming charges should not apply. Once again thank you it has affected 4 of us in our party.

[darrengf]

@Anonymous I’m affraid that you would not receive another SMS so soon welcoming you back to turkey.

No network does.

Also its not O2 responsibility nor it is of the Greek or Turkish Networks Responsability

When you are roaming your phone that you have will pick the strongest signal with it being from Turkey or Greece.  The Phone could not care where it gets its signal from t just looks constantly for a signal.

O2 can not control, norany network In the world can control what you phone roams on or picks up when your overseas. 

Same happens everywhere.  In the UK, I can I know french networks up in Dover or certain parts of South east UK.

Some parts of West Wales I can I pick up the Irish Networks.

France picks up German, Andorra, Spanish, Belgium and UK networks.  Depending on borders and where you are.

O2 and all the networks have disclaimers advising that if you are near a border etc then you can inadvertently pick up a foreign network and charges may apply.

Hate to say this but the responsabilty comes down to you and making sure your on the Greek networks.  If your near a border then my advise if turn of the data and check before you do anything.

I was in Rhodes couple of years back and high uagp in the mountains I was on a Turkish Network because there was no network from a Greek network up there.  Again all the phone does is constantly look for a signal just as it does in the UK

Prob not what you want to hear, sorry

[Anonymous]

Thanks @darrengf for the information but I have contacted O2 and e-mailed them photo shots of the messages and have been told that I will get the charges credited against my next months bill.

I don’t think they would have had a leg to stand on for the following reasons.

1. I was physically in Greece where roaming charges do not apply as per the title of this the thread.

2. They had initially told me that I was in Turkey and that would be charged £3.99 per day but then told me that I was in Greece and the roaming was free as per EU regulations. So obviously I did not feel I had to turn off my data roaming and select a Greek provider which whilst I could not get a signal would not have incurred a charge.This is what I actually did whilst on holiday to avoid incurring extra charges once I actually spotted that I was incurring charges.

3. With modern networks there are so many other ways of keeping in touch with home which don’t cost eg Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Skype, etc via the hotels WiFi system I don’t feel the need to use the phone in normal mode, whilst on holiday, but the free roaming charges should mean that isn’t an issue until I visit a country that isn’t covered i.e. Turkey and other exempted countries.

I don’t suppose this will be an issue when we leave the EU as we will be able to return to the good old days of telephone companies charging extortionate fees when traveling.

[adamtemp64]

@Anonymous O2 will be doing it as a good will gesture inadvertant roaming as @darrengf happens everywhere on any network and o2 could have enforced the charge and you would have no recourse even vai the ombudsman etc . Now if Turkey joins the eu this will not happen in future etc

[Anonymous]

Very confused as assumed there would be a bolt on for any international country but I cannot see Laos in any info. Help!

[MI5]

There's no bolt on but the standard rates for calling home are:

Taken from here http://international.o2.co.uk/internationaltariffs/travelling_abroad

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous. Check out here in this link...

http://international.o2.co.uk/internationaltariffs/travelling_abroad

[Anonymous]

Thank you Cleoriff, but that’s a shock! I thought there would be a bolt on! No going to be cheap then! Thanks! 

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much

[MI5]

Try to call using whatsapp over wifi, but the people you are calling also need whatsapp too, or you could buy some skype credit to call landlines, again, over wifi.
Keep your mobile data turned off completely at all times and also dial 1760 to turn off voicemail.
If your trip is before November 30th you may still be able to use Tugo if you have already registered for it.

[jonsie]

You can use TU over wifi for calls and texts from your normal UK allowances. I live next door in Thailand 🇹🇭 and use TU with a local sim card in an unlocked phone so never incur charges. TU is only available until the end of the month but if you don't already have it then registering now may not be allowed.

If that's the case then get your phone unlocked free before you go and buy a sim from a 7/11 store. Don't buy from the airport. 

[Anonymous]

Well put together piece thank you.

Can I add that I live in the north of Ireland and I am an O2 contract customer, I recently discovered to my cost that if I phone my sister down south in the Rep of Ireland I must pay international charges?!

I contacted O2's non customer service and it is cringing to have to listen to excuses that the person themselves know are a farce but have to relay to you in order for the O2 organisation to maintain the charges that are quite possibly illegal under European law!

Will have to run this one by the ombudsman as not at all happy about the charges!