Roaming Changes from 15th June 2017 PAY AS YOU GO ONLY
For Contract Info https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Roaming-Changes-from-15th-June-2017-CONTRACT-ON...
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
PAY AS YOU GO ONLY, Do not include, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Monaco and Switerland These will be chargeable
Austria
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France
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Liechtenstein
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Romania
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Azores
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French Guiana
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Lithuania
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Saint Barthelemy
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Belgium
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Germany
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Luxembourg
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Saint Martin
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Bulgaria
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Gibraltar
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Madeira
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San Marino
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Canary Islands
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Greece
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Malta
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Slovakia
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Croatia
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Guadeloupe
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Martinique
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Slovenia
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Cyprus
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Hungary
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Netherlands
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Spain
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Czech Republic
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Iceland
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Norway
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Sweden
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Denmark
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Ireland
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Poland
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Vatican City
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Estonia
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Italy
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Portugal
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Finland
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Latvia
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Reunion Islands
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*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. Please check the article below for more info on charges to Turkey and Northern Cyprus
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-guides/Roaming-in-Turkey-and-Cyprus-On-PAYG/bc-p/1106608#M947
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 free allowance. This is Mins, SMS and DATA if you have one. If you don’t have any allowances, then you will be charged international roaming charges. You will need to check the O2 website for more info as the Charges are subject to change at any time and are depending on the tariff you have. Normally In the EU you take your UK tariff with you.
If you do however have an allowance like an O2 Big Bundle for example and you only have 500 MINS, 1000 SMS and 500mb of data, then this is all you would be able to use before charges apply.
But what if I’ve already used some Mins from my 500 MIN allocation for example – Then you can only use what you have left before charges apply.
Always check your allowance using the MY o2 App or the O2 internet *Note Data will be used to check the allowances”
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.
Data Services Abroad - Currently O2 has 5 x 4G Roaming agreement abroad.
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
“The 2 Countries below are just for info only on which countries have 4G networks.
Isle of Man and Australia are not part of the EU roaming.
4G in Isle of Man may be on Manx Telecom? As Telefonica used to own them.
4G in Australia. Not sure on this one?
If any one knows could you please PM me and I will update the info. Thanks”
All other roaming networks you connect to will be either a 3G or 2G signal depending where you are, 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
How much Data is included – At present, the max you can use is 10GB in any giving Allowance Month. Even if your O2 Bundle gives you more, you cannot use more than 10GB, after this, Data roaming charges will apply.
Picture Messages are chargeable as they would be in the UK
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 things you are abusing the service then they can remove it and charge you for everything when roaming.
The services are 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 to speak to O2 customer care on 4455 (from abroad on you o2 mobile 25p charge applies as it would in the UK) to verify or check anything.
Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland – Are part of the EEA, but are included in the No Extra cost roaming from O2
Countries that are not a part of the EU or are EEA.
O2 only have to cover EU/EEA countries in the agreement which they have done
*** Countries not included ***
Switzerland, Monaco, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey are not part of the EU / EEA and therefore O2 Travel will apply if you have this activated, or normal roaming charges will apply otherwise.
O2 Travel gives you a 100MB allowance, if you want more, then it will be £1.99 per another 100MB, o2 will send you an SMS when you have either run out or nearing your allowance to allow you to purchase more
Roaming in Turkey and Cyprus On PAYG
Please read the below article North, South Cyprus and Turkey.
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-guides/Roaming-in-Turkey-and-Cyprus-On-PAYG/bc-p/1106608#M947
More Info on Roaming from the 15th June can be found here
https://www.o2.co.uk/help/pay-as-you-go/roaming-in-europe
To Learn more about Roaming itself, 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 remember that this is a customer forum run by the Public so we would not be able to answer any billing questions etc, but a lot of people on here including myself are very knowledgeable 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 not have made it clear somewhere else.
*** Please note that the above information was correct as of 29th May 2017, it is your responsibility to always check for the correct information and or charges that may apply ***
Versions
5th Feb 2018 - Further updates about Cyprus / Turkey, 1 x 4G roaming network added and slight changes in wording.
19th March 2018 - Added the 5x 4G roaming partners and changed 1 link which was showing to Pay monthly and not PAYG for roaming help. Picture inserted regarding update on Brexit and DSM (Digital Single Market)
We also do not know what will happen when we leave the EU. but while we are still in Europe the above will apply. But this is the current info that the networks are giving out
Website for the info below
https://fullfact.org/europe/roaming-fees-brexit/