Why no O2 (roaming) service in Italy April 2024?

[NM45]

Hi, Just returned from a holiday in Italy. I have a dual SIM iPhone 13 with an o2 esim - all working ok in the UK but no service offered in Italy. Lucky I had the other SIM so I could investigate - seems I am far from alone. I went through the various suggestions (turn off auto network selection etc.) to no avail.

Can it be confirmed that O2 SIMs are not supported in Italy (the various local service providers listed and showing as available didn't provide me with any service!), or is it a setting or technical iphone fault I need to get resolved?

Thanks

[Enlli]

The only thing I made sure of before roaming in Italy was to make sure I had 4G Calling enabled. 

Data and calls worked fine

[gmarkj]

If your account does not have the iPhone data bolt on (iData) then you would not have had working data, but calls and texts (SMS, not iMessage) should have worked @NM45 

[MI5]

@NM45 

No logical reason why your phone won't work at all, so contact O2 to check for any roaming bars or issues.

Guide: How to find help & contact O2 

[madasaf1sh]

@NM45 

O2 sims do work in Italy, we have an office in Milan and mine has always worked both personal and enterprise.. 

What network did you connect to / try to connect to? 

Where abouts where you in Italy?? 

[NM45]

Many thanks for your prompt reply - yes, I had tried to contact O2 using the webchat option - the responses came very slowly without the notification they suggested, so after an hour of trying I gave up...

[NM45]

Thanks for your prompt response - I have used the same phone/sim abroad before (Ireland & Spain) without any issues on calls/data/texts, so although I don't recall requesting iData I guess I have it. 

[JiMci]

I also had severe data speed issues in Italy around lake Garda in Aug/sep 2024 shockingly slow more like 2g if even that good. Struggled to even use Facebook and near impossible if google maps was on satellite view. But a couple from Ireland (remember they’re still in the EU) with Tesco mobile could stream TV no bother. And we were both on the same Italian network. A definite downgrade on speed no doubt about it. 

[pgn]

Depending on the handset's make and settings, @JiMci, and whether you were in a hotel foyer or sitting on a bench by the shore of the lake - you or the travellers from Ireland whom you met, may have been using a feature called WiFi Assist : https://support.apple.com/en-ca/102228#

[JiMci]

No Wi-Fi assisted we were on a campsite same iPhone same settings. Went through all the usually settings and suggestions to improve. Made no difference. As I said the only difference was the providers and that one contract was from within the EU and one wasn’t!!

speed capped for sure.