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Europe's free roaming law comes with an asterisk
In June 2017, the European Commission will get its wish and scrap roaming charges for travellers across the continent. Phone calls, text messages and data downloads abroad will be treated as if they originated at home, but there will be a catch. In new plans set out this week, the Commission will instruct operators to let consumers roam for in Europe up to 30 days at a time, for a total of 90 days per year.
EE's Max handset plans include free EU roaming and BT Sport
EE hasn't done a great deal to mix up its tariff options this year, and you know what that means. Correct... we've got a complicated new pricing structure to chew through. The carrier has revamped its pay-monthly handset plans specifically, splitting them into three tiers separated mainly by maximum data allowance and value-added perks. While the table above gives you a pretty comprehensive overview of the new status quo, let's break down the key differences briefly.
Three's Feel at Home roaming will soon cover most of Europe
Three's Feel at Home perk lets subscribers use their regular minute, text and data allowances abroad at no extra cost. The inclusive roaming feature even covers several far-flung destinations including the USA, Australia and Hong Kong, but after adding Spain and New Zealand to the roster early last year, the list of 18 regions hasn't grown any longer. From this September, however, Three is expanding Feel at Home to an additional 24 countries across Europe (for a new total of 42).
Argos to stock network-hopping Anywhere SIM cards
Anywhere SIM, a company that wants to solve poor signal problems in the UK, has snapped up its first retail partner. Argos will be selling its SIM cards both in store and online, giving the upstart some much-needed visibility on the high street. The SIMs are unique because they automatically monitor and switch between three different UK networks -- O2, Vodafone and EE -- depending on which one has the strongest signal at the time.
EU agreement lets travelers watch Netflix like they're at home
Most streaming services aren't very useful when you leave your home country. If you don't lose access entirely, you'll probably be forced to look at unfamiliar content and equally unfamiliar languages. However, that shouldn't be a problem in the European Union as of next year. EU member states have tentatively agreed to a proposed law that would require temporary roaming access to subscription streaming services in 2017, complete with the content that you're used to from back home. If you're a British traveler, for instance, you could watch Netflix's UK library while sunning yourself on a Spanish vacation.
Vodafone bundles European roaming into its standard plans
Following Three and Tesco Mobile, Vodafone is now offering inclusive roaming with its Red and Red Value contracts in the UK. When you travel abroad, this means you won't be charged extra for texting, calling or accessing the internet. There are a few caveats, however. While calls and texts are unlimited -- so it's impossible to be charged for them -- data will be capped at a preset amount. The restriction will vary depending on your plan, but by way of example, an 8GB Red Value bundle will give you 2GB of inclusive data, while a 12GB Red Value plan gives you 4GB of data.
Roaming within the EU has just become cheaper
European decision-makers have been forcibly capping mobile roaming charges in the region for several years now. The last mandated reduction came into effect in July 2014, but today the European Commission has made calls, texts and megabytes that much cheaper once again. The maximum a carrier can now charge you for answering a voice call when you're roaming in another EU country is €0.0114 per minute. Similarly, €0.05 per minute for an outgoing call, €0.02 per SMS and €0.05 per megabyte are the maximum charges you can expect on top of what you'd pay at home.
Tesco Mobile scraps European roaming charges, for the summer
Next year, the European Commission will finally put an end to mobile roaming charges on the continent. Before that happens, the majority of carriers are following protocol and lowering fees for calls, texts and data, while others are scrapping them altogether. Following in the footsteps of Three, Tesco Mobile announced today that it will allow customers to use their existing plans when visiting 31 European countries.
KnowRoaming's money-saving sticker SIM goes hardware-free
KnowRoaming's magical SIM sticker auto-detected when your phone was working outside its home territory, switching to local carriers and saving you a bunch of money in the process. What's smaller than a sticker that goes on your existing SIM card, though? No sticker at all. in a collaboration with Alcatel (and TCL), it's announced a Soft SIM software platform, which sounds duller than it actually is. In short, it means no SIM tinkering necessary, and your phone will automatically link up with whatever network it needs to deliver voice, data and SMS services.
FreedomPop's latest free SIM plan includes international data
FreedomPop made a name for itself on the back of its free, no-frills mobile plans. Having honed its services in the US, FreedomPop headed across the pond to set up shop in the UK last September, but evidently that's not sated its desire to travel. Today, the provider is launching a new roaming SIM in both the US and the UK that will let customers use free data abroad for the first time.
Anywhere SIM helps avoid UK 'not spots,' but at a cost
Whether you live in central London or the northernmost tip of Scotland, you've probably experienced flaky mobile coverage at one point or another. Carriers say they're working to fix the UK's so-called "not spots," but customers continue to complain about dropped calls and sporadic 3G coverage. What's the solution? Blending all of the networks together, Anywhere SIM hopes. The Lancashire company has launched a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) SIM card today that lets you take advantage of O2, Vodafone and EE's networks. Whichever has the best service, that's the one you'll be connected to automatically.
Sprint signs first direct roaming agreement with Cuba
Not so fast Verizon, Sprint announced Monday that it is the first US carrier to ink a direct roaming agreement with Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA). This agreement, along with a similar deal for direct long-distance interconnection, means that Sprint customers will be able to use their phones on the island just as they do in the US. According to the announcement, nearly 3 million Americans will visit Cuba this year and that number is expected to balloon to more than 5 million within the decade. [Image Credit: Getty Images]
Europe to scrap roaming charges, protect net neutrality
It's been a long time coming, but we finally know when roaming charges will be scrapped in Europe: June 15th, 2017. The European Commission had been pushing for an earlier implementation, but ultimately relented in order to win support from the European Parliament and Council. Under the new rules, Europeans will pay the same prices as they do at home, regardless of where they travel in the EU. However, such a move could be open to abuse -- after all, anyone could buy a cheaper SIM from a neighboring country and use it at home -- so there will be a fair use limit when roaming, after which networks can charge you a basic fee. While we wait for 2017 to roll around, Europe is prepping a stop-gap measure for next year. From April 2016, operators will be limited to the following maximum roaming charges: €0.20 per MB, €0.06 per SMS and €0.05 per minute -- the same rates that former EU Commission VP Neelie Kroes wanted to enforce last year.
Anywhere SIM uses different networks to dodge UK not-spots
One company is promising to end Britain's so-called "not-spot" problem with a special SIM card that automatically switches between carriers. The "Anywhere SIM" will alternate between Vodafone, O2 and EE's mobile networks for the best signal, and it'll also offer a single flat rate for roaming across Europe. The UK's major networks are opposed to such a system, but the startup seems to have side-stepped the problem by working with a company based outside the UK. According to the BBC, this firm already has roaming agreements with British carriers -- so it'll be like using a foreign SIM in the UK.
Vodafone expands 4G roaming to the Carribean and beyond
With its Feel at Home free roaming perk, Three is undoubtedly the most jetsetter-friendly carrier in the UK, but Vodafone's not too far behind. It's WorldTraveller add-on lets you use your usual call, text and 4G data allowances abroad for a £5 daily fee, and from June 15th, it'll cover an extra 22 foreign destinations. That's a slightly misleading figure, however, since many of the new destinations are the small island nations peppered in and around the Caribbean, with Bermuda, El Salvador, Guyana, Panama and Suriname making up the numbers. Still, it means you won't have to pay through the nose to post hotdog leg snaps from a Caribbean beach this summer holiday.
Carphone Warehouse's 'iD' mobile network launches tomorrow
Carphone Warehouse is launching its "iD" mobile network tomorrow, and in preparation it's revealed new details about its contracts and how they differ from the competition. For starters, they'll be separated into four tiers: Shockproof, TakeAway, Go To and SIM Only. The Shockproof tier starts from £7.50 per month and is designed to help you avoid expensive bills. To do this, iD will cap your usage automatically, while offering a customisable "buffer" just in case you find yourself craving a few extra GB. TakeAway, meanwhile, will offer plans from £25.50 per month with free roaming in 22 countries -- that's more than Three's "Feel at Home" initiative, if you're keeping score.
Carphone Warehouse launching flexible 'iD' mobile network next month
Does the UK need another carrier? Carphone Warehouse seems to think so. It's been rumoured for months, but finally the company is ready to unveil its own mobile network. "iD" will arrive in May and, as expected, be powered by Three's network infrastructure. What makes it special? Well, the retailer says it's focusing on a few key benefits. The first is "controlled and capped plans," which it claims will be the cheapest on the market. It's also emphasising "flexible" 12-month contracts and 30-day SIM-only plans.
Three will finally offer free roaming in Spain from April 1st
With Feel at Home, Three offers a roaming plan that rivals are finding hard to compete with. Customers can already access free data in 16 countries, including the USA and France, but Britain's favourite holiday destination, Spain, has been noticeably absent. Luckily, that will change from April 1st, after Three announced that it's extending free calls, texts and internet to España and New Zealand. So, whether you're taking a relaxing trip to the mainland or revelling on one of Spain's sun-soaked islands, the carrier now has you covered.
UK carriers agree £5 billion coverage improvements to avoid 'national roaming'
Ever since the notion of national roaming first appeared back in June, the UK government and the four major mobile operators have fought over how best to rid Britain of so-called "not-spots." Culture Secretary Sajid Javid wanted to implement a system where customers would be able to switch to an alternative network if their own wasn't available, but carriers argued that it would slow network expansions in rural areas, push up investment costs and potentially pass on that cost to subscribers. However, after months of talks, there's finally some good news to report -- plans for national roaming have now been scrapped, after EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three vowed to pump £5 billion into the UK's mobile infrastructure.
Vodafone extends 4G roaming to cover 40 countries
You probably take Vodafone's 4G network for granted when on home turf, only to be saddened by slower speeds when travelling further afield. Well, Vodafone wants to make sure you get full use of your phone's LTE radio while abroad, and after announcing a bunch of new countries where 4G roaming is supported a few months ago, it's added almost as many to that same list today. Of the 17 new countries that make up the now 40-strong list, Japan, Mexico and Saudi Arabia are arguably the most notable, though you can have a gander at the full roster after the break. As you may already know, Vodafone lets customers use their normal voice, text and data allowances abroad for either £3 per day in Europe, or £5 per day everywhere else. And if you're travelling to any of the newly added countries over the holiday period, consider today's news an early stocking-filler.
