The return of European roaming charges

[jeffkinn]

I've read in the news today that O2 is about to bring back roaming charges for using more than 25gb of data in the EU. It won't be long before we hear that all operators are doing this and its the slippery road back to being charged for using our phones in Europe. One more Brexit benefit no doubt!! 

[simax]

Eh?

Nearly all mobile operators had a 25GB data limit when roaming in the EU, even when we were in the EU!!

O2 was one of the few that didn’t have this requirement and now it’s being brought into line with other operators such as Vodafone.

Really nothing to see here…. they could have done this even if we remained…. 

[chistery]

EE will be charging £2 a day, so expect news from Vodafone soon as they always follow.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-57595913

[jeffkinn]

More bad news for consumers. 

[simax]

Doubt it. Vodafone have plenty of franchised or wholly-owned companies abroad so can absorb some of the costs internally as a group. EE doesn’t have that luxury. 

BT are in quite a bit of a financial black hole according to news reports so charging extra for extras is not unexpected. They even charge 50p for e-sims via email!

If anything, I expect Vodafone will use this to their advantage…..

[jeffkinn]

That is not how it works with Vodafone. Each network is wholly independent of every other country and they don't share costs like that. Vodafone UK will view Vodafone ES in exactly the same way as Telefonica or Movistar

[chistery]

The cartel like behaviour between UK networks usually means when one does something like CPI+ increase, they all follow and even come up with the exact same figure for it.

[simax]

In reply to jeffkin, I’m aware there are some partnerships where is is just a branding exercise, but there are some wholly owned Vodafone networks around the world and I’m pretty sure that the Vodafone Group as a whole will look at revenue as a group. They undoubtedly will use synergies along the line.

[jeffkinn]

As an experienced Vodafone watcher I can assure you that what I’ve said is true. Most overseas networks were acquired by Vodafone and not started from scratch. For instance, Vodafone ES used to be Airtel. They introduce technologies such as Wifi calling at completely different rates. They operate different forums like this one. You cannot take a Vodafone contract from one country to another. There are no synergies other than overall branding. Before the EU clamped down Vodafone UK charged roaming whether you were on a Vodafone network or not and that will undoubtedly be the case in the future as well.

[chistery]

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2021/06/o2-vodafone-and-three-uk-respond-to-eu-roaming-concern... 

So Vodafone are still claiming they are not planning on making any changes and the FUP remains at 25GB, similar to O2.

Which just leaves EE charging all new customers to use their data. Strange to have one network introduce new charges and the others don't all follow. (though I suspect they will at some point)