Vodafone to reintroduce EU roaming charges from January
Vodafone has joined EE in announcing plans to reintroduce roaming charges for users travelling in Europe in a fresh Brexit blow for British consumers.
Vodafone announced today it will launch new European roaming passes across its Europe zone from 6 January.
The changes will not affect existing customers. However, new and upgrading customers will be charged a standard £2 a day fee to use their mobile phones in EU destinations.
Eight day and 15 day passes will be available at £1 per day.
Vodafone plans to limit uncharged use in European destinations to ‘selected plans’. Some Vodafone users will have roaming included on higher priced plans and premium devices, while others will be forced to look at switching to Wi-Fi and take out local e-sim options.
Charges will not apply to people using their phones in the Republic of Ireland. Exemptions will also made for the Isle of Man.
The EU trade deal in 2020 opened the door to users being charged, as it encouraged operators to apply reasonable rates but did not ban charges outright.
After Brexit, all operators initially refused to reintroduce roaming charges. This changed in June when EE took the first step away from roam-free destinations across Europe.
EE’s £2 a day charge also commences in January and will apply in 47 European countries.
Three has already cut its fair-use data limit from 20GB a month to 12GB when in Europe and charges £3 per gigabit above that.
Other providers will likely follow suit as telecommunication companies seek ways to boost revenue.
“In the aftermath of Brexit, the UK’s biggest mobile providers all said that they had no immediate plans to change their charging models for consumers roaming within the EU,” said Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com.
“It’s disappointing for consumers to see that the situation looks to be shifting, with a risk that roaming at no additional cost could soon be a distant memory for UK residents.
“If you’re an existing Vodafone customer, these charges won’t affect you yet, but make sure you check the small print if you’re due an upgrade in the coming months.”