Roaming charges (yes, they are shocking) are out of window according to the law drafted by the European Union. Enforcement of the law starts today, meaning users travelling within the block will text and call their loved ones and business associates using their smart handhelds for the same prices they pay in their home countries. In fact, users do not need to set anything up when travelling (like jumping to your phone settings and toggling roaming options – though they will be reminded of crossing an internal EU border via text) because they will be treated as natives. Carriers will bill travelers normal domestic rates. No more jaw-dropping roaming bills, you lucky folks on the other side of the globe.
Get callin', get textin'! As of today, European Union mobile users no longer need to pay extra charges when they leave their country: pic.twitter.com/UbcKhQ0DnK
— DW News (@dwnews) June 15, 2017
However, accessing the internet is based on select packages that are non-uniform in the EU region that has 28 countries. Customers should be notified of this data allowance variation. In other words, data allowances may be less than what users enjoy in their home countries. At the same time, fair-use policy will be in effect. For instance, international calls will call for higher billing. In like manner, users who surpass ‘reasonably high volume’ of roaming data at domestic charges will have to finance their luxuries with up to Euro 7.70 per GB of data. Fair use policy is also aimed to counter situations where people take out a contract to low-cost EU member states. Alternatively stated, some people are always travelling, meaning they use their phones more on foreign soil than at home. For such a demographic, carriers may slap them with roaming charges regardless of the new law.
Countries such as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein that are within the European Economic Area but are not member states of EU will jump ship to ‘Roam Like as Home’ in coming days. Other countries that are not in the Union include Serbia, Andorra, Switzerland, Albania, Channel Islands as well as Turkey. Notably, Turkey is a favourite spot for British holiday travelers.
It is also unknown what will happen for brewers of Brexit AKA the UK. At the moment, it is up to UK government to decide if the new roaming law should apply to them until they edge themselves out of the EU, or otherwise.
