By Rita Deutschbein | Jul 30, 2023 12:09 am
Since June 15, 2017, there has been a special EU roaming regulation designed to avoid cost traps. But for holidaymakers abroad there are still pitfalls and special features to consider – otherwise there is a risk of a high mobile phone bill.
For a long time, making phone calls or surfing the Internet in other EU countries was expensive. That changed with the abolition of roaming costs within the EU. Since mid-June 2017, the extra charges for using mobile phones abroad have been largely abolished. For vacationers, this means that they can use their tariff – regardless of whether it is prepaid or postpaid – in the EU in almost the same way as within Germany. But there are also exceptions – TECHBOOK clarifies.
Roam like at home – what does that actually mean?
Whether simply “EU roaming” or “roam like at home” (RLAH) – both terms can be found in the detailed information of most current mobile phone tariffs in Germany. Behind this is simply the regulation adopted by the EU for temporary mobile phone use in other EU countries.
The basic conditions agreed in the mobile phone contract are available within the 27 EU member states as well as in your own country. So if users have concluded a contract with Allnet-Flat, they can make calls while on vacation without additional costs within the travel country or to the networks of other EU countries, including Germany. The same applies to tariffs with inclusive units, which are deducted from the booked contingent as in the home network. For connections beyond that, customers pay the same cost as they would be charged at home. The additional fee previously charged by the providers for connections outside of Germany is therefore no longer applicable. Providers are also not allowed to charge for incoming calls abroad.
However, this regulation does not apply to all tariff components. This is because services that network operators offer exclusively within the network are excluded from EU regulation. One example are community flat rates that only cover calls and text messages in your own network. This also applies to contract components such as “Stream On” at Telekom or other options that do not count music streaming against the data volume.
Tipp: Take a close look at the details of your mobile phone tariff for use abroad. For some providers, the roaming regulation also applies in countries that actually do not belong to the EU. Deutsche Telekom’s MagentaMobil tariffs include roaming in Switzerland and Great Britain, for example. Telefónica also allows users of its O2-Free tariffs to use it free of charge in Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. With Vodafone, EU roaming in the Red tariffs is within the 27 member states of the EU as well as in Great Britain, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway possible.
Danger! Distinguish between roaming and international connections
There is one important point that often confuses cell phone users. Because it makes a difference whether you call from Germany abroad or from abroad to Germany or to other EU countries. One is international connections, the other is roaming. However, these connections are billed very differently.
The rule of thumb is: If a vacationer does not use the domestic mobile network, but that of another EU country, then he is roaming. If, on the other hand, he calls a friend from Germany who is in another EU country, it is an international call. And these are not part of the EU Roaming Regulation. The providers therefore calculate the connections according to a different, usually significantly more expensive tariff model.
Mobile phone use abroad: You should pay attention to this
Before you go on vacation, you should check which roaming regulations for abroad are included in your mobile phone tariff. On the one hand, there are tariffs in which use abroad is excluded or only possible after a certain period of time after conclusion. On the other hand, the providers can also have agreed on alternative roaming options where regulated EU roaming does not apply. The latter is particularly the case with tariffs that were concluded before June 2017. If you still use such a contract, you can usually switch to the regulated EU tariff free of charge.
But even if the EU tariff applies according to the regulations, there are special cases that users abroad should definitely take into account.
Fair Use Policy
You may have noticed that mobile phone tariffs in Germany are often significantly more expensive than abroad. So the idea of booking a cheap tariff from Austria or Italy, for example, and using it in Germany is obvious. Customers would then roam in this country, which is possible without extra charge thanks to the EU roaming regulation. However, the EU Commission has put a stop to this approach with the fair use regulation. It excludes “excessive or permanent roaming use”. This means that if customers use a tariff without interruption for several months in other EU countries, the providers are entitled to charge surcharges for SMS, telephony and data.
However, these surcharges are limited. They are fixed at 1 cent for text messages and 3.2 cents for call minutes. On the other hand, the surcharge for Internet use is higher. Providers can demand 3 euros per gigabyte in 2021. However, the upper limit is to be reduced to a maximum of EUR 2.50 per gigabyte by January 1, 2022. However, the total sum for connections must not exceed the following maximum limits:
19 cents per minute for outgoing calls plus VAT, 1.08 cents per minute for incoming calls plus VAT, 6 cents per SMS sent plus VAT, 20 cents per MB plus VAT.
Special case unlimited tariffs
They are available from Freenet Funk, Telekom, Vodafone and O2 – mobile phone tariffs where there is no data throttling. With them, users can surf the Internet on their mobile devices without limit. However, this is only possible in Germany. Within the EU, the so-called data cap comes into force, which limits the use of unlimited data flat rates.
The amount of data volume available in other EU countries depends on the tariff and the currently applicable upper limit for roaming wholesale prices. Customers can calculate the amount of their international data using the following formula:
(monthly price divided by wholesale price) x 2
In 2021, wholesale roaming prices will be EUR 3.57 per gigabyte (net price without VAT: EUR 3). From January 1, 2022, they will drop to EUR 2.98 per gigabyte. Based on the formula, the following calculations are currently made for the unlimited tariffs of the providers mentioned:
Telekom MagentaMobil XL: (84.95 euros / 3.57 euros) x 2 = 47.59 GB, rounded to 48 GB per month Vodafone Red XL: (79.99 euros / 3.57 euros) x 2 = 44.81 GB, rounded to 45 GB per month O2 Free Unlimited Basic: (29.99 euros / 3.57 euros) x 2 = 16.80 GB, rounded to 17 GB per month O2 Free Unlimited Smart: (39.99 euros / 3rd .57 euros) x 2 = 22.40 GB, rounded to 23 GB per month Free Unlimited Max: (59.99 euros / 3.57 euros) x 2 = 33.60 GB, rounded to 34 GB per month
Cost trap cruise
Cruises abroad can turn into a real nightmare on the mobile phone bill. Because on the high seas, neither the regulated EU roaming tariffs nor the alternative roaming options or cost caps of the providers apply. Instead, the mobile phone connections are implemented via satellite and corresponding GSM base stations on the ships.
Even before the trip, vacationers should find out which satellite network operator is responsible for the Internet supply on the cruise ship and what costs are incurred for use. It can be up to 30 euros per megabyte and 3 to 7 euros for call minutes. Expensive fees are also often charged for incoming calls.
If the ship is near a port, it can happen that the cell phone dials into the cell phone network of the respective country. When it comes to international sea voyages, vacationers move quickly in world zones 2 and 3, where expensive data and telephone charges are incurred. On board a ship, holidaymakers should therefore avoid using mobile phones and completely switch off roaming on their device.
So that ship passengers still have the opportunity to dial into the Internet, the shipping companies often have their own offers. For example, WLAN packages can be booked, but they are often very expensive. For 250 MB, 25 euros can quickly be demanded.
Roaming in Switzerland can get expensive
Unlike in other EU countries, where “roam like at home” – and therefore the same prices apply as within Germany – calls made from Switzerland with your own mobile phone can cost almost two euros per minute, depending on the provider. Incoming calls are cheaper, sometimes costing around 25 cents, sometimes 75 cents.
In order to protect yourself from the costs of the data transfer that often takes place in the background, you should deactivate the roaming option on your smartphone when staying or passing through Switzerland. When crossing the border, an SMS that appears automatically after dialing into the Swiss mobile network reveals exactly how high the costs can be.
Alternative: Foreign prepaid card
If your travel destination is outside the EU, the EU regulation (mostly – note exceptions in the options of the provider!) does not apply. In this case, vacationers can either book alternative roaming packages for different world zones from their provider, which are designed for short surfing the net and are usually quite expensive. Or you can buy a prepaid card in the destination country. Then they call and surf on local terms, which is usually the cheapest option. Especially if they stay in the country for at least a week.
Also read: What will change in roaming after Brexit
Appropriate prepaid SIM cards are available, for example, at airports, in hotels or in domestic mobile phone shops. The employees there are usually very helpful and happy to give advice. However, knowledge of the English language is helpful in the counseling sessions.
If you want to be on the safe side, you can order foreign SIM cards online before you travel. You are then already registered and set up, so that holidaymakers only have to insert the SIM into their mobile phone after arriving abroad. However, the various online sellers usually charge an extra fee for this service. Users pay a little more for the tariff than on site.