Mobile phone customers from the UK have been warned about the increasing cost of making calls in Europe.
The warning comes from price comparison site
Uswitch, which suggests that secure WiFi hotspots in cafes and hotels may be a practical alternative to mobile data services.
With the UK no longer part of the European Union, the EU's cross-network price caps aren't available to UK mobile phone customers travelling abroad. The UK's post-Brexit trade deal with the EU opened the door for mobile operators to reintroduce 'roaming' charges.
As a result, many of the UK's biggest networks are changing their tariffs for usage abroad. However, existing customers won't be affected if they signed their contract before the changes were announced last year.
The O2 network has not announced any plans to change its charges for usage when abroad. Vodafone plans to introduce roaming charges at the end of January, EE in March and Three in May.
Ernest Doku from Uswitch.com said "If you’re going on holiday or travelling abroad for a longer time, you can save money by paying for multi-day passes with Vodafone, or Roam Abroad with EE. If you’re an existing customer of EE, Vodafone or Three, check your contract to see whether these charges apply to you. If you signed up prior to specific dates, you should be safe. "
"When it comes to travelling, don’t leave it until the last minute to check the roaming charges for your destination, and use hotel and cafe Wi-Fi when on holiday where possible, ensuring any public access points are safe and secure before logging on."
[
BBC News report;
Mobile News report]