Mark Bridge writes:
Today’s podcast feature is a personal look at the cost of mobile ‘roaming’ in France.
At the beginning of July 2011 the rate for European roaming charges fell to a maximum of 38p per minute (incl. VAT) for calls made while abroad in the EU – and 12p per minute for calls received. There’s also a maximum 12p charge for sending text messages.
That’s the theory - but what reality did I discover when I spent a couple of days in romantic Paris?
Well, from my perspective as a Vodafone ‘pay monthly’ customer, the reality tallied very nicely. Vodafone sent me a text message that confirmed their call costs were actually fractionally lower than the reported EU charge caps. Of course, it’s possible to find cheaper call charges, but for the sake of a couple of days... a handful of calls... and a few pence... it didn’t seem worth it to me. Even data charges seemed affordable for casual use.
There are still a few things to trip you up - heavier-than-expected data use and voicemail are a couple of potential culprits - and using your mobile outside the EU can be pricey. But ultimately, I'd say using your mobile abroad is much easier and considerably more affordable than it was a few years ago.