It is essential today to be aware of the precise European laws on roaming and the precise meaning of this term. Indeed, while free calls and text messages are universal in the European Union, the cost of mobile data varies according to the destination.

The concept of roaming and the end of

roaming charges Roaming charges, also known as roaming fees, are additional charges that were previously imposed in Europe. When travelling within the European Union (or EU), additional costs had to be paid in order to make a call. This meant that the use of the telephone was much more limited, or expensive. As a result, there were more constraints, especially at the professional level. However, these roaming charges no longer exist. The entry into force of a law on 15 June 2017 has indeed enacted the end of roaming charges within the EU. This means that calls, SMSes or MMSes sent from another European country cost the same as if they were made from France. If the bundle is exhausted, the European Commission has set a ceiling for the price of calls: 3.2 cents per minute of call and 1 cent per SMS. Calls from abroad are not surcharged either, as long as they originate from a European Union country. However, to a foreign country the costs of calls made from France are always charged, except for those countries included in the telephone package.
When travelling abroad it is common to hear about roaming. However, it is important to know the true meaning of this word. It is important to know that roaming is a reality that can be faced by uninformed travellers. In fact, the principle of roaming concerns those who travel abroad but spend most of their time in their home country. If they use their phone more frequently in their home country, then they are roaming. This explains why, when you cross a border within the EU, a message is displayed explaining that you are currently roaming on your mobile package. However, this should not be abused. Indeed, if you spend more time abroad than in your country of residence, and phone use there becomes more recurrent, then there is a risk of penalty. Your mobile operator may therefore charge you roaming charges, although these have a tolerance threshold.

Data use while travelling and precautions to be taken

Within

the limit of available data, surfing the Internet is included in your mobile offer. However, the "Reasonable Use Policy" ensures that there is no abuse of the roaming rules. Limits are therefore defined in the use of 4G or 5G. Thus, several scenarios may arise. If you have a prepaid card, which means that you pay the cost of your gigabyte usage volume in advance, then you can use your phone without risking additional costs. However, your operator may set a limit on the consumption of your data. If you exceed this limit, then you may be liable to pay certain charges. These correspond to dividing the remaining credit on the card by the price of €3.50, i.e. the price per gigabyte. This billing method applies as soon as you use Internet access while roaming beyond the data limit included in your bundle.

With a basic contract, the limit on the amount of data available is exactly the same as in the country of origin, at no extra cost. However, you should check your mobile data unit price. If this is too low, i.e. less than €1.75 per gigabyte (in 2020), then you may be limited in your 4G usage more quickly. If this happens, you will be notified by SMS by your operator. If you exceed the limit, you will have to pay €3.50 per gigabyte, plus VAT. In the case of a contract including unlimited mobile data, the operator normally has to provide you with a large amount of gigabytes. The exact amount depends on the contract price you usually pay. This is equivalent to twice the division of the mobile contract price (excluding VAT) by the wholesale price cap for mobile data roaming. In this situation too, your operator must warn you. If you exceed the limit, you will have to pay €3.50 per gigabyte, plus VAT.

Specific cases of using a mobile data roaming package

If you are going to be roaming outside the EU for an extended period of time, it is essential that you check with your operator. Depending on the destination, the cost of mobile data may be much higher. If you are travelling by boat or plane, then you can connect to a land-based mobile network without paying any extra charges. However, if your connection depends on satellites, then you will be charged for unregulated roaming services. This is because you will no longer be considered to be within the EU. So you should be careful. Please also note that if the operator does not appear to be complying with the legislation, you are entitled to contact them to make a complaint. Again, if their response is unsatisfactory, it is important to refer to the national regulatory authorities who will deal with your problem effectively.