As more Brits go on their first holiday since the pandemic, they’re experiencing how excessive mobile roaming charges can be. Over one-third of Brits are being overcharged for data roaming when travelling across the European Union (EU), according to a new survey.
Due to Brexit, there’s no longer an obligation for UK mobile phone networks to provide free data roaming across the EU. People naturally take their phones with them when going abroad, using them for everything from paying for food, drinks and services to mobile boarding passes for flights, as well for maps, so they can easily get around.
But many holidaymakers return from their trips abroad to find huge bills for their data usage.
Mobile network Lebara UK commissioned a poll to find out how many people believe they are being charged extra for roaming while on holiday in the EU. It found that 35% of Brits think they had been charged extra for roaming in the EU, and some were paying up to £1,000 extra, with the average just under £70.
A total of one-quarter of respondents were in the 25-34 age bracket, with 20% over 65. The survey found there were several popular countries in the EU where Brits clocked up big data roaming charges, including Spain, Greece and France.
Lebara UK managing director Rajesh Dongre said that with the rising cost of living, the last thing Brits wanted was a massive mobile phone bill for roaming in the EU.
“After two years of the pandemic, British families want to get away for a well-deserved holiday abroad, but the ongoing cost-of-living crisis is hitting everyone hard. In an overstretched travel budget, roaming charges to use your network abroad are a further dampener during these difficult times,” he said,
The research revealed that Vodafone was the most used by Brits in the EU, at 22% of those who took part in the survey, followed by Tesco Mobile, at 20%. Other network providers, such as 02 and EE, added on big roaming charges for their customers on holiday in the EU.
