After O2 and EE resurrect EU roaming charges, should Vodafone, Three and Sky users worry?

If you missed the memo, the dreaded EU roaming charges are back. Abolished by the European Commission in 2017 and branded a “market failure”, the guarantee that your existing call, text message and mobile data allowance could be available for free when travelling throughout Europe was not included in Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. And despite assurances from mobile networks that they had no plans to resurrect the extra charges… that’s exactly what has happened.
EE confirmed this week that, starting from January 2022, some customers will be forced to pay £2 a day to be able to use their 4G or 5G data, calls and texts when in Europe. That means your next fortnight away in Spain could cost an extra £28 for every member of your party. Ouch.
Crucially, the new EU roaming costs will only hit those joining EE, or existing users who sign up to a new contract or SIM-only deal, after July 7, 2021. So, if you’re already with the company and decide to stick with your current plan – you can head away without fear of being charged a penny extra. But as soon as you decide to upgrade to a new smartphone, sign-up to a new SIM-only deal to get better terms …you’re going to have the EU roaming charges again.
It’s unclear whether customers on older contracts will be able to benefit from free roaming indefinitely.


