ROAMING. Good news for travelers: until 2032, they will be able to continue making phone calls and exchanging text messages from other European countries at no additional cost. The end of the hefty bills!
Travelers and cross-border workers who call from other European countries will be able to breathe for another ten years – at least. Contrary to what was initially planned, they will not have to worry about seeing their telephone bill soar again because of the roaming charges applied by their mobile operator. As he explains in his press release, the European Parliament, in agreement with the European Council, has in fact just extended the abolition of the surcharges applied to international telephone calls until 2032. This is excellent news which could, in time, signify the end of roaming, this very lucrative and criticized.
For the record, as recalled in detail the Arcep file, the European Parliament had decreed the end of mobile roaming charges (called roaming) in all European Union countries from June 15, 2017 for a period of five years. A practice which until then allowed the mobile operators of each country to charge very dearly for calls and SMS sent and received in a country of the Union other than that of the holder of the line. Travelers then had the unpleasant surprise to discover telephone bills sometimes climbing to several thousand euros on their way home. Initially scheduled to end in June 2022, the suspension of roaming charges is finally extended for ten years. You will therefore be able to continue traveling throughout Europe and use your smartphone with your national operator (Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom or even Free) to call and be called and converse by SMS with your loved ones without fear of a very expensive addition to your return to France.
Roaming charges: waived only in Europe
The European Parliament’s decision applies to the 27 Member States, but also to Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Please note, the United Kingdom, which left the European Union in January 2020, is no longer affected by this agreement. Also, if you are planning a stay with our neighbors across the Channel, it would be better to check whether your operator charges for roaming, even if the four main French players had indicated during Brexit that they would not charge additional costs.
As for the volume of data allocated for surfing the Web or collecting emails, for example, it remains at the discretion of the operators with a minimum envelope calculated on the cost of the mobile plan in France. There again, check before going to another European country the terms of your contract which indicate the quantity of data envisaged outside our borders. Nevertheless, the European Parliament indicates that travelers will have to enjoy the same quality of service as in their country of origin (such as access to 5G, for example, if it is available in the country visited). And if the local operator decides to restrict the flow of visitors, he will have to inform them quickly.