Adios roaming fees (but there is a downside)

New EU legislation means that from June 15th mobile phone operators will no longer be able to charge you roaming fees when visiting other EU countries.

Published: 14 June 2017 17:46 CEST

Adios roaming fees (but there is a downside)

Photo: nito103/Depositphotos

From Thursday you will no longer have to worry about picking up huge data roaming when you are visiting other European nations.

Roam Like Home’, a new law passed by the EU, enables phone users to use their phone at no extra cost when they’re on holiday in Europe.

As of tomorrow, #roaming charges in the EU will no longer apply! ??
You will call, text and use data at the same price as you pay at home. pic.twitter.com/Hzb0L2qCZw

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) June 14, 2017

You will be still be charged the same rate for making international calls and will still be limited by the data package you have agreed with your provider, but you won't be landed with surprise bills for being abroad.

Experts are warning that there is a downside, however.

Without being limited to wifi coverage, tourists are expected to be using their mobile phone a lot more when out and about and that means uploading photos to Instagram and Facebook while at tourists sites.

This could slow already over stretched networks in cities and tourist hubs.

“This will mean a loss of service quality, the networks will be more heavily loaded and the infrastructure will struggle under the increase in connections,” warns José Antonio Morán, professor of IT, Multimedia and Telecommunications at Catalonia's Open University.