Planning to use your phone abroad this summer? If so it’s important to check how this will affect your mobile bill.
In the European Union (EU), phone companies can’t charge more than €0.20 (around 17p) per MB of data, plus VAT.
Outside of Europe the cost of data roaming is significantly higher– often around £5 to £8 per MB of data.
The BBC estimates watching a 60 minute iPlayer video over 3G can consume between 50MB and 225MB of data. This could cost you £1,800.
There is a safety net – a data roaming CAP
All UK mobile operators offer roaming protection to their clients. They apply a cut-off limit once you have used €50 (excluding VAT) – around £40 – of data per month, wherever you travel in the world. The network must send you an alert when you reach 80% and then 100% of the agreed data roaming limit. Networks must stop charging for data at the 100% point, unless you agree to continue to use data.
It’s your choice to remove this cap. If you voluntarily choose to opt out of this data roaming cap, by doing so you are accepting any and all, potentially high, roaming charges.
If data access is required, data roaming bolt-ons and packages may be available to reduce costs. If a user exceeds their bolt-on or package out of bundle charge will apply.
The following suggestions may help your users avoid a big bill when using their phones abroad.
1) Turn data roaming off when you don’t need it
Make sure you know how to turn data roaming on and off on your phone (data roaming allows you to access the internet and some apps from abroad).
Apple: Settings -> Mobile or Settings -> Cellular
Samsung: Apps -> Settings -> Mobile Networks
HTC & Nokia: Settings -> Mobile networks
Blackberry: Options -> Mobile Network -> Data services
2) Turn off your voicemail or record a holiday message
You may pay to receive and retrieve your voicemails while abroad so to save money simply switch your voicemail off
Vodafone – dial ’1210′ from your phone
O2 – dial ’1760′ from your phone
EE – text ‘VM OFF’ to ’150′ or access the voicemail main menu by pressing * on your device when you are listening to your messages – and press 2 to temporarily switch off voicemail messages and set up a new greeting.
3) Use Wi-Fi to get online
If you want to regularly browse the web overseas, use local Wi-Fi hotspots instead of your mobile network internet connection.
This is particularly useful for downloading maps, checking emails or browsing social networks – all of which will use a lot of data. Remember, you don’t need ‘data roaming’ switched on to access Wi-Fi.
Remember to stay within range of the Wi-Fi hotspot you are using to avoid your device finding a mobile network connection. Check to ensure the Wi-Fi icon is visible on your device.
4) Avoid using data-heavy services
It will help to keep your costs down if you don’t use data-heavy services like streaming films, video or music while you’re away. You should also try to limit your use of location services, maybe invest in a local map.
5) Roaming near an international border
Mobile signals can travel over many miles, so when you’re close to an international border it’s possible to pick up a signal from another country. For example, if you’re in Northern Ireland and close to the border, you could pick up the signal from the Republic of Ireland. That would mean you’d be roaming onto another network (and paying charges according to your roaming tariff).
If you’re near the border of another country check the name of the network shown on your phone before you use your phone.
6) Do not call premium or non-geographic numbers
Premium numbers start with numbers from 04 to 09. These numbers they can be very expensive, so beware.
7) Use a Data Compression Service
Our Mobile Data Gateway service can provide you with immediate data savings of approx. 30% through real time data and video compression and can cut roaming costs by 60%.
Included in this service is a comprehensive visibility into data usage across your entire mobile fleet. Visit our Mobile Data Gateway page for more details.
Contact Spectrum Telecoms today for more information on the data compression, your current World & European rates and available deals to keep costs down.
Call: 0844 856 3301 or Email now: info@spectrum-coms.co.uk
