One of the numerous benefits of being in the EU was the fact that you could move seamlessly from Britain to mainland Europe, and you would not pay any extra charges on your mobile phone beyond what you were already contracted to pay. Roaming charges on moving to another EU country had been abolished.
Before the Brexit referendum, Remainers argued that one of many adverse consequences of leaving the EU could be that these roaming charges on mobile phones would return.*
Project fear becomes project reality
This was, of course, dismissed by Brexit supporters as part of “project fear”.
Yet, if the email I have just received is anything to go by, it seems that “project fear” has indeed now become “project reality”. The email, from O2, my service provider, reads as follows:
Changes to our Roaming Fair Usage Policy
As your monthly UK data allowance is over 25GB, you can still use your data in our Europe Zone – but it’s now subject to a Roaming Limit of 25GB. Once you’ve reached this limit you’ll be charged an additional cost of £3.50/GB.
So my normal monthly data allowance will now be charged at £3.50 per GB for anything over 25 GB in mainland Europe, where previously it was free. Quite probably, as time goes by, O2 will gradually lower the 25GB limit and increase the charges.
Thanks, Brexiters. Yet another “benefit”.
- Editor’s note: In fact, the end to roaming charges was agreed by the EU in 2015 and implemented in 2017. Brexit supporters hailed this as a triumph of Brexit when it was entirely due to the ongoing benefits of membership during the transition phase. Back in 2015, it was the Conservative MEP (now MP for Chelmsford) Vicky Ford who proudly announced the ending of roaming charges as well as the guarantee of net neutrality for smaller companies. These membership ‘wins’ are now Brexit losses.
- EE announced today that new susbcribers to their network will be charged £2 per day when using their mobiles in the EU. Other network providers are expected to follow suit.
