I have some comments/feedback on the imminent EU roaming charges changes about which I got an email although I don't see the details posted here on the 48 website yet...
Just to summarise - currently the EU roaming charges are:
- Making calls: 23c/min
- Receiving calls: 6c/min
- Sending texts: 6c each
- Receiving texts: free
- EU roaming calls add-on costs €3.50 and gives 15 outgoing call minutes (= c. 23.3c/min) and 1000 free incoming call minutes. The real benefit of this add-on is the generous free incoming call allowance since outgoing calls actually cost more than normal.
- EU text add-on costs €2 and gives 35 outgoing texts (= c. 5.7c per text)
- Note: no data roaming while abroad so no MMS etc.
The EU roaming charges effective from May 1st 2016 are:
- Making calls: 6c/min
- Receiving calls: 1c/min
- Sending texts: 2c each
- Receiving texts: free
- EU roaming calls add-on costs €3.50 and gives 60 outgoing call minutes (= c. 5.83c/min) and 60 free incoming call minutes.
- EU roaming text add-on costs €2 and gives 100 texts (= 2c per text)
- Note: no data roaming while abroad so no MMS etc.
As far as I can see:
- The EU roaming calls add-on has a much lower free incoming calls allowance which is disappointing even if incoming calls will only cost 1c/min from May 1st. The benefits of buying an EU roaming calls add-on seem to be much more marginal under the new charging regime than in the past.
- The EU roaming texts add-on gives no advantage at all over just paying for outgoing texts from your cash credit balance.
In summary, under the new charging regime effective from May 1st, there is no point in buying an EU roaming texts add-on and the benefits of buying an EU roaming calls add-on may be marginal. In some (many?) cases it might simply be better to just topup your cash credit balance to cover the costs of outgoing/incoming calls and outgoing txts?
Just wondering what others think?
