The mobile carrier EE is set to bring back roaming charges for customers visiting Europe from January 2022, according to a BBC News report. The new £2 a day charge will allow customers to use their allowances in 47 European countries from January 2022 but it will only apply to customers joining or upgrading from July 7, 2021. ee roaming

The European Union decided to scrap roaming charges several years ago. From 2017, mobile networks in EU countries have not been allowed to charge customers for using their device while roaming. Since Brexit, however, mobile networks in the UK have been able to go back on this decision but EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone all said they had no plans to reintroduce roaming charges as recently as January 2021.

According to the report, EE wants to use the money it raises from roaming charges to support investment in its UK-based customer services and its overall network. Interestingly, EE is one of the companies that will now have to remove Huawei hardware from its network due to a government decision. Mobile operators did warn that this would see costs go up for customers, so this could be the implementation.

There will be an exception to the new rule for EE customers who are travelling to the Republic of Ireland, where the fees won’t be charged. For those travelling to the other 47 countries, customers will be able to buy 30-day passes to continue using their normal tariff while abroad. The cost of the passes will vary depending on the tariff you’re on. ee roaming

Are other mobile providers introducing roaming charges?

At this stage, no other mobile networks have announced that they will be reintroducing roaming charges, though EE’s announcement is an ominous sign. It also comes hours after O2’s announcement that it would implement a 25GB data fair usage cap for all its customers, due to come in on August 2. Three has also separately announced that it is cutting its fair use limit from 1st July from 20GB to 12GB per month. Vodafone made a similar change in February, though these changes are only likely to affect higher data users.

How to save money on your mobile bill when travelling ee roaming

Whether you’re travelling to the EU or further afield, it’s always worth checking before you leave to see what charges you might incur. Even if your provider does allow you to use your UK bundle when roaming in the EU or other countries, you could face further charges if you exceed your bundle, or if the country you’re travelling to is not included in the list of destinations. Since providers vary in both the cost of data and calls abroad, and which countries they include in any free usage, it may be beneficial to switch to one that better suits your needs.