As of this week, most Swiss telecommunications providers will apply new roaming tariffs. A current comparison shows that the legal adjustments can not only be positive for customers. This comparison with two usage profiles shows surcharges of up to 80% compared to the previous costs. With some providers, choosing the right additional option can also make it cheaper. Switzerland roaming tariffs

After Swisscom announced changes to the roaming tariffs on July 1, 2021 due to the revision of the Telecommunications Act , Salt and Sunrise UPC, as well as the subsidiary brands, are communicating the new tariffs today. Oliver Zadori from dschungelkompass.ch received and analyzed the tariffs in advance.

Additional options are now valid for longer – but often more expensive

All options that contain a certain data volume or a certain number of minutes must now be valid for at least 12 months. Salt is introducing a new annual data package in addition to the existing ones. For the EU, it contains 10 GB and costs CHF 99.95. At Yallo and Lebara, data packages with a certain volume are no longer available; there are only unlimited flat rate options with up to 10, respectively. 60 gigabytes of high-speed data volume. Cost: CHF 15.- for three days or CHF 45.- for 30 days. Sunrise and Aldi Mobile are sticking to data packages, increasing the prices and the period of validity to one year. At UPC, only the validity changes from one month to one year, at the same price.

Billing per second for telephony and new prices

Calls are no longer rounded up to the full minute but billed every second (outgoing from half a minute) and rounded to 10 cents. This can mean a cost reduction for many calls. With Swisscom, UPC, Aldi Mobile and Salt, the call tariffs remain the same. Sunrise, Wingo, M-Budget, Coop Mobile are raising the standard minute rates, however, while Yallo and Lebara have lowered them. Despite the new clocking, longer calls without a suitable additional option can also become more expensive.

Comparison: 2 GB data volume in the EU Switzerland roaming tariffs

The table below compares the costs with the old and new models from some providers. It was assumed that this sample user is on vacation for a week in an EU country and wants to use 2 GB of data. Phone calls are only made via apps. Since most of the new data packages are valid for one year, it can be worthwhile to buy a larger data package because it can be used later. Therefore, the second part of the table shows how this can affect the costs if, for example, one week vacation can be taken in summer and again in autumn. One week

With Sunrise, Yallo, Lebara and Aldi Mobile, using 2 GB will be around 50% more expensive than before. This is due to the fact that a data package with 3 GB was previously available from Sunrise for a comparatively cheap CHF 19.90 and now 1 GB costs CHF 14.90 or 5 GB CHF 39.90 – but with a term of 12 months. At Yallo and Lebara, in addition to the standard tariff of CHF 2.- per megabyte, which is deactivated by default, only an unlimited data option is available for CHF 45.- per 30 days. With M-Budget and Salt, the use of 2 GB is around 20% respectively. 25% cheaper. The reason is that larger data packages are now being offered. However, the data package from Salt only has a term of 30 days. Swisscom and UPC continue to charge the same amount for data packets.

Twice a week
If, for example, the 5 GB data package were purchased at Sunrise, which can also be used at a later point in time, the costs would be the same as previously for two 3 GB units. With Yallo and Lebara, the price surcharge of 50% remains as this unlimited data option is only valid for 30 days. The additional costs for Salt, Wingo, M-Budget and Aldi are now almost the same at around CHF 59. By far the most expensive provider with CHF 240.- for 4 GB is UPC. In fairness, it must be pointed out that a subscription with unlimited roaming telephony and 10 GB data volume is available for CHF 39.90 a month.

Comparison: 500 MB data volume and telephony in the EU Switzerland roaming tariffs

In order to make the effects of the new second cycle and any surcharges for the minute tariffs visible, the second comparison also took moderate telephony into account in addition to the data usage of 500 MB. For this purpose, six incoming calls to an EU country, each 1.5 minutes each and four outgoing calls to Switzerland each 2.5 minutes, as well as 3 SMS were charged. One week Due to the new options, the assumed roaming use will be 17% cheaper with Aldi Mobile and 8% cheaper with Sunrise. With the new frequency of seconds, Swisscom will be 7% cheaper, Salt and UPC around 3% cheaper. Due to the recently increased minute tariffs, the usage profile for Wingo is 1.4% more expensive and for M-Budget it is 14% more expensive. Twice a week

With Aldi Mobile, the effect of the longer period of validity is now visible, so the assumed use now only costs half as before. The longer duration also has a positive effect on Swisscom, Wingo and Sunrise. 20% and 22% arises. M-Budget is slightly cheaper by almost 11%, UPC by 7% and Salt by 3%. The offers from Yallo and Lebara are also 66% more expensive for this profile, as before, because only an unlimited data option and no data packages with a few gigabytes are available anymore.

Roaming subscriptions are worthwhile for frequent users

If you travel often, you should take a look at the mobile phone subscriptions with roaming volume included. Up until now, these have been relatively expensive. However, due to the numerous promotional prices, these subscriptions are becoming more and more affordable and some of them are now cheaper than pure Swiss flat-rate offers a few years ago. For example, a campaign subscription with unlimited EU roaming is still available today for CHF 32.-. The tariff calculator from dschungelkompass.ch contains the daily updated special offers and conveniently finds the cheapest offers for any desired use.

The most popular brands that have already communicated new tariffs or conditions have been selected. Two different usage profiles were defined, each for use, for example, for holidays during a single week. In order to examine the effect of the longer valid additional options, a second evaluation was carried out in which an additional week of use within the same year was assumed. The costs relate to the most optimal additional options. The information relates to mobile phone subscriptions (with the exception of Aldi Mobile). Prepaid offers with partially different tariffs were not taken into account. The additional costs apply exclusively to subscriptions that do not contain an inclusive roaming volume.

Conclusion Switzerland roaming tariffs

This comparison does not necessarily show the cheapest option for frequent roaming use, because subscriptions with roaming services included were not taken into account. The main aim is to show the differences in costs due to the numerous changes. As can be seen in the comparison tables, roaming use can now be cheaper but also more expensive, depending on the provider. With Sunrise, Wingo, Salt and Aldi Mobile, the roaming data packages have generally become more expensive due to the longer duration. However, since they are valid for one year, they can also be used longer and could reduce costs depending on usage behavior.