For most mobile users in Lithuania, EU roaming will continue to feel exactly as it should: predictable and priced like home. Lithuania’s telecom regulator, RRT, has confirmed that the country’s three largest mobile operators, Telia Lietuva, Tele2 and Bitė Lietuva, will continue to apply no additional EU/EEA roaming surcharge to their customers.

There is one exception. MVNO Teledema, which operates on the Bitė Lithuania network, has received renewed approval to apply small extra retail roaming charges for customers travelling in the EU and EEA.

According to the latest reported figures, Teledema may charge an additional €0.001 per minute for outgoing and incoming calls and €0.73 per GB for mobile data. SMS is not subject to an extra surcharge. The amounts are tiny in everyday use, but the decision matters because it shows that “Roam Like at Home” is not an unconditional promise for every operator.

Why Teledema gets an exception

EU roaming rules are built around a simple consumer promise: when you travel within the EU and EEA, you should normally use your domestic mobile plan without paying extra. That principle has been in place since 2017 and was extended under the current EU roaming framework until 2032.

But the regulation also includes safeguards. Operators can ask their national regulator for permission to apply limited surcharges if they can prove that roaming at domestic prices would create financial losses and threaten the sustainability of their domestic pricing model.

That is the route Teledema has taken. RRT says such permission is granted only when the operator demonstrates that the cost of providing roaming services could negatively affect national tariffs. So this is not a free pass to bring back roaming fees. It is a controlled exception, reviewed by the regulator and capped.

Lithuania is not the only example

Teledema’s case is unusual because Lithuania’s largest operators are not applying extra EU roaming charges. Still, the wider mechanism is not unusual. Across Europe, regulators recognise that roaming economics are different for every operator.

Small MVNOs are often more exposed than large mobile network operators because they may have less negotiating power on wholesale roaming costs and fewer ways to absorb losses. A national operator with millions of customers can spread roaming costs across a much larger base. A niche MVNO with thinner margins may not have that luxury.

READ MORE: Tele2 Lithuania Slashes Roaming Prices in 39 New Countries

The same logic appears in fair-use rules across the EU. Operators can limit excessive roaming use, especially when a SIM is used mainly abroad rather than in its home country. Finland’s Traficom explains that surcharges may apply when customers exceed fair-use data limits or spend more time roaming than using services domestically. In 2026, EU-level surcharge caps include €1.10 per GB for mobile data, €0.019 per minute for outgoing calls, €0.002 per minute for incoming calls and €0.003 per SMS.

What travellers should actually do?

For light users, this probably changes very little. A few calls and a couple of gigabytes of data will not create a dramatic bill. But travellers who stream video, hotspot a laptop or work on the road should check their plan before assuming roaming is fully free.

READ MORE: Lithuania Roaming Update: What Teledema Users Need to Know

This is also where travel eSIMs become a practical alternative, especially for people crossing several countries, using a lot of data, or wanting a clean separation between their main SIM and travel connectivity. A Lithuanian user staying within the EU for a weekend may not need one. A business traveller spending two weeks across Germany, France and Spain with daily hotspot use might see more value in a dedicated travel data plan.

What this really tells us

The Teledema decision is not a sign that EU roaming is being rolled back. It is a reminder that Europe’s roaming model is a balance between consumer protection and operator economics.

For users, the market is still moving in the right direction. Big operators increasingly treat EU roaming as a standard feature. Regulators are keeping exceptions narrow. Ukraine and Moldova have also joined the wider “Roam Like at Home” area in 2026, showing that the policy is expanding, not shrinking.

But for MVNOs, especially smaller ones, roaming remains a cost problem hidden behind a consumer-friendly slogan. The surcharge itself is almost symbolic. The signal behind it is bigger: low domestic mobile prices, unlimited data expectations and cross-border travel do not always fit neatly together.

The best outcome is transparency. If an operator needs an exception, customers should see it clearly, understand the limits and have easy alternatives. That is where the market is heading: regulated roaming for everyday users, fair-use safeguards for operators, and eSIM options for travellers who want more control.