Vodafone in the UK has made changes to roaming plans for those wanting to use data across Europe and the rest of the world on their mobile phone.
The new plans are set to launch on June 15 and will see data costing £1/MB for the first 5MB across Europe with charges set at £5 per 5MB thereafter. Out of Europe the prices step up to £3 per MB with the following data usage charged in 5MB blocks costing £15.
Simply put it means be very careful with data whilst out and about in other countries and check to see if a local SIM card from the country you visit offers PAYG voice and data usage for cheaper.
Vodafone do say that 250 mobile friendly pages can load up with in the 5MB limit, but it’s hard to know exactly what websites have mobile friendly pages, so perhaps test before you leave the country.
Full details of the Vodafone roaming rates for both mobile phones and laptops can be found here.
Via: Pocket Lint
‘Vodafone Roaming Data Charges Revamped for Mobile Phone Users – you must be joking! Vodafone’s new data roaming increases are not so much a ‘revamp’ as an example of corporate rape. I’m currently travelling in Turkey until the end of July and Vodafone have just notified me of an increase in mobile phone data roaming charges for travellers here of no less than 1,500 per cent!. Charges rise on 15 June from £4.99 for 25 MB to £75 for 25 MB. Travellers in Europe are not much better off, with charges for them rising from £4.99 to £25 – an increase of 500 per cent.
It seems that the EU Commission was guilty of a serious omission when it introduced the cap on mobile phone roaming charges in giving inadequate attention to data roaming. Since more and more people are now using their mobiles for e-mail and internet access, this seems to be the new cash cow identified by the mobile phone companies. Certainly, overseas travellers using Vodafone mobiles are due for some very unpleasant surprises after 15 June.