Virgin Media O2 has confirmed that it will not reinstate mobile roaming charges in the EU, making it the only UK essential mobile operator to agree to such a commitment.
All roaming charges were abolished across the EU in the first month of the summer of XNUMX after multiple years of falling costs, in accordance with EU law.
However, roaming was not included in the UK's withdrawal pact from the EU, meaning UK and European carriers no longer have an obligation to offer fee-free employment when subscribers use their phone. abroad.
o2 roaming
While the top 4 networks have repeatedly promised not to re-introduce the tariffs, which were abolished across the EU in the first month of the summer of XNUMX, EE, Three and Vodafone have all confirmed their intention to do so in XNUMX. .
Virgin Media O2 has dumbed down its policies, introducing a twenty-five GB data cap, after which customers of the service will be charged 0,3 pence per MB, or €1 per GB. However, it says only XNUMX% of its users approach this limit and hopes its commitment will boost business at a time when many people in the UK are looking to travel abroad more often as relax pandemic constraints.
“We are starting the year by giving our service customers some certainty that we will not reintroduce roaming charges in Europe for O2 or Virgin Mobile service customers,” said Gareth Turpin, Virgin Media O2 mobile business manager. .
“Unlike all other essential mobile networks that lower roaming charges, we won't keep up. With many Brits now looking to plan a trip abroad, we've got our service customers covered and ancillary roaming charges are going to be one less thing to worry about.
Analysts believe Virgin Media O2's contrarian stance could position it as a consumer market winner and cause challengers to rethink.
“Virgin Media O2 opened the door to roaming,” said Kester Mann, director, consumer and connectivity, CCS Insight. “Going against the market trend of lowering charges, his resolve to stand his ground is going to draw attention throughout the industry and deal a heavy blow to his opponents. When EE, Vodafone and then Three each confirmed that they would reinstate the dreaded fees, this left the door ajar for Virgin Media O2 to break ranks and also disrupt the market.
“When the joint venture was launched in the first month of last summer, he was committed to making things happen; this new sample that is already ready to live up to this ambition. Expect it to be hell for leather in its marketing as it seeks to position itself firmly on the consumer side. Homelessness is a poisonous term for many, and the horror stories of people racking up huge bills on vacation have rightly led to widespread mistrust and resentment towards telecom operators.
“This move could hit 3 harder. It was the first to start phasing out roaming in XNUMX and has been promoting its Go Roam offering with confidence as it seeks to distinguish itself by overcoming common customer pitfalls. If he goes ahead with plans to bring homelessness back in May, that risks undoing a lot of that hard work. "
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