Even if these days Europe and the European Council seem to serve no purpose and only be a burden, here is finally the realization of an advantageous and important Community law for all of us, free roaming. This means that if an Italian goes to a foreign country belonging to the European community, he will still be able to call, send SMS and, above all, surf the internet without paying additional costs, with the same conditions and rates as in Italy.
From 15 June 2017, therefore, you can go to a European Union country and call or text without worrying about spending too much, thanks to the Roam like at home agreement.
Although, in theory, there would be no cheating in this law and even if no national operator can automatically and autonomously apply different tariffs for calls abroad (always in EU countries), there are still limitations and conditions with costs additional to national roaming of which few speak.
The Roam Like Home regulation was born with the aim of preventing consumers traveling by being caught with huge bills due to short data connections or phone calls, but does not apply to those who live abroad.
This can be said to be the only true condition for free roaming, namely the fact that the mobile phone is used, for most of the year, in the country where the contract was stipulated.
Therefore, if I use a SIM from Vodafone Italy, I can call, text and connect to the internet at the same Italian rates also in France, as long as I do not reside permanently in that country.
There is no indication of a maximum number of days even if it is likely that being more than 40 days in 4 months in a foreign country the operator could impose a surcharge (below we see the ceilings).
The result of this condition is a limit that can be imposed by the telephone operator for data connections .
Basically, while for phone calls and SMS there are no problems of additional prices, it may be that those who have an unlimited or almost unlimited mobile internet connection plan may have a limit on the Giga of free traffic available abroad.
While it is not said that all operators can put this limitation, if there is it will be clearly indicated in an SMS that you receive as soon as you landed in another country.
The calculation of the free GigaBytes of internet traffic in a European country (which, however, if this limit were applied, would always be communicated in the SMS that is received by changing the country) must be done following the complicated indications described on the Europa.eu website, which let's go over here.
You have to calculate the cost of the rate excluding VAT that you pay in Italy to connect to the internet divided by the number of Giga.
If this cost is less than 3.85 Euros, then the traffic that we will have available abroad in Europe is
2 * (Cost Fee / 7.7) = Free Roaming GB Number.
7.7 Euro is the maximum cost of 1 GB of traffic (this price will drop over the years to become 2.5 Euro in 2022)
For example, if we pay 3 GB of traffic 5 Euros, the cost per GB becomes: 5 - 22% of 5 (ie 1.1) is equal to 3.9 Euros; 3.9 divided by 3 is 1.3 Euro which is the cost of the rate per GB excluding VAT.
1.3 is less than 3.85 Euros, therefore, if the operator wants to impose the limit, this will be:
1.3 is divided by 7.7 and the result is multiplied by 2 with the final result of 0.33.
0.33 GB is the Giga number which must be free of charge and included in the operator's tariff plan.
The surplus can possibly be paid with a surcharge (but we hope it will not, otherwise everything is useless).
If you paid a 30 euro tariff plan (excluding VAT) for a package with unlimited calls, SMS and data, the roaminng would be free and respectful of this package for calls and SMS, which will therefore remain unlimited (unless you remain too long abroad), while you can use the data connection for at least 7.8 GB traffic (2 x (30 / 7.70 euros) = 7.8)
As mentioned above, if the telephone operator were to detect an abuse of the Policy of correct use (as the law calls it), which refer to too much time spent abroad or to the excessive consumption of Giga internet, then some additional costs for phone calls, SMS and internet, upon warning with SMS.
These additional costs must not exceed these rates:
Calls: 3.2 cents per minute (+ VAT)
SMS: 1 cent per SMS (+ VAT)
Internet: € 7.7 per 1GB (+ VAT)
Although these limitations and surcharges should never be activated, there are operators that have applied them, such as Fastweb, which puts a limit on free roaming of 1 GB for internet traffic and 500 minutes of calls.
Nothing needs to be done to enter the rules of free roaming and any eventual variation is not automatic at all, therefore it must be communicated and justified to the customer by the operator before the costs are incurred.
The Italian operators TIM, Vodafone, tre and Wind have already adapted to the new regulations and have, for now, no additional cost on the GB of available internet traffic.
All the lesser known virtual operators should do the same (but always better to check).
The countries of the European Union in which you can surf in roaming without additional costs are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom.
From now, going to these countries, remember to activate the data connection also in Roaming in the smartphone settings.
Note that Switzerland is not present and that the United Kingdom, in the event of Brexit, may no longer adhere to the policies of roam like home .
Furthermore, it is not possible to call the national tariff with a European mobile phone, for which there is always the international tariff.
READ ALSO: Foreign rates from mobile Wind, TIM, Vodafone, Tre
