1 July 2002

When making a call from abroad using your UK mobile service the call is carried over a foreign mobile network as well as your UK mobile network. This is called ‘international roaming’.

Whilst it is convenient to be able to use your mobile abroad, charges may be both higher than you expect and structured differently to charges for using your mobile in the UK.

How much do UK customers pay to use their mobiles abroad? The basics.

• pre-pay charges are nearly always higher than contract (post-pay) charges;

• you pay to receive calls and listen to voicemail - up to £1.50 a minute on pre-pay;

• charges and services can vary a lot between providers and tariffs. For example, in February 2002, Orange did not offer ‘international traveller services’ (ITS), and O₂ (formerly BT Cellnet) and T-Mobile (formerly One2One) did not offer pre-pay roaming text messaging.

How can you make savings when using your mobile abroad?

To provide specific examples of the charges made and the savings available when using your mobile abroad, Oftel looked at charges for using UK mobiles in two European countries - the Republic of Ireland and France - as at February 2002. Oftel’s analysis found that in many cases it was possible to cut spending by about half, or even more.

Click on the country name below for more specific advice on how to make savings and how much you can save.

• the Republic of Ireland;
• France.

It is expected that for any destination it is worth considering action to cut costs. How much you can save personally by taking different steps will vary according to the country being visited and how you use your mobile abroad.

Further information

Retailers and mobile providers offer the following types of information, which may help you to choose your best option and make any necessary arrangements:

• websites;
• customer services departments;
• leaflets;
• faxed summaries of charges for specific services and countries.

Advice on some practical aspects of mobile use abroad is also available, on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo.