Brexit is here. As of January 1, 2021, the United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union. And while most of us certainly won’t change our lives as much as those who live in them, you might be wondering what will happen to homelessness.
Until now, from Europe, you could travel to the UK and any other country in the European Union without worrying that your mobile operator would charge you extra to be able to call, send messages and use the internet in outside of your country.
What is roaming or roaming?
It is convenient to start by explaining what roaming is. Also called “roaming” in Spanish, it is the possibility of using a mobile phone with a different operator than the one contracted when they are outside their country.
For several years, everyone who traveled in Europe and used their mobile had to pay extra to be able to use European mobile operators. As you will recall, this led travelers to disconnect their mobile data if they didn’t want to pay more on their bill.
Things changed in 2017 when the European Union agreed that citizens of any member state (as well as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) could travel to another and use roaming without doing so. ‘incurs additional costs.
What about roaming after Brexit?
Now that the UK has left the European Union, the free roaming we have enjoyed so far is going to change. It seems that it is up to each operator to decide whether to continue to offer free roaming in the Anglo-Saxon country or whether to start charging for its use.
Here is what can be read on the Moncloa website:
“As of January 1, 2021, European regulations cease to be applicable in the United Kingdom and therefore telephone operators will not have the obligation to maintain roaming at no additional cost (calls made and received, SMS sent and SMS services data) when users move from the UK to the EU and vice versa.
The Spanish government also explained that if they change their prices, operators are required to notify their customers one month in advance. It is also advisable to consult it directly with the company (or to continue reading).
We now know that the major operators have decided to increase prices for Brits visiting the European Union and Europeans visiting the United Kingdom. The changes will start to apply from January 2022.
Does Vodafone charge for roaming in UK?
For now, Vodafone continues to keep the UK in Zone 1, which means that there will be no additional cost compared to the tariff you have to use in Europe. However, there are some exceptions that countries in this area do not cover:
- Calls and SMS from one country in Zone 1 to another in Zone 2, 3, 4 and 6
- Boat and plane travel
- Additional calls and Premium SMS
- Free calls between Vodafone and u tariffs
- Calls between the Vodafone One tariff family
However, Vodafone UK has already introduced new plans where they charge extra fees for roaming use as of January 6, 2022 and this may mean Spanish users in the UK have to do this as well.
Does Movistar charge for roaming in the UK?
In the case of Movistar customers, they will also be able to continue to enjoy the benefits of roaming between countries of the European Union when they travel to the United Kingdom. Whether they have a contract or a prepaid rate, they will pay the same as in Europe.
So you can use your data, make calls or send messages to Europe or the UK paying what you usually pay for your rate. Of course, Movistar specifies that this does not apply to “traffic carried out from maritime, air or satellite coverage”.
We are waiting to know what could happen from January 2022.
Does Orange charge for roaming in the UK?
Although it is no longer part of the European Union, the United Kingdom (including Gibraltar) is still part of the Orange Zone 1 countries. Therefore, if you are a customer, you will be able to enjoy all the benefits of your tariff also in the UK country.
This obviously means that your mobile usage in the UK will be deducted from the minutes and megabytes you contracted with your tariff (unless you have unlimited calling and data.
However, we are also waiting to find out what might happen from next year.
Does Yoigo charge for roaming in the UK?
Yoigo defines the UK as an “EU country and partner”. Obviously, it is now more associated than the EU, but the important thing is that this classification allows its users to use their mobile phones in these countries as if they were in Europe.
On your next trip to England, Scotland or Wales, you won’t have to pay extra to browse, send or receive calls and texts. Yoigo remembers, yes, that in order to take advantage of all of this, you will need to make sure you enable roaming on your mobile.
Again, however, conditions could change if Yoigo decides to emulate the strategy of other traders.
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