Ringing in change for travellers

Mobile roaming in Europe will soon be cheaper, writes Sophie Elsworth

IF you’re a jetsetter taking off to Europe this winter, using your mobile phone is about to get a whole lot cheaper.

Kiss goodbye to bill shock, where the cost of uploading a selfie on to your Facebook page can hit you by as much as $ 15 if you are still hooked into your local mobile service back home.

This is all about to change with new changes implemented by the European Commission.

Telco comparison website WhistleOut’s spokesman Joseph Hanlon said holidaymakers heading to Europe from June 15 would be able to get access to free mobile phone roaming from dozens of destinations by using the one SIM card.

This means if they are crossing countries and have purchased a SIM while over there, phone users will have the ability to make same- cost mobile calls and data downloads regardless of which country in the European Union they are in.

“This is a big deal for Australians, particularly because they love travelling to Europe and previously will have had to pick up a different SIM card in each country,’’ Mr Hanlon said.

And for any budgetconscious traveller who can’t cope without their smartphone, Mr Hanlon said there’s some simple things you can do to ensure you don’t get slapped with a big fat bill on your return.

“People don’t think ahead to understand what they are going to pay,’’ he said.

“If you don’t want to pay what your telco charges then turn off your international roaming and look at getting a prepaid SIM card in the country you are arriving in.

“Wherever you can get wi- fi for free use it; most of your phone use overseas will be for data, so that’s a great way of avoiding these charges.”

Travellers should look at what their own telco will charge them if they are travelling abroad, but usually this will sting, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network’s spokesman Luke Sutton said.

“Compare prices and call/ text/ data inclusions for plans offered by your provider with plans offered on travel SIMS and providers in the country you are travelling to,’’ he said.

“Plans offered by Australian providers cost around $ 5-$ 10 per day and some of these plans are limited in how much data they offer. Depending on how long you’re travelling for, the prices can add up.”