What does the abolition of roaming in Europe mean for the business traveler?
It's been almost 10 years since we in the European Union began the complicated task of eliminating roaming charges between member countries. Proposals started in 2007, and in June 2015 the European Parliament agreed to end roaming by 2017.
Last April the legal caps for voice, SMS and data prices were established. The price per minute for voice can no longer exceed 5 cén cents and the operator cannot charge more than 2 cén cents per SMS and 5 cén cents per megabyte.
In June 2017, additional charges for using the mobile in another EU country will disappear completely. This decision, combined with a “net neutrality” agreement that stipulates that all internet traffic must be handled in the same way to allow free access to content, is a major step forward for consumer freedom.
During all this discussion, the price of data has become particularly important, since on many occasions it has been this cost that has generated controversy in the stories of exorbitant bills that sometimes have been generated even without the user being aware, for example, as a result of software updates on the device.
In addition, the increased use of applications such as whatsapp or Skype to send messages or make calls through the mobile phone, and the increasingly wide 4G coverage, are making it more and more difficult for the user to access the device;The growing number of users, who are increasingly opting to use data instead of voice calls or SMS messages, are changing the habits of users.
However, frequent travelers and frequent data roamers (e.g., business travelers) should proceed with caution, as data pricing, even with the cap, can be high for large amounts of data. For example, a business user with average consumption, i.e. a 1-hour video conference, 2 hours of internet browsing, 50 emails and the use of the most common apps for half an hour a day, can easily consume 5GB per month. At a cost of 0.05€/MB, that translates into more than €250 a month in data alone.
What's more, even when roaming charges are eliminated in 2017, the legislation will only affect European countries. When going outside Europe, the situation is very different. People who travel frequently between Europe and the US, for example, could find themselves with a high bill if they continue to roam data on the other side of the Atlantic.
In some countries around the world, it is not uncommon to find roaming charges of 10&€/MB. If it has taken us in the European community about 10 years to remove roaming, changing the global situation with the complexity that comes with it will likely take much longer.
However, there are already options to reduce the bill and control costs even for travel outside Europe. Instead of signing up for a local SIM in each country, it is best to look for a SIM card provider that offers a flat rate in the region or continent where you want to travel. This way the user knows exactly how much he/she is going to spend and does not have to worry about changing the cards in the device or the price change when moving from one country to another.