Roaming is the ability to use your mobile device while you are abroad. It is the extension of coverage that allows you to stay connected even when you're out of your visible home network.
This means you can make and receive calls, send texts, and browse the internet just like you do at home. But do note that rates and rules governing roaming vary depending on several factors.
Roaming Charges
Roaming is often associated with higher costs, but the exact charges depend on the country you're in and the services you are using. In short, Roaming in the plan.com Europe Zone is included in your plan.com UK domestic tariff.
The following usage is included with the UK tariff allowance:
- All data usage in the plan.com Europe Zone (EZ)
- Calls and texts back to the UK from an EZ destination (including voicemail retrieval)
- Calls and texts within an EZ destination, e.g. Spain to Spain
- Calls and texts from one country to another where both are in the EZ, e.g. Spain to Germany
Roaming Bolt-Ons
Roaming usage is not included as standard in mobile and MBB tariffs. However, this will not prevent your device from connecting to a foreign network. In these cases, you wil be charged for out of bundle usage. Please see our pricing guide for roaming charges.
To stay connected and in control of your costs while abroad, we have created a range of bolt-ons. These include Daily Traveller, Global Data and Global Traveller.
If you want complete confidence that your destination is covered (and information on the Bolt-On you need in case it's not), please consider using the plan.com Bolt-On Checker tool to help you find the perfect roaming Bolt-On. Simply select your destination and current tariff to discover the best fit Bolt-On.
Roaming Spend Controls
To avoid surprising bills, it's possible to set a cap on your roaming usage. Please see Spend Controls for more information on controlling your monthly bill.
Remember you can always track you current usage, including Roaming, in your my.plan account:
- Login to your my.plan account.
- Click Usage in the top navigation menu.
- Select All from the dropdown menu.
- Expand the Usage widget in the All Usage and Charges window.
- Use the By Location tab to identify the location where Roaming charges may have been incurred.
Potential Limitations to Roaming
Roaming allowances are not unlimited. Fair usage policies might apply to prevent misuse of services, such as using roaming services for an extended period while being abroad, which is meant to be irregular in its nature.
Roaming also has a few limitations with regards to certain services. Wi-Fi calling and 4G calling might not work in some countries, and the same goes for HotSpot tethering. You can still expect to attain 3G or 2G speeds, though.
Sometimes, customers might not be able to make calls or send messages to people outside the UK. This is often due to restrictions in the visited country.
Similarly, certain features like voicemail and call divert might not be available or might induce additional charges when you are roaming.
Fair Usage While Roaming
plan.com tariffs and Bolt-ons are intended for customers and users with a stable link to the UK who travel abroad periodically. They are not intended for users roaming on a permanent or semi-permanent basis.
If you spend more than two months abroad out of four months or if you consumed more data abroad than at home over this time, we may send you a notification.
Once this alert is received, you will have two weeks to clarify the situation. If you remain abroad, we reserve the right to apply surcharges.
Roaming near borders
While roaming in countries that border with other destinations that fall outside the region or zone (e.g. The Republic of Cyprus, which borders with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), it is possible for a roaming mobile phone to connect with a mobile mast in the neighbouring country. In the example of Cyprus and Turkey, voice, text and data charges are set at the higher, non-Euro Zone rates.
When it comes to data usage, this is more expensive than standard domestic data charges. This is also true of maritime, satellite and airborne networks. plan.com is not able to control which network your Equipment connects to. For this reason, we are not liable for any additional charges that are incurred.
Maritime, Satellite And Airborne Networks
Maritime, satellite and airborne networks are not included in any plan.com tariff or bolt-on allowances, even though they may be based in one of our roaming zones.
plan.com cannot be held responsible for Equipment accessing these networks and is not liable for any additional charges that are incurred from Equipment using these networks, even if accidental.
Please take extra care when travelling off-land or within areas not covered by mobile operators. We suggest putting your device into flight-safe mode in these situations or turning off roaming data on your device.