Ask Our Expert

Mobile broadband roaming bundles

Our Broadband Expert says...

Even though it still costs a lot more to go online abroad, mobile broadband roaming charges have come down, and providers are increasingly offering deals and bundles to help you stay online no matter where you are.

Mobile broadband roaming bundles

Last week Orange Mobile Broadband (www.Orange.co.uk) announced a £2 for 2MB bundle which is being rolled out across the EU from February in a bid to avoid high, unexpected bills.

However, this is an opt-in bundle, so if you're an existing Orange mobile broadband customer you'll have to get in touch with your provider to have the new tariff added to your package. Otherwise you'll pay the far higher standard rate of £3 per MB.

The 2MB allowance equates to approximately thousands of Twitter messages, 80 to 100 emails, without attachments, 80 to 100 text-based web pages or approximately 15 to 20 images on a mobile phone.

T-Mobile Broadband (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) launched its Euro Broadband Boosters this month, offering internet access from just £1 for 3MB, which would give you around 15 minutes on your email.

It is also offering a 20MB allowance for £5, with about two hour’s online usage, a 50MB tariff for £10 with one days use, or a massive 200MB for £40 with 30 days usage.

This week Virgin Media Mobile Broadband (www.Virginmedia.com) also launched its Travel Passes add-ons, which allow you to buy one or three day mobile broadband roaming passes, or even weekly or monthly access for a set fee.

Its new Mobile Broadband Travel Passes start at £10 for a day, with a 10MB allowance, going up to £15 for three days - with a 15MB limit, £30 for a 30MB allowance over seven days, or £60 for a 60MB allowance over the course of 30 days.

These deals essentially mean that you're only paying £1 per MB - far lower than most standard roaming costs of around £3 per MB.

Other mobile broadband providers also offer data add-ons for travellers; Vodafone Mobile Broadband (www.Vodafone.co.uk) offers easy, daily rates, based on whether you're using the internet on your phone or on your laptop. It charges £4.99 for a 24-hour, 25MB allowance on your phone, or £9.99 for a 24-hour 50MB mobile broadband allowance on your laptop.

Data over these allowances will be charged at another £4.99 per 25MB for mobile phone users, and an extra £9.99 for 50MB on your laptop.

O2 Mobile Broadband (www.O2.co.uk) offers two packages, Data Abroad 10, which comes with a 10MB allowance for £20 and Data Abroad 50, offering 50MB for £50. However, any data you use over these allowances will be charged at the standard £3 per MB - so you have to be very careful not to exceed your limit.

Using your roaming minutes

Although data roaming bundles do cut the cost of mobile broadband abroad, they are not designed for heavy-duty internet use.

When it launched its £2 for 2MB bundle, Orange said: “It's not designed for heavier users who use the mobile internet to download music or games but for everyday customers who want to be able to check their emails, tweet or upload their pictures to social networking sites.“

If you want to go online and download large files or watch YouTube clips, for example, you should go to an internet cafe or use a wifi hotspot.

Mobile internet

The huge popularity of smartphones like the iPhone or the HTC phones has changed the way we access the internet. Going online on your phone and browsing the internet has become easier than ever, and with inclusive internet bundles that give you access to your emails, the internet and even GPS maps at the touch of a button, many people have become used to being able to access the internet no matter where they are.

And mobile broadband providers have recognised this. Data bundles work even better with mobile internet - where you use your phone to go online - because mobile phone browsers compress web pages and data before you see it - meaning that you use far less data when you go online, and letting your allowance go that little bit further.

Some suppliers are even offering mobile internet specific packages for people who simply want to check emails and go online on their phone.

Orange will soon be launching a €5 for 10MB bundle in France specifically designed for iPhone users, and Virgin Media has Travel Passes designed just for mobile phone users.

You can buy a one hour Mobile Internet Travel Pass for £4, with a 3MB allowance, or get 24 hour’s access for £6, with a 5MB allowance.

Expiry dates

If you're travelling a lot, or for a long time, you might want to consider a monthly data add-on, like Virgin Media’s 30 day Mobile Broadband Travel Pass. However, many packages like this - including Virgin Media’s offering - come with an expiry date, so if you don’t use your 60MB within 30 days, you'll lose any remaining data.

Make sure you check how long your data will last for before stocking upon a big bundle.

NB Best buy tables are always current.

Examples in the text of the article are correct at time of publication.

Ask us a question

If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at OurExpert@broadbandchoices.co.uk

Compare broadband deals

Save up to £363* when you include TV and calls with your broadband

CLOSE [X]

*Enter your postcode to find the best broadband deals in your area. We value your privacy, please see our privacy policy.

Why we need your postcode