Using Your Mobile Abroad

Written by Julie Watling

July 3, 2023

Using your mobile abroad

When planning a trip abroad, it is crucial to check before you set off, whether the country you are visiting is included in your mobile price plan. This will help you avoid any bill shock, or unexpected and unwelcome charges on your return home.

These are our top tips for using your mobile abroad.

1. Check whether the country you are visiting is included in your plan 

Before you leave, check whether the country you are visiting is included in your plan. 

Countries are classified by all mobile providers by price band. Typically there are Europe Zones 1 and 2 and then Worldwide. Details of the price bands can be found here: 

If your country of destination is not included in your normal mobile plan, please contact us in advance of your departure to arrange a ‘Bolt-on’. This should help minimise any charges should you need to use your mobile whilst abroad. 

2. When you arrive in your destination country  

You are likely to receive a text message similar to this: 

Welcome to COUNTRY X. You’re a customer of one of our Independent Service Providers, so all rates (including roaming charges) are set by them. If you want details on these charges, please contact your usual mobile support team. 

If you have not checked, details of the country price bands can be found here: 

Bill Limits

To avoid bill shock both at home and abroad, we can set your account to have an automatic bill limit.  Many clients opt for £30 above the normal price of their mobile plan. If you exceed this amount whilst on a call, you will not be cut off. The limit will only kick in on a subsequent call.  

Be aware that if you are travelling, there can be a delay before the home network communicates with the overseas network.  There has been examples of a 2 to 3 day delay in countries like Tunisia. In the meantime you could be running up an unwelcome bill. 

Flight Mode

Flight mode

Putting your mobile into Flight Mode when you are travelling should safeguard you from inadvertently accessing networks. Enable updates only via Wi-Fi, so that applications cannot update and run in the background, using data services, without you realising it. 

Air and Sea Satellite Services

A mobile can connect to some satellite network services, where the service is made available via air and maritime travel companies, automatically. You will not be asked to authorise this.  

Be aware that roaming spend on satellite roaming services is not considered the same as mobile network roaming. It is not included within standard roaming bundles or services. In addition, out of bundle costs are in most cases significantly higher than standard roaming costs by destinations within set world zones. 

Being clear about what is, and is not included, in your mobile plan is vital when you travel abroad. By checking whether your destination country is included in your plan, you will avoid any unwelcome ‘bill’ surprises on your return.  

Take the time to review your mobile plan and make any necessary arrangements before your next adventure. If you have any questions or doubts about your mobile plan’s coverage do contact our team. We are here to help ensure you have a worry-free mobile experience during your travels.   

Safe travels, and feel free to reach out to us for any assistance you may need! 

GET IN TOUCH!

We want to hear about your challenges. Talk to us! Our consultants can audit your systems, plan changes, implement improvements and support your people. 

5 + 10 =

Stay Up to Date With Us

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Follow Us

Click below to explore our feeds!

Services

IT Consultancy

Communications Services

Service Levels

Resources

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

Mobile Roaming

Quick Links

Success Stories

Contact US

About US

Blog

A 2020 report found that in the UK the average Download speed was 80 Mbps Upload speed was 21 Mbps.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to learn more.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This