O2 shares tips to ‘avoid getting burnt’ by data roaming charges when travelling abroad
O2 found as much as 46 percent of Britons think about their mobile phone bill at least once every two hours while on holiday.
O2 is urging holidaymakers to check they’ve applied a spending cap before going abroad this year, to avoid facing an unwanted roaming bill.
Research by Virgin Media O2 found as much as 46 percent of Britons think about their mobile phone bill at least once every two hours while on holiday.
Meanwhile, over half (53 percent) said they feel having mobile data abroad is a holiday “essential”.
Despite this, 39 percent of men and 31 percent of women do not apply a data spending cap while abroad.
This leaves mobile users at risk of racking up an unwanted data roaming bill worth tens, hundreds, or even thousands in Scotland’s former health secretary’s case. Michael Matheson was charged nearly £11,000 after streaming football matches while on holiday.
Data roaming refers to the use of mobile data services, such as internet browsing and email, when a user is outside their home network's coverage area, typically while travelling abroad.
This service allows users to access the internet on their mobile devices by connecting to a foreign network. Unless a person’s mobile provider states otherwise, doing this often incurs additional charges.
However, there are ways people can “cap” their data roaming spending to avoid facing any - or reducing - excess fees.
A spokesperson at Virgin Media O2 commented: “Being able to use your mobile data while abroad has become a holiday essential, with more than half (52 percent) of Britons stating data roaming is a holiday must-have.
Don't miss...
Sleep-shopping mother scammed after unwittingly sharing bank details [INSIGHT]
House prices edge up 0.4% in modest 'rebound' for property market [ANALYSIS]
Britons urged to make state pension check as ‘ticking £6,000 time bomb’ looms [EXPLAINED]
“Just like forgetting to pack a swimming costume or neglecting to collect Euros before you head off, that feeling of not having access to holiday necessities is a sure way to dampen your trip.”
The spokesperson has provided some tips to “avoid getting burnt by pesky roaming fees”, first being to check your tariff before you travel to see if it includes inclusive roaming.
They added: “Be sure to add a spending cap as this will prevent you from racking up unwanted costs.”
Secondly, people should turn their data roaming off before leaving the UK and entering a new country.
Finally, they noted: “Be prepared and download content before you go away to avoid data-heavy streaming.”
