The abolition of roaming costs in 2017 is still a source of confusion.Here is a guide to find yourself there.

On June 15, 2017, the European Union (EU) imposed on mobile operators the abolition of roaming costs.

Two years later, it is clear that this historic measure is regularly misunderstood.

Doubts and blur remaining at the time of using your smartphone within the EU.

Example of a classic question: "I am on vacation in France, I call in Belgium with my smartphone, how much will I pay?".

What about a call from Spain to Germany, with a Belgian mobile subscription?

Here is a recall stitching of the rules in force.

The principle of roaming

Roaming (roaming) designates the possibility for the customer of a mobile operator to use the network of another operator.

Roaming can be paid or free;national, European or international.

On June 15, 2017, the European Union specifically suppressed European roaming costs.

Example

I am on vacation in France.I phone in Belgium via my Proximus subscription, using the network of the local operator SFR.

Before June 15, 2017, roaming costs were imposed on you, supposed to cover the fee paid by Proximus to SFR.

Since June 15, 2017, these costs have not been billed to you.

In short, on paper, you surf and call within the EU under the conventional conditions of your mobile subscription or your prepaid card.

Subtleness and nuances distinguish despite everything the conditions of European roaming at Proximus, Orange and Base (see below, operator by operator).

The exception of international prices

Against all logic, European mobile operators have managed to save international prices temporarily.

European roaming and international price: what is the difference?

- European roaming concerns mobile communications from an EU country (other than that of your operator) to the number of an EU operator.

- The international rate concerns mobile communications from the country of your operator to the number of an operator from another EU country or a foreign country.

Schematically

- I am within the EU (but not in Belgium), I call a European number = European roaming.

- I am in Belgium, I call a European or foreign number = international prices.

This distinction gives birth to surrealist situations.

Example

- I am in France, I call a hotel in France via my base subscription.Under the abolition of roaming within the EU, the operator applies the conventional conditions of my subscription.

- I am in Belgium, I call a hotel in France via my base subscription.The operator applies the international rate.

The golden rule to remember is that international prices are invited to your invoice as soon as you contact numbers associated with foreign and European operators from Belgium.

Relief, Europe imposed a serious drop in international prices within the EU: € 0.23 per minute of call, € 0.07 per SMS sent.

Roaming at Proximus

Here are the rules of roaming specifically applied by Proximus.

+ Country countries

Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe (French Antilles), French Guyana, Hungary, Åland Islands (Finland), Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Martinique (French Antilles), Mayotte, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Réunion (La), Romania, United Kingdom, Saint-Barthélemy (French Antilles), Saint-Martin (French Antilles), Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden) + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway.

+ Calls

The minutes of appeal within the European Union are conventionally deducted from your package (subscription) or your credit (prepaid card).

Once your minute / credit quota is exhausted, Proximus applies its national rate.Or 0.30 € per minute with a subscription, € 0.35 per minute with a prepaid card.

Subscriptions with unlimited calls are perfectly valid within the EU.

3G/4G

As with calls, 3G/4G MB (megabytes) consumed within the EU are deducted from your package (subscription) or your credit (prepaid card).

Once your MB / credit quota is exhausted, Proximus applies its national rate.Or € 0.10 per Mb with a subscription, € 0.85 per Mb with a prepaid card.

3G/4G illimitée de l’abonnement Proximus XL Unlimited gère deux volumes distincts: 20 GB (gigabytes) par mois en Belgique, 16 GB en Europe.Once the 16 European GBs have been exhausted, the price is 0.0054 per MB (megabyte).

Roaming at Orange

Here are the rules of roaming specifically applied by Orange.

+ Country countries

Aland (Finland), Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain (and Canaries, Ceuta,), Estonia, Finland, France (and Monaco, Mayotte), Gibraltar (United Kingdom), Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernesey(United Kingdom), French Guyana, Hungary, Island of Man (United Kingdom), Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Jersey (United Kingdom), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Martinique, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (and Madeira, Azores), Czech Republic, Reunion, Romania, United Kingdom, Saint Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Marin, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Vatican

The calls

The minutes of appeal within the European Union are conventionally deducted from your package (subscription) or your credit (prepaid card).

Once your quota / your credit is exhausted, Orange applies its national rate.Or € 0.25 per minute with a subscription, € 0.30 per minute with a prepaid card.

Subscriptions with unlimited calls are perfectly valid within the EU.

3G/4G

As with calls, 3G/4G MB (megabytes) consumed within the EU are deducted from your package (subscription) or your credit (prepaid card).

Once your quota of MB / your credit is exhausted, Orange applies its national rate.Or 0.02 € per Mb with a subscription, € 0.50 per Mb with a prepaid card.

3G/4G illimitée des abonnements Aigle et Aigle Premium gèrent un seul volume de 20 GB (gigabytes) par mois.Once the 20 GBs exhausted in Belgium and/or Europe, the surf speed is limited to 512 kbps.

Roaming at Base

Here are the rules of roaming specifically applied by Orange.

+ Country countries

Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus (except Turkish and neutral area UN), Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guyana, Reunion, Mayotte included.), Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (Azores and Madeira incl.), Czech Republic, Romania, United Kingdom (Gibraltar included.), Saint-Marin, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Vatican

+ Calls

The minutes of appeal within the European Union are conventionally deducted from your package (subscription) or your credit (prepaid card).

Once your minute / credit quota is exhausted, base applies its national rate.Or € 0.05 per minute with a subscription, € 0.30 per minute with a prepaid card.

Subscriptions with unlimited calls are perfectly valid within the EU.

+ 3G/4G

As with calls, 3G/4G MB (megabytes) consumed within the EU are deducted from your package (subscription) or your credit (prepaid card).

Once your MB / credit quota is exhausted, base applies its national rate.Or 0.00,0037 € per Mb with a subscription, € 0.50 per Mb with a prepaid card.

3G/4G illimitée de l’abonnement Base Illimité gèrent gère deux volumes distincts: 25 GB (gigabytes) par mois en Belgique, 20 GB en Europe.Once the 20 European GBs have been exhausted, the price is 0.0054 per MB (megabyte).