Mobile roaming cap agreed for UK travellers in Norway and Iceland
Roaming charges in Norway and Iceland will be capped for UK visitors after a historic new free trade agreement was signed by the government last week.
International Trade Minister Conor Burns said that the first-ever roaming cap in a free trade agreement is evidence that the UK can strike deals to “banish barriers, boost jobs and save money”.
The deal means that UK travellers will be able to visit Norway and Iceland without worrying about excessive mobile roaming fees, though they won’t be abolished entirely.
Around 124,000 people visited the two countries last year, with both being notorious hotspots during the winter when the northern lights are a top attraction.
The new deal could also potentially cover roaming in Liechtenstein in the future.
It comes at a time when the majority of the UK’s biggest mobile operators have reintroduced fees for using data, calls and texts on the Continent.
Only Virgin Media O2 has decided against roaming charges, and it recently claimed that British holidaymakers spent around £80m in the EU this summer.
Most operators offer a flat-rate fee for roaming, with Three currently charging £2 per day.
Roaming in Europe used to be free between 2017 and 2020, but Brexit gave operators the option to decide whether they wanted to start charging customers for the privilege.
Now that a cap has been agreed upon with Norway and Iceland, telecom operators in each country will work together to finalise the details and implement the necessary legislation.