EE has extended 4G data roaming to 14 new countries including Canada, Germany, Italy and Russia, but customers hoping to go data happy on holiday will still get stung with outrageous data charges. EE triumphantly announced the new service, failing to mention that 100MB of 4G data in many countries will cost you a whopping £50.
EE, which uses Hollywood star Kevin Bacon in its adverts, boasts 4G speeds of up to 60Mbps so customers could burn through expensive roaming allowances at rapid rates. In Saudi Arabia, one of the countries now covered by EE's 4G roaming, 100MB of data costs £50. Roaming in South Korea, which is being added to EE 4G roaming tomorrow, will set you back £90 for 100MB. One episode of your favourite TV show in HD will be more than 100MB, while uploading lots of photos to Facebook and Twitter could cost you a fortune.
A total of sixteen countries now have 4G roaming for EE customers. France and Spain were the first added in March with Canada, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, UAE, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland joining from today. South Korea will be added tomorrow.
But EE's roaming rates for data are still ridiculously expensive, despite rival networks Three and Vodafone introducing free or cut-price roaming deals. EE said it had "great value roaming bundles", but even the cheapest will still be prohibitively expensive for most people. In EU countries you can get 50MB for £3 or 500MB for £25.
"Whether it’s working on the move, social networking, using maps, or just finding a great place to eat in an unknown city, our customers can now enjoy the same superfast and reliable mobile experience at home and overseas", said EE CEO Olaf Swantee.
What Mr Swantee failed to note is that "finding a great place to eat in an unknown city", Seoul for example, could cost you nearly £100. Customers need not worry about bill shock though as EE disables roaming unless a bundle has been purchased beforehand.
EE continues to be one of the worst offenders when it comes to extortionate roaming rates. Three's Feel at Home deal lets customers use their UK minutes, texts and data in 16 countries including the USA, Australia and France for no extra cost. Vodafone's EuroTraveller scheme lets customers take UK minutes, texts and data to EU countries for £3 per day.
The EU has announced plans to end roaming charges in member countries by Christmas 2015 , but this decision will have no effect on sky-high roaming charges elsewhere in the world .
