Virgin Mobile has announced that customers on an unlimited data plan will get 5.5 GB of data when roaming in the EU from June 1st.
The EU’s new roaming laws have been the subject of much speculation, debate and confusion over the last few weeks, with many customers wondering if they really will be able to “roam like at home” after June 15th.
Not wanting to be misunderstood amidst the speculation, Virgin Mobile has moved to clarify what the new laws will mean for its customers.
What are Virgin Mobile’s roaming allowances?
From June 1st, Virgin Mobile customers with an ‘unlimited everything’ plan (that’s unlimited calls, texts and data) in Ireland will be allocated 5.5 GB of data per month while roaming in the EU. Calls and texts will be unlimited.
Considering the fact that the average Virgin Mobile customer uses 2.7 GB per month, the majority are will be able to comfortably use their phones as they normally would while city-hopping around the EU.
Customers are expected to get a text message to confirm the allowances within in the next 24 hours.
What about customers on Virgin Mobile’s limited plan?
Customers on Virgin Mobile’s limited plan, which comes with 250 texts, 250 minutes of calls and 1 GB of data, will get the exact same allowance while roaming as they do at home.
If you go over your roaming allowance, you’ll be charged €7.70 for every extra GB used, 1c for every text and 3.2c per minute of calls.
Virgin Mobile’s roaming allowances and penalty fees for going over your limit are in line with the EU’s new laws, which will take effect on June 15th.
Virgin Mobile’s offers
Virgin Mobile has snapped up 28,000 customers since it launched in October 2015.
The provider is currently offering existing Virgin Media customers its ‘unlimited everything’ deal for €5 a month for the first 5 months and €25 a month after that.
This deal comes with a 30-day rolling contract so customers can switch without penalty fees whenever they like.
The deal is available to non-Virgin Media customers for €25 a month.
Demystifying roaming
The EU’s “roam like at home” rules will come into effect on June 15th and are a long-overdue improvement in roaming rates for consumers.
However, the laws are not as simple as they might appear.
Mobile operators around Europe can introduce fair usage caps to customers who are on unlimited data plans or are paying under €3.85 per GB of data.
If you are on an unlimited data plan, you can calculate how much roaming data you’re entitled to by multiplying your monthly bill amount (ex VAT) by 0.26.
For example, say you’re paying €25 a month for unlimited data. Remove 23% VAT from that amount to get €20.33, then multiply by 0.26.
This gives you 5.29, which tells you that you’re entitled to just under 5.3 GB of roaming data under the new laws.
If you haven’t heard from your operator yet, you will soon. And if you’re confused by what they’re telling you, tweet us @bonkers_ie and we’ll help you get to the bottom of it.
