Three says arrivederci to roaming charges in seven countries

From today Three customers have a new, simple and affordable way to stay in touch with friends and family back home while travelling overseas. Three customers will be able to get online as well as call and text the UK using their current plan as if they’re still in the UK, when in a ‘Feel At Home’ country. That means they can now use their UK price plan instead of incurring international roaming charges in certain countries if they are contacting loved ones in the UK, and even if you go out of bundle you will be subject to reduced roaming rates.

Initially available in Republic of Ireland, Australia, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark, Feel At Home will automatically activate as soon as the plane touches down in one of the listed countries. As soon as you arrive and your device picks up any local mobile network, it’s good to go and you can start posting envy-inducing holiday status updates straight away.

Three is the first UK operator to offer customers the same in-country mobile phone and mobile broadband rates for no additional charge as if you’re at home whilst abroad, signifying a real shift in how customers are billed for mobile use in other countries.

Thomas Malleschitz, marketing director at Three, said: “We want to make sure our customers have the best possible mobile experience. By abolishing expensive roaming charges in select countries we are allowing our customers to get even more value from their minutes, texts and data abroad by removing the fear associated with staying in touch while travelling.”

After launching new game-changing Pay-As-You-Go rates of 3p a minute, 2p a text and 1p a MB of data last month, the same principle of simplicity and affordability are being brought to roaming.

All customers on pay monthly, Pay-As-You-Go, SIM-only, mobile broadband and business plans have the freedom to use Feel At Home within the limits of their current Three price plan. If people exceed the limits of their current price plan then they will still benefit from special roaming rates that are lower than Three’s standard roaming rates. Calls and texts to non-UK numbers will be charged at standard roaming rates and tethering is not allowed.