Vodafone slashes data roaming costs

Vodafone is slashing the cost of data roaming abroad with a new, simple laptop internet access tariff.

From Monday 2 July, Vodafone Connect Abroad customers will be charged 12 euro (£8) a day (ex. VAT) for wireless data roaming using a laptop across certain countries and networks. The Vodafone Connect Abroad deal will cover Vodafone subsidiary networks in Europe, Egypt, Australia and new Zealand plus partner networks in France, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium.

The Vodafone Connect Abroad service will allow laptop users up to 50MB of data usage a day for surfing the internet, checking emails and accessing company intranets. VoiP use is not covered.

Vodafone Connect Abroad covers customers using either a laptop data card, USB modem, SIM-enabled laptop or a mobile phone as a wireless modem. Users can sign up to the Vodafone Connect Abroad service free of charge, and pay nothing until they start using the service.

Customers who use a Vodafone Mobile Connect USB modem or a Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G broadband data card will be able to access 3G and HSDPA enabled networks abroad in the same way they would in the UK.

The Vodafone Connect Abroad service is available on specified Vodafone affiliated networks only, so users should check before they travel which network they should connect to to get the cheap rate. If users exceed their 50MB daily data limit they will be charged at standard per-MB rates.

Vodafone initially announced its lower data roaming charge deal in March . The announcement today comes as new EU regulations on voice roaming charges come into effect this weekend. The European Commission has warned that it will continue to monitor data roaming charges, with a view to imposing price controls if operators ignore the EC's calls to cut charges.