When travelling abroad from the United Kingdom, maintaining mobile connectivity is a significant consideration for many consumers. EE offers various international roaming options to allow customers to use their phones in other countries. However, the costs and availability of these services vary significantly depending on the customer's specific plan, the destination country, and the roaming zone it falls into. Understanding these options is essential for avoiding unexpected charges and ensuring reliable access to calls, texts, and data while travelling.
Roaming with EE in the USA is generally not free, with the notable exception of customers on a Full Works monthly plan. For most other Pay Monthly and Pay As You Go customers, using a phone in the United States incurs additional costs. The USA is classified under EE's Zone 1 for roaming purposes. EE has agreements with US providers, including AT&T and T-Mobile, to provide network coverage for UK customers. Before travelling, it is necessary to activate roaming on the EE account, which can be done by texting ROAMING to 150, and to ensure data roaming is enabled in the phone's settings. Customers are also advised to check their spend cap and set their phone to automatic network selection.
Roaming Zones and Destinations
EE categorises international destinations into five distinct zones, which determine the applicable roaming charges and pass options. The EU roaming zone covers most of Europe. The remaining zones—Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, and Zone 4—encompass countries across the rest of the world. Zone 1 includes destinations such as the USA, Australia, and Canada. Zone 2 includes countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Zone 3 covers a wide range of destinations including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and Thailand. Zone 4 includes many other countries, such as Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Cook Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Vanuatu, Yemen, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, specific roaming options are available for travel on aircraft, maritime vessels, ships, ferries, and cruises.
Travel Pass Options and Pricing
EE provides flexible roaming passes, which are a popular method for accessing mobile services abroad. These passes can typically be purchased via a text message link received upon arrival in the destination country, or through the My EE app. The passes allow customers to use their UK allowances (calls, texts, and data) or provide a specific allowance depending on the zone and pass type.
The pricing and allowances for Travel Passes vary by zone: * EU Zone: £2.59 per day or £15 per week to use UK allowances in Europe. * Zone 1: £5 per day or £25 per week to use UK allowances in Zone 1 countries. * Zone 2: £7.50 per day or £37.50 per week to use UK allowances in Zone 2 countries. * Zone 3: £7.50 per day for unlimited calls and texts and 500 MB of data. * Zone 4: £15 per day for 10 MB of data. Calls incur an extra cost of £2.34 per minute, SMS cost £0.76, and MMS cost £0.89. Some Zone 4 countries do not offer any data at all.
It is noted that the EE Europe Zone, Zone 1, and Zone 2 cover the majority of popular travel destinations, offering the most competitive pricing. The value and offering for Zone 3 and Zone 4 are considered less favourable in terms of both cost and included data.
Data Add-ons
In addition to Travel Passes, EE offers data-centric add-ons for customers who primarily need internet access. These add-ons are available for specific durations and can be purchased via the My EE app or by texting or calling 150. The available options include: * 1 day: 1GB for £3, or Unlimited for £5. * 7 days: 3GB for £9, 5GB for £12, or Unlimited for £16. * 30 days: 6GB for £15, 12GB for £21, or Unlimited for £40.
Monthly Subscriptions and Full Works Plans
For frequent travellers, EE provides monthly subscription options that include roaming capabilities. The EE Full Works plan is a significant exception to standard roaming charges. Customers on this plan can use their UK data, minutes, and texts in the USA (Zone 1) with no daily charges or additional fees. This plan effectively includes EE America roaming as part of the standard monthly cost.
Historically, EE offered other roaming products such as an "abroad pass" and a "travel data pass." However, these specific add-ons were removed from sale and replaced with the current Travel Pass and data add-on structure. The removal of the previous abroad pass, which allowed use of UK allowances for an extra £25 per month, resulted in a cost change for some customers. For example, accessing UK allowances in Europe for 30 days now costs £75 under the new daily rate structure, compared to the previous £25 monthly pass price.
For customers not on a Full Works plan or without specific roaming add-ons, Pay As You Go rates apply. Pay As You Go customers pay £1.80 per minute for calls, 60p per text, and undisclosed prices for data, which are likely to be expensive. For Pay Monthly customers without inclusive roaming, allowances can cost £5 for 24 hours or £25 for a week (7 days) for data, £1.66 per minute for calls, and 76p per text.
Alternative Connectivity Options
Due to the costs associated with EE roaming, particularly for data, alternative solutions are often recommended. One such alternative is using an eSIM from providers like Holafly. Holafly offers unlimited data eSIMs for the USA and over 200 other destinations worldwide. These eSIMs provide a fixed cost for unlimited data, eliminating concerns about usage tracking or daily charges. To use an eSIM, a compatible phone is required; most modern smartphones (models from 2016 or later) that support GSM and LTE compatibility should work fine in the US.
When using any roaming service or alternative eSIM, it is important to manage phone settings correctly. For example, Wi-Fi Calling is only supported in the UK, so it should be turned off when abroad to avoid potential international charges if calls are made over Wi-Fi. Ensuring the phone is set to automatic network selection helps it connect to the best available network, such as AT&T or T-Mobile in the USA.
Conclusion
EE provides a range of international roaming options for customers travelling from the UK, but these come with varying costs and conditions. The USA, located in Zone 1, is generally a paid roaming destination except for Full Works plan holders. Customers can choose between daily or weekly Travel Passes to access their UK allowances, or purchase specific data add-ons ranging from 1GB to unlimited data for various durations. Monthly subscriptions are also available for frequent travellers. It is crucial for customers to verify their plan details, understand the roaming zone of their destination, and activate roaming before travel to manage costs effectively. For those seeking potentially more cost-effective data solutions, especially for heavy usage, unlimited data eSIMs from third-party providers present a viable alternative to traditional roaming charges.