EE sims offer unlimited EU texts and calls

The 4GEE and 4GEE Extra SIMs come with between 2GB and 16GB of data per month, which, EE say, will be delivered at speeds of up to 60Mb.

The SIMs are available on 30 day and 12 month contracts, but only those signing up for a year will be able to use their unlimited call and text allowances when travelling in Europe.

If that wasn't enough of an incentive to make a longer commitment, customers signing up to a 12-month contract before March 22nd will get their first three months at half price.

Credit: Ink Drop/Shutterstock.com

SIM only prices

Here's how the 12-month deals stack up:

	Data	Calls and texts	Double speed 4G	Unlimited calls and texts in EU	Price
	250MB	250 minutes, unlimited			£9.99
	500MB	500 minutes, unlimited			£12.99
	1GB	1,000 minutes, unlimited			£14.99
	2GB	Unlimited			£9 for 3 mths, then £17.99
	6GB	Unlimited			£12.49 for 3 mths, then £24.99
	8GB	Unlimited			£13.99 for 3 mths, then £27.99
	16GB	Unlimited			£17.50 for 3 mths, then £34.99

The important thing to bear in mind is that it's only the calls and texts that are free in the EU - data will still cost from £3 for 50MB per day to £25 for 500MB to be used over a week without a roaming plan.

Anyone who wants the freedom of a rolling 30-day contract should increase the prices quoted above by £3 per month, forget about the three month discount - and expect to pay for those EU calls and texts:

	Data	Calls and texts	Double speed 4G	Unlimited calls and texts in EU	Price
	250MB	250 minutes, unlimited			£12.99
	500MB	500 minutes, unlimited			£15.99
	1GB	1,000 minutes, unlimited			£17.99
	2GB	Unlimited			£20.99
	6GB	Unlimited			£27.99
	8GB	Unlimited			£30.99
	16GB	Unlimited			£37.99

It's clear to see that the offer is intended to make signing on with EE for at least a year as tempting as possible.

See the latest EE SIM only prices.

Cost of roaming

EE aren't the only UK network to offer their customers free use when abroad - but it's a small club.

There are now 18 countries where Three customers can use their standard allowances to browse the web, or to call and text UK numbers, including the US and New Zealand.

Calls and texts made to local numbers still cost, and while the range of destinations is good, not everywhere in the EU is covered; Spain was only added to the list last April.

We've more details on the service, and how it works in practice, here.

By contrast, Vodafone customers must opt in to the operator's Euro Traveller plan. This lets them use their usual allowances, but for £3 each day they use their phone.

Pay monthly customers can also opt in to World Traveller, which costs £5 each day the phone is used.

O2 customers also need to opt in to their network's travel plan, imaginatively entitled O2 Travel. Once they've done this, pay monthly customers will then be charged £1.99 a day each day they use data.

Each call they make or receive between European countries will incur a 50p connection fee - but then it's free for up to 60 minutes.

Texts are free to receive but will cost 5p to send, whether to the UK or a European number; interestingly, media messages are charged at the standard rate.

Cheaper for all

The good news for everyone, though, is that we'll only have to put up with extra costs of any type for using our mobiles in the EU for just over another year.

From April this year, EU roaming fees will be reduced to just a few euro cents per minute, text or MB above our standard rates (exclusive of VAT).

Then from June 15th 2017, these fees will be scrapped all together - that is, the operators won't be allowed to charge more than their standard domestic rates for calls, texts or data use.

This should apply to our monthly or bundled allowances - so for many of us there won't be any extra charges for using our phones in Europe whatsoever; if we do get a bill for going over allowance it should be for the same price as we'd pay if we went over at home.

EE's new SIM only deals won't suit everyone, but for anyone they do work well for, it'll be like getting a glimpse of that roaming free future more than a year early.