O2 abolish roaming charges in UK and NI

starn

I've been siting on this for a couple of days. At the moment it's just for bussiness users. But soon enough its gonna across the board.

http://web.o2.ie/site/about_o2/latest_news.jsp

Sponge Bob

starn wrote:

At the moment it's just for bussiness users. But soon enough its gonna across the board.

Its good news starting for Business customers from next Monday (the 13th) but read CAREFULLY y'áll !!!!!!

O2 agreed to abolish certain roaming charges for O2 customers in the south while using O2 in the North. If you are an O2 customer in the south and go to Vodafone in the north you will pay roaming charges. They also abolished charges in the rest of Britain for Business customers only, not private prepay or postpay.

Press Release from O2 Here

http://web.o2.ie/site/about_o2/latest_news.jsp

From April 2006, roaming between Ireland and Northern Ireland will be abolished on O2’s network for it’s 1.6 million pre pay (speak easy), post pay (contract) customers. This means that these customers will not be charged for calls they receive while roaming in Northern Ireland.

They will pay a special roaming charge for calls they MAKE while on O2 in NI

In addition, pre pay customers will pay a new flat rate of 39 cent for calls and texts made in Northern Ireland and back to the Republic of Ireland. All Irish numbers and Northern Ireland landline numbers will be charged at this new flat rate. There is no set up fee or subscription charge for this service.

Postpaid Private users will NOT pay for roaming charges for calls they make while on O2 in NI

The price post pay customers pay for calls they make while in Northern Ireland will be the same as their domestic rate, depending on what price plan they are on. Again this is an opt-in service and there is no set up fee or subscription charge.

Finally O2 Business customers will not pay roaming charges for any part of the UK or for inbound or outbound calls. They will pay what it costs to call in Ireland .

O2 Ireland also announced today that in recognition of the economic importance of trade between Ireland and the UK, from Monday 13th February, the company is to abolish roaming charges between Ireland and the UK for O2 Ireland corporate and SME customers

All very fair and thanks to O2 for that, however this is what Minister Dempsey had to say about this 'new' but smaller roaming charge .

I am delighted that O2 have stepped up to the challenge I issued to all the mobile phone operators last September and abolished inadvertent mobile phone roaming charges between the Republic and Northern Ireland,” said Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey today.

He is a gobdaw , they have been selectively abolished not actually abolished and God help you if you roam onto any other network anywhere in the UK , make that manual selection when you roam.

20 Times 20 Times

Everyone will have it by April.

Dellas

Its a step in the right direction and its better than the current Vodafone and 3 deals. Vodafone is 79c for connection then billed as if at home and 79c for a call received whatever the length. Hopefully this will make VF and 3 do something to beat o2's rate.

The Irish government should be doing more to encourage an ALL IRELAND mobile network. Its a stupid system that for me 10 miles down the road Im charged as if Im calling a foreign country!!!!

Pythia

I'm sure this kinda thing happens in lots of countries. Just 'cos Ireland is an island, people get upset. It's just like living on the border between France and Germany.
NI and ROI are two separate countries, whether you like it or not.

Iago

incidentally it's an opt-in service so you only get it if you apply for it. It's not being rolled out across the base automatically.

jrey1981

That is great. Will save me money the odd time I am in Belfast and I am just back from the UK where I have incurred a few quid in roaming charges.

Will be going onto a business tariff shortly, and will make sure I opt in for it.

About time someone took the lead on this - I always thought it preposterous that we had to pay roaming charges when in NI. Well done O2.

starn

Dellas wrote:

The Irish government should be doing more to encourage an ALL IRELAND mobile network. Its a stupid system that for me 10 miles down the road Im charged as if Im calling a foreign country!!!!

All contract customers with O2, be they bussiness or personnel living in the border counties always got free cross border roaming.

ardmacha

All contract customers with O2, be they bussiness or personnel living in the border counties always got free cross border roaming.

On what planet was this?

NI and ROI are two separate countries, whether you like it or not.

They are the same country, but two different administrations. Two administrations who signed an agreement (GFA) where they said they would get rid of the type of price discrimination involved in roaming.

Yes you'll have to pay if you don't use the O2 UK network, but in general if you don't have on O2 signal you can't use your phone at all. In NI you will have the option of paying roaming rates and using it even where there is no O2 signal.

starn

On what planet was this?


This has ALWAYS been the case, and wheater you like it or not there are two different countries.

ardmacha

This has ALWAYS been the case

,

Perhaps you'd like to post a link to the place it says this on the O2 website. This would be useful to us before April, when the new arrangement comes in. Odd that O2 should go to so much trouble to announce something that always existed.

Northern IRELAND and the Republic of IRELAND are clearly components of the country Ireland, whether you like it or not. States and countries are not the same thing.

Berns

Is there a option for NI residents to have the same benefits. Just looks to be one way at the moment so us northerners gotta still pay roamin charges on O2 when we go down across the border till the free land
Anywhere ya can get free O2 irish sims, got a loada UK ones but not any irish ones

rogue-entity

IIRC Meteor Sims are free but they come with no credit. You have to activate them by topping up with 20Eur or more to get your free 10Eur. You need to topup once every month to 20Eur or more to get your free 10Eur. It is good, but I would just pay the 10Eur for an O2 SIM.

starn

ardmacha wrote:

,

Perhaps you'd like to post a link to the place it says this on the O2 website. This would be useful to us before April, when the new arrangement comes in. Odd that O2 should go to so much trouble to announce something that always existed.QUOTE]


It's only ever been for people leaving in border countys up until now

Dellas

starn wrote:

All contract customers with O2, be they bussiness or personnel living in the border counties always got free cross border roaming.

Well my mate was with O2 on a bill and he paid extra for that package!!!! Also its about time more was done for pay as you go customers on all networks!!!!

Dellas

Pythia wrote:

I'm sure this kinda thing happens in lots of countries. Just 'cos Ireland is an island, people get upset. It's just like living on the border between France and Germany.
NI and ROI are two separate countries, whether you like it or not.

Well we know the history but its a bit like Cyprus !!!! Irish people have been split into two nations by politics so its not really two countries demographically its 50% British 50% Irish so there should be certain things set up for both sides!!! All Ireland roaming would be good for everyone. France and Germany are two countries and two cultures where as Ireland is not .

starn

Dellas wrote:

Well my mate was with O2 on a bill and he paid extra for that package!!!! Also its about time more was done for pay as you go customers on all networks!!!!

Did your mate live in a border county, this is very important in they didnt live in Louth, Monaghan, etc, etc. They would not recice it for free.

The option your mate took out was the Derry to Kerry pacage. Which they could also of gotten as there free "bolt on". When someone signs up of contract they are given the option of a free "bolt on" 100 free text msgs, all Ireland roaming, free voicemail, a cetain amunt of free data downloads, etc, etc. So they could of gotten free roaming that way as well

Mayo Exile

Nothing on O2 Ireland's website as of this morning (Wednesday) about the abolition of roaming charges in N.I. They were meant to launch a national advertising campaign about it this week.

Sponge Bob

you must ring them ...if you are a business user.

its not in for the others until april

Mayo Exile

There's a section on O2 Ireland's website now about business roaming in the UK for free. Nothing for personal users yet though.

Conor S

All O2 customers can pre-register for this service by texting the word 'ROAMING' to 50202 and you will get a text message back confirming that you have pre-registered

Dellas

starn wrote:

Did your mate live in a border county, this is very important in they didnt live in Louth, Monaghan, etc, etc. They would not recice it for free.

The option your mate took out was the Derry to Kerry pacage. Which they could also of gotten as there free "bolt on". When someone signs up of contract they are given the option of a free "bolt on" 100 free text msgs, all Ireland roaming, free voicemail, a cetain amunt of free data downloads, etc, etc. So they could of gotten free roaming that way as well

Yep my mate lives six miles from Newry on the Republic side and was still charged this add on fee!!! I guess if you dont know about it they try bill you for it !!!!!