Virgin Media O2 claims customers saved £3m a week not paying EU roaming fees

Crowd movements analysed last year by O2 Motion diagnostics 

Virgin Media O2 claims it has saved customers £3 million a week in EU roaming fees last year and that as O2 is the only UK network to offer inclusive EU roaming as standard

The figures came from analysing O2 Motion data between January and November, This diagnostic tool analyses connections to mobile masts to analyse crowd movement trends.

The savings estimates are based on an average £2 per day roaming charge with other mobile network operators. The figures were calculated by multiplying the average number of visitors to the top 10 EU destinations based on volumes of anonymised movement data with average roaming charges for other mobile network providers.

The network says a survey reveals 39 per cent of holidaymakers put credit card commission and fees as their biggest gripe followed by 35 per cent unhappy being charged to use their mobile while roaming.

According to the survey, a quarter of British holidaymakers aren’t aware they may need to pay roaming fees in Europe although 70 per cent prioritise being connected while away.

Half of the respondents think it’s unfair to pay additional charges for using their mobile whilst abroad in Europe.