roaming Archives - Tech Stuff

October 15, 2023October 15, 2023

Roaming in Amsterdam

I was off to Amsterdam for a few days for a conference at the RAI conference centre.

Following some issues with roaming in Spain in 2022 I have been a little concerned about travelling abroad and if I would have connectivity issues. After Spain though, I had travelled to Ireland and Germany and both times everything just worked. However the last time I went abroad, in the summer to Portugal, I had a few issues when roaming with excessive data usage on my iPhone.

I have a Three contract with unlimited calls, unlimited texts, and unlimited data. As this is a pre-October 2021 contract I am able to use all those allowances when roaming, but there is a 12GB fair use limit. On all my previous visits abroad, before Portugal, I have never come close to reaching that limit.

In Portugal I reached 80% of my 12GB limit within the first twenty four hours. Back then, I turned off mobile data and then I went into Settings -> Mobile Data and turned off all the apps which could use mobile data. There were a lot of apps.

So when I flew to Amsterdam last week, whilst I was on the plane went into Settings -> Mobile Data and turned off virtually all the apps which could use mobile data. Took me a while as there were a fair few. I turned off mobile data for virtually all my apps and also specifically iCloud Drive and iCloud Backup. I am pretty sure they were the culprits for my excessive data usage whilst in Spain.

I then reset the mobile data usage statistics. So when I came back to the UK I could check how much data I had used.

Schiphol Airport had free WiFi, so I could use that in the airport whilst I had a ninety minute wait to get through passport control.

Now I was lucky that the hotel and conference venue had good WiFi, and even Schiphol Airport’s WiFi was good. So there was less reliance on using my mobile data.

When I was walking around Amsterdam away from the hotel and the conference venue, I did turn on mobile data for specific apps that I wanted to use, finance and travel apps for example.

After arriving back in the UK I checked the mobile data usage statistics I had used whilst roaming in the Netherlands from Tuesday to Friday.

It was 1.4GB and 1.4GB is a lot less than the 12GB fair use allowance I have. So was pleased with that. I never felt I was limited in how I used mobile data abroad, as when I did need to use an app, I just turned on mobile data for it. I was lucky in having decent WiFi, so that did make a difference.

August 19, 2023

Problems with roaming in Portugal

When I arrived at Faro Airport, my phone connected without issue to the MEO network and I was connected.

However what I wasn’t expecting was that twenty four hours later I would get a text from Three that I had used 80%of my data allowance of 12GB.

So I was somewhat surprised to find that I had used it nearly all up within a day.

I am not sure why, but my suspicion was that iCloud Photos was the culprit, or iCloud Backup.

So first I turned off mobile data and then I went into Settings -> Mobile Data and turned off all the apps which could use mobile data. There were a lot.

Of course with unlimited data back in the UK, I never need to worry about apps using data.

Alas the hotel doesn’t have free Wi-Fi (well it does in reception) but in the rooms there is a charged for service.

Once in the plane (and in flight mode) I enabled mobile data for all my apps so when I landed back in the UK I would be back where I was when I left.

Towards the end of the week I felt more confident in using mobile data. In the end I never used all the 12GB allowance, but it did make me think about how I will be using a phone if and when I go abroad again.

December 2, 2022

Roaming in Berlin

This week I travelled to Berlin for a conference. I had issues with roaming when I went to Spain in the summer, it took an online chat (or two) to get that sorted. It wasn’t easy at first when I was in Dublin in September, but that sorted itself out relatively quickly. So I did wonder what would happen when I arrived in Berlin.

Well no issues whatsoever. As soon as I turned off airplane mode, I connected to a network and I could make calls and use the internet.

Though I have an unlimited data contract with Three they do stipulate a 12GB fair use allowance when roaming. I wasn’t too concerned as I knew I wouldn’t be streaming or downloading large files.

I was also able to connect to eduroam (wifi) at the conference, so that saved me some data.

September 16, 2022

All fine with Three in Dublin

This week I travelled to Dublin for a meeting. The last time I was in Dublin was in 2016 and that was my first trip abroad having changed mobile phone contracts in October 2015. Back then I had no issues with roaming.

I was able to easily join the Three Ireland network, make calls, send texts and use data with no problems or worries.

Having had a few issues with roaming in Spain last month, though got them sorted, I wasn’t expecting too many issues in Dublin.

Having arrived in Dublin, my phone failed to connect to a network. I was a little annoyed.

However I changed my Network Selection settings from Automatic and chose the Three network.

This then connected fine and I could make calls and access the internet.

August 3, 2022January 21, 2024

Roaming issues in Spain

I joined Three in 2015 and my first trip abroad was in March 2016 to Dublin.

I was able to easily join the Three Ireland network, make calls, send texts and use data with no problems or worries.

Since then I have been aboard to Spain, France, and Bulgaria; each time I was easily able to join a network and roam easily and freely.

I changed my Three contract in June 2021 and didn’t expect any problems roaming going forward.

Arriving in Spain, this week, though my phone would not connect to any network. My son’s phone (also on Three) did connect fine. So I knew it was an issue with either my phone or my contract settings.

Having arrived at the hotel, I joined the wifi. I went onto Three online chat to sort out the roaming, which after two chats, I got sorted. It was a problem with not having international roaming activated, but also have a zero spend limit on the phone. Having sorted those things out I was able to make calls and use the internet in Spain.

March 29, 2016September 16, 2022

Reducing Roaming Costs

Last week I was in Dublin for the LILAC 16 conference. The last time I was in Ireland was in 2012. Back then I was on an EE contract and when I arrived at Dublin Airport I tuned flight mode on, on my iPhone as I didn’t want to incur huge roaming charges. There was quite a few press stories (and still are now and again) on people taking their smartphones abroad and racking up huge charges in their phones because of the way modern phones use data. I spent the week using wifi and making the odd call home when needed.

Since then there has been new EU legislation on roaming charges. I also have moved away from EE and have a new contract with Three using an iPhone 6S Plus. The contract gives me unlimited data on the phone as well as unlimited texts and a generous number of minutes, well who uses their phones for making calls these days?

So before this visit to Dublin I checked the Three website and was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could use my phone abroad with no extra costs!

Though I have an unlimited plan, there are some restrictions when using my plan abroad.

If you have all-you-can-eat data you can use up to 12GB. If you have all-you-can-eat texts you can send up to 5,000 texts.

So during my visit I was able to easily join the Three Ireland network, make calls, send texts and use data with no problems or worries. Though it has to be said the UCD eduroam wifi network was excellent and faster than the Three 3G network, whilst the 3G was faster and more reliable than the hotel network. As I was there only three days, the 12GB allowance was more than enough.

After I got back I got a text from Three. According to them I saved £56.36 which was nice.