en.Wedoany.com Reported - The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has clarified the calculation method for the "Fair Use Rule" (Fair-Use-Regel) for roaming within the EU, which limits the amount of data users can use while abroad. As Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland are the first states to enter the summer holidays, Germany's peak summer travel season has begun.

For German holidaymakers traveling to the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA), the "Roam like at home" principle, in effect since 2017, ensures that calls, SMS, and mobile internet are charged at domestic rates without the need for booking or activation. This guarantee is valid until June 30, 2032. However, neighboring countries such as Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Andorra, and Monaco are not automatically included. Telekom has included Switzerland in its standard roaming coverage, while Vodafone and 1&1 have not.

The fair use cap is designed to prevent users from permanently using their low-cost German tariffs abroad. The roaming data volume is calculated by dividing the user's monthly fee by a fixed wholesale price per GB and then multiplying by two. In 2026, the wholesale price is a net amount of €1.10 (approximately €1.31 including tax). For example, a user paying €9.99 per month for 50GB of data can actually use about 15GB within the EU; a user paying €19.99 for an unlimited data plan can actually use about 30GB. This means that the cheaper 50GB plan is subject to a greater reduction than the more expensive one. Operators are obligated to inform users of this limit; if they fail to do so, users can still use their full data volume abroad. Calls and SMS are not affected by this rule.

For non-EU destinations, such as Turkey, Egypt, or the United States, without prior preparation, users face high roaming charges of up to €0.99 per MB and €1.49 per minute for calls. Three main methods can help avoid exorbitant bills. Operator roaming packages are the most convenient; for example, O2's "Roaming Plus World Pack" costs €14.99 and offers 2GB of data, covering around 100 countries. Deutsche Telekom has included 2 to 50GB of non-EU data quotas annually in new contract plans since February 2026. Vodafone launched its "Travel-World-Pakete" on April 1, 2026. Travel eSIMs are a cheaper data-only option, with providers including Airalo, Holafly, Yesim, Saily, or Germany's Freenet Travel. For example, a 7-day unlimited data plan for Turkey starts at around €19, and a 30-day plan costs nearly €47. However, note that "unlimited" may be subject to throttling; for instance, Airalo offers full-speed internet up to 3GB per day, after which speeds are reduced until a reset at midnight. Most eSIM plans do not provide a traditional phone number for calls. Purchasing a local prepaid SIM card is suitable for long-term stays, but note that in Turkey, if a phone purchased in Germany is used with a local SIM card for an extended period, the country may lock the device's IMEI after a certain period, and unlocking it can incur high fees.

eSIM functionality support varies by device. All iPhones from the iPhone XR and XS onwards, as well as most high-end Android models like Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel, support eSIM, while budget entry-level models typically do not. Users can purchase a destination country plan and install the eSIM profile one or two days before departure, designate the eSIM for mobile data in settings, and simultaneously turn off data roaming for the German SIM card. After landing, testing a webpage load will confirm readiness. Additionally, if users travel outside the EU for an extended period, after using a foreign network for approximately four consecutive months, operators may send a letter or charge a surcharge.

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